Keeping with its mission to make community investment distributions to local non-profits, Oddz and Endz announced that they are passing out $110,000 this year, $30,000 more than last year.
Oddz and Endz is a self-described quirky non-profit thrift store that sells and donates used household goods, furniture, and books. The store achieved a 113% growth in yearly sales in 2023 compared to 2022.
It contributed to 21 selected non-profits located in Cook County this year. After paying its operating expenses, Oddz and Endz share any remaining receipts with other local non-profits through its Annual Community Investment Distribution.
Oddz and Endz Board Board member Dale McIntire said, “We accept donations of clean, resaleable household goods, including furniture, keeping those items out of local and regional landfills. We make these items available to the community at economical prices so they can be reused or repurposed. At times, we have also met emergency or special needs in our community.”
The 21 non-profit recipients of donations were selected entirely by individuals volunteering to work at the store, receiving donated items, stocking the shelves, and assisting buyers looking for those special items. Volunteer hours are banked and prorated to determine what percentage of the $110,000 each volunteer may direct to their selected beneficiaries.
The store’s community-focused mission is characterized by three words: Environment, Economy, and Empathy.
Last year, after ten years of operation, Oddz and Endz purchased the building that has housed it since the beginning. Its press release states, “The purchase represents a major investment in the future and the community.”
In 2022, Oddz and Endz joined forces with Library Friends of Cook County. The store accepts donations of previously owned books. Library Friends volunteers curate and stock a diverse inventory of used fiction and non-fiction books in the store’s book room.
The Board of Directors and the 59 volunteers appreciate the people who supported them last year. They expect continued growth and community investment in the years to come.
At 2066 W. Hwy. 61 in Grand Marais, Oddz and Endz is open Monday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The telephone number is 218-370-0615.
Donations are accepted when the store is open, but donors should contact the store in advance or check with the volunteers on duty before bringing contributions inside.
21 Non-profit Organizations Receiving Community Investment Distributions from Oddz & Endz 2023 Operations
Oddz & Endz
Library Friends of Cook County
American Legion Post 413
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 413
Care Partners of Cook County
Cook County Higher Education
Cook County Historical Society
Cornerstone Community Church
Council on Aging
Empty Bowls Cook County
First Congregational Church
Grand Marais Evangelical Free Church
Grand Marais Playhouse
Hamilton Habitat
Maple Hill Fire Department
Northshore Health Care Foundation
Oral Health Task Force
Sawtooth Ridges
Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church Good Samaritan Fund
Violence Prevention Center
WTIP
