Tag: Mighty Badges

Donation Spotlight: Bethesda Thrift Shop

Our customers amaze us every day! To show how much we value each one of you, we’re highlighting a recent donation we made. Scott Glidden of Bethesda Thrift Shop in Minnetonka, Minnesota, reached out to us. Bethesda Lutheran Communities runs the thrift shop, and we were proud to support their mission.

“They are a Christian organization that provides homes for people with developmental disabilities across the country. They create connections that support people on their journey to live the best life possible.”

Bethesda Thrift Shop in Minnetonka, Minnesota
Bethesda Lutheran Communities logo

Glidden shared the following mission statement with us. “(We are here) to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through services that share the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Donation Product: Mighty Badges

medium plus mighty badges reusable name badges name tags

Coller Industries provided a donation of Medium Plus Mighty Badges to Bethesda Thrift. Each badge comes with a reusable, metal back plate, a printable insert, and a plastic lens that snaps onto the back plate to make the whole system work. This product is a wonderful option for those who need a quick, reusable name badge for volunteer positions.

“We use your name badges to recognize our volunteers for their hours of service. Some of our volunteers have over 19,000 hours, so they are very proud of their badges,” said Glidden. “The volunteers have just loved them in the past, and it is nice to see how much it means to them to give them one. I always let them know that Coller Industries gave them as a donation.”

Glidden describes Bethesda Thrift as “a place that welcomes volunteers who help support our mission. We pride ourselves with the fact that we have paid staff and volunteers with disabilities working in our store. We have demonstrated that people with disabilities have different skills and abilities and are able to have meaningful jobs in our community, and we have helped many of them find stable rewarding employment.”

Bethesda Lutheran Communities is a national leader in providing homes and support. They promote awareness, and advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The thrift shop operates in 14 states with more than 300 program locations. They succeed through the passion of their employees and volunteers who make a difference every day in the lives of those they support.

Donation Spotlight: Bethesda Thrift Shop

Recently, we had the opportunity to make a product donation to Bethesda Thrift Shop in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Bethesda Thrift Shop is a non profit organization that is affiliated with Bethesda Lutheran Communities. This dates back to 1904 (wow, that is incredible!) and is based in Watertown, Wisconsin. We got a chance to talk briefly with Pat Bellefeuille, who is a store manager there. Bellefeuille was able to give us some insight into what Bethesda is all about.

Bethesda has 21 thrift shops in eight states that rely on more than 3,000 volunteers who donate over 260,000 hours each year. 100% of their net profit goes to support their mission. Bellefeuille’s store will be celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this February. Volunteers started it in 1993 and ran it entirely for the first 17 years.

name tags-nameplates-nametags-ribbons-lanyards-shipping
Bethesda Thrift Shop’s building.
name tags-nameplates-nametags-ribbons-lanyards-shipping
Customers browsing the selection at Bethesda.

When we asked if Bethesda Thrift Shop has a mission statement Bellefeuille responded: “Our mission is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through services that share the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Donation Product: Mighty Badges

We donated some of our Mighty Badges to the people at Bethesda Thrift. When we asked how they would use them, they gave us a heartfelt answer.

“The name badges were are given as a way to recognize the many hours our volunteers have volunteered,” said Bellefeuille.

A Mighty Badge with all its layers spread out to show how the badge works.

“We have some people who have badges with as many as 18,000 hours on them. And many who have 4,000 or more hours. At the end of each year, we total the hours for each volunteer. When they reach 500 hours of volunteering, they get their first badge. Then, when they have 1,000 hours they get another one, and so on. These badges are worn with much pride by those who have earned them. They are presented at the Volunteer Appreciation Banquet we have each spring. These name badges mean a lot to our volunteers as this is about the only recognition that they get for their many years and hours of selfless service.”

In 2010, they moved from their small store in Hopkins to a much larger 17,000 sq. ft. location in Minnetonka, Minnesota. At that time, they hired a full time manager, two assistants and three part time cashiers to keep the store open seven days a week. To support their mission, they also have three people with disabilities as paid staff. Today, a team of about 200 volunteers helps run the store. This includes around a dozen people with disabilities, some of whom have been volunteering there for over five years.