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Trinkets & Togs Celebrates 30 Years
June 19, 2025 – This year marks a major milestone for Trinkets & Togs Thrift Store, a beloved community fixture that has been changing lives and protecting the planet for three decades. Since opening its doors in June 1995, our thrift store has supported meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities while providing affordable shopping options and promoting environmental sustainability through reuse and recycling.
What started as a small effort to create inclusive job opportunities has grown into a thriving operation that not only empowers people with disabilities but also serves the broader community. Proceeds from the store directly fund employment and training programs, helping individuals gain skills, confidence, and independence through real-world work experience.
“We have greatly appreciated the community’s support in making Trinkets & Togs a success over the last 30 years! The store has not only served as a great work environment for persons with disabilities to gain usable job skills, but has also been a fun place to shop and provided a tangible way to improve the environment,” said Bonnie Gesell, Executive Director of The Larrabee Center.
Over the past 30 years, Trinkets & Togs Thrift Store has diverted hundreds of thousands of pounds of clothing and household goods from landfills each year, giving gently used items a second life and promoting a culture of sustainability. From clothing to furniture to unique treasures, every donation and purchase makes a difference. Trinkets & Togs Thrift Stores have also been recognized by the Courier’s Best of the Best in the Cedar Valley for over 10 years.
“It’s truly amazing to see all the support this community has shown over the years,” said Darleen Lindahl, Store Manager. “From every donation dropped off to every customer who’s has shopped with us. Every bit of it helps us continue our mission and I am so thankful to be part of something so special.”
2024 Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact Award |
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The Larrabee Center is honored to be selected by Wartburg College as the recipient of the President’s Community Partner Award as part of the 2024 Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact Presidents’ and Engaged Campus Awards. Each year, member campuses are invited to recognize special achievements on campus and in their communities through annual awards. We have had the great pleasure to partner with Wartburg College in many ways. Our employment program has contracted within the dining services since 2015, giving numerous clients the opportunity to explore employment in the community. Many individuals then had the opportunity to be hired on as regular part time employees from those experiences. We’ve also had the wonderful opportunity to partner with the social work department as well through internships and some students have gained experience working in our Community Support Services Program, building their resume and experience. Numerous students have also volunteered in our thrift store, working alongside our clients and supporting our mission. Lastly, Wartburg faculty and students have partnered with our agency through specific classwork projects related to communications, marketing and even engineering. We are truly fortunate to have a great community partner in Wartburg College. When asked what it means for The Larrabee Center to receive this award, Associate Director Jessica Gulick said, “Often times, as a small nonprofit in our community, we tend to just quietly do our work behind the scenes. Receiving recognition is truly humbling and appreciated as our staff work hard and are so dedicated to our mission. We have seen our community truly embrace our mission and support the inclusion of our clients and individuals of all abilities in our workforce and all aspects of community living.” |
2022 Waverly Chamber Distinguished Non-Profit Award Recipient
The Larrabee Center is honored and humbled to have received the Distinguished Non-Profit Award for 2022 at the Waverly Chamber Of Commerce Annual Awards Celebration last week. The award was presented by Friends of the Family‘s Ben Brustkern, a colleague and friend of our agency. We accept this award on behalf of the dedicated staff who serve our clients and community daily, focused on our mission and helping to create a community of inclusion for all. We are grateful to the Waverly community for embracing individuals of all abilities and supporting our mission. We know many people recognize our Trinkets & Togs Thrift Store and tend to not know the connection to our agency and mission. We are sometimes referred to as Waverly’s best kept secret. However, this recognition reminds us of the impact we have in the community and is greatly appreciated. Special thank you to Travis and his team at the Chamber as well as the Chamber Board of Directors and nomination selection committee. Accepting the award is Bonnie Gesell, Executive Director, with over 27 years of dedication to our mission. Also pictured, Associate Director Jessica Gulick and Darleen Lindahl, Waverly Retail Manager.
