After weeks of people asking what is going on with the thrift store operated by the Salvation Army on the south side of town, the community finally received an answer.
The Salvation Army announced Wednesday afternoon the immediate and permanent closure of its Owatonna Family Store, driven primarily due to challenges sourcing and retaining adequate staffing.
“The current job market has made it difficult for us to remain adequately staffed at the Owatonna thrift store, so we’ve made the determination to close the store at this time,” said Joanne Johnson Lee, division service extension director, in a press release.
Though the official closure was only just announced, the store has been working on reduced hours for a number of months and has been completely closed for more than a month.
The Salvation Army declined to provide further comment at this time regarding where the items inside the store will go and additional details on the decision to close.
Closings of Salvation Army Family Stores has been a trend for a number of years in Greater Minnesota, including the abrupt closure of the Faribault store in 2020.
“We are immensely grateful for the ongoing support from the community over the years,” Johnson Lee said in the press release. “Our thrift store has been a key element of our outreach efforts in Steele County, but we believe this closure is necessary to better utilize our entrusted resources for the greater good of the local community.”
Johnson Lee also made it clear that the thrift store had served a separate function from the overall emergency services that the organization offers in Steele County.
“Though the thrift store is closing, the Salvation Army service unit in Steele County will continue to provide emergency financial services and programs to residents, just as it always has,” Johnson Lee said.
Popular Salvation Army programs, such as the Red Kettle Campaign and the annual fall Shop With a Cop will continue to operate in Steele County, providing funds for the local social services programs.
Residents seeking assistance from the Salvation Army or needing more information are encouraged to call 507-455-1444.
While the other services will remain in play locally, there is a still a hole being left with the closure of the store that worries some community leaders who the need will be met moving forward. Dom Korbel, executive director of Community Pathways of Steele County, said he is concerned about losing the thrift store, noting their own thrift store Unique Finds is not enough alone.
“There is need everywhere, and in this community there are enough donations to support it, but there is not enough capacity to distribute those donations with just us in the game,” Korbel said. “Even with our beautiful, expanded space, we cannot handle that level of giving.”
For example, Korbel said they do not have the storage space to accept furniture or off-season donations, something the Salvation Army store did. Over the past month, he said the level of donations they’ve been receiving in light of the Family Store being closed has been near overwhelming, and he is concerned about the impact that will happen moving forward.
“It is an interesting challenge for us, because no single store can handle all the donations this community is willing to make in an effort to care for their neighbors,” he said. “The need is larger than we realized, and it is almost impossible — if not impossible — for us to serve that need by ourselves. The Salvation Army was a very trusted partner to do that.”
Aside from clients served by both Community Pathways and Salvation Army, Korbel said he worries about those who utilize both stores who maybe didn’t want to register for either programs formally, but were using the stores to save money because that is their financial reality.
“I hope they shop with us, and I don’t want people to not continue to donate to us, but this will be a challenge,” Korbel said. “We are losing an incredible resource, and I am worried.”
In the press release, the Salvation Army expressed gratitude for its thrift store team for their “unwavering dedication and hard work” in serving the Owatonna community. It continues on to say the staff’s commitment had been “integral in providing essential services and fostering a sense of belonging” for countless individuals and families.
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