It’s been quite exciting and busy around here at Bridges of Hope!  In case you haven’t heard, we are officially open for business at our new Common Goods location in Crosslake! We have amazing staff who are working hard to get the space fully up & running (we were able to get into the space just yesterday). We took our first donation (also yesterday), and I literally JUST received a call from our Retail Manager, Nate, stating we’ve made our first sale TODAY! As you can see in

Do you have great items just sitting around that you no longer have any use for? Have you recently had a garage sale or plan on having one in the near future? If so, we may be able to help you out with some of your left over treasures! If you have items that you feel may be a good fit, we invite you to call us at 218-824-0923 or visit us at 16227 Hwy 371 N Brainerd, MN next to Dondelinger Chevrolet. We suggest you call the store to verify that we are currently accepting items

Bridges of Hope owns and operates a thrift store called Common Goods, which is located at 16227 Hwy 371 North in Baxter, Minnesota. If you have ever been to Common Goods, you have seen the end result of a very labor intensive process. Behind all of the shimmer, shine, and freshly steamed clothes there is an extreme amount of work that has gone into the final product. Every item that comes through the door at the store is checked, sorted, cleaned, painted, hung or steamed by g

Common Goods, it brings other changes–such as the types of donations we are looking for. Just like you, we are in the process of rotating our seasonal attire, and stocking the floor with fall/winter clothing and accessories. However, in order to do that, we need seasonally appropriate clothing & accessories donated from YOU, our amazing supporters! I know when my wife goes through her clothes this time of year, it is usually the time when she gets rid of the summer things she

Amazing things are happening at Bridges of Hope, all because of you. Because of you, we are SO CLOSE to meeting the challenge of providing Thanksgiving Meals for 368 households this year–100 more than any year in the past! (Approximately 50 more sponsors are needed for adult households without children. Click here to learn more.) Thank you. Because of you, Bridges of Hope is able to partner with our local landlords, utility companies, local businesses, auto repairs, appliance

Ever wonder where you could buy a nearly-life-sized Orangutan Puppet? What about a Snowman Pinata? A bench made from a sleigh bed?  A purse made from an old children’s book? A telescope? If you haven’t guessed it yet, it’s Common Goods! That’s right–all of these things have been for sale at Common Goods at some point in time (maybe even right now!). When we say the merchandise changes every day, we really mean that–because our inventory completely depends on what we receive i

The following is a list I’ve compiled of our “Top Ten” most appreciated donations. These items are our best sellers, are the most sought after by shoppers, and just fit the mission and “vibe” of Common Goods in general. Take a look and see if you’ve ever donated–or purchased–any of the items on the list! ————————————————————————————————————————- 10. Clothing for the whole family 9. Shoes and winter boots for the whole family 8. Games and Puzzles – all pieces included 7. Books

Believe it or not, VHS tapes are popular at Common Goods–our customers are always looking for VHS tapes, DVDs and CDs in good condition and in their original cases. Children’s titles and family movies are especially popular. Look through your own video and music collection at home, and donate the selections your family no longer enjoys to Common Goods–they just might make someone else’s day! #donations #summer #commongoods #vacation #charity #cabin #shopping #VHS #grandparent

So my extended family has this somewhat quirky (although not completely unique to us) tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas together. Yep–on the same day. We start with Thanksgiving Dinner, have a little down time to clean up dishes and let the food settle, and then jump right back in to Christmas by late afternoon, complete with a tree, presents for the children, and a gift exchange game for the adults…and of course, another meal…as if one wasn’t enough! I have