Store Hours:
Thurs. 4:00 to 7:00
Fri. 4:00 to 7:00
Sat. 10:00 to 3:00
Hours subject to change
Circle of Friends is an IRS Registered Nonprofit Charity.
The Circle Of Friends Thrift Store is a small-town store run by Cindra, a very motivated woman. It has been been located in the town of Winthrop MN for 13 years. The store acts as a warehouse for donations received from the community. Store items are sold at low prices or given away for free to those in need. Any money raised goes to pay for the expenses of the store.
The store was founded over 10 years ago by two disadvantaged single moms in the small rural community of Winthrop in South Central MN. The moms were leaders in the local Girl Scout troop. Because the girls in the troop were disadvantaged and lacked funds to participate in troop activities, the moms would pay out of their own pockets for the girls’ expenses.
The women, who had already acquired business experience through successful garage sales, decided to start a small thrift store to benefit the girls. With their own money, they rented a small office and filled it with personal, garage sale, and donated items. They either sold at low cost or gave items away for free. Any profits went to benefit the Girl Scouts. After the troop moved to a different town, the women decided to keep the store going. Over the years, they had learned that without the store, many disadvantaged community members would have no other means of acquiring needed household & lifestyle items at low cost or for free.
Store Manager and founder Cindra Bielefeldt, a victim of domestic abuse who has been homeless herself, says, “When I think of Circle of Friends, I think it’s about helping people so that they have some kind of dignity in their life. We help people achieve economic independence by giving things free or at very low cost to them so that they have the ability to work and be employed. The county may tell you to go down to apply for jobs, but if you don’t have decent clothes to go to apply for a job, how much dignity is there in that? The food shelf can give them food, but if they have nothing to cook it in, there’s no dignity in that. Everyone should have dignity.”
The name “Circle of Friends” came from an idea the women had about forming a community donation circle. All profits from store sales go to cover store operating expenses. The store is a registered 501(c)(3) IRS nonprofit charity, and store donations are tax deductible.
There is not a single price tag in the store. Instead, the store uses the barter system, which means items are offered with a price in mind. If you don't like the price, you can barter the price up or down.
Here is the store Mission Statement:
The mission of the Circle of Friends Thrift Store is to provide underserved communities with access to household & lifestyle items at low-cost or for free. The store strives to find homes for all the donated items it receives, keeping as much as possible out of the landfill and putting it into the hands of those in need.
Our official address is:
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS THRIFT STORE
802 W. 6th Street, Winthrop, MN 55396
NE Corner of Hwy 15 & 19
Between Drive-In and JB Lures
Store Phone: 612-309-2176
Email: [email protected]
Store Hours are as follows:
Thursday -- 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday -- 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday -- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
(Due to reorganization, hours may vary)
All Donations Accepted….including furniture.
We are in need of store volunteers, and we are also able to help people who need to do community service.
We run all over Minnesota helping people out and picking up donations from people who want to donate things they no longer want or need. If you have items you want to donate, just give us a call.
If you are in need of something or are in a tough situation and can't afford clothes, kid's toys, dishes or other needed household items, please give us a call. We will do what we can to get you the items you need. Whether we have to drive it to you or gather it together for you to pick up, we will do our best to help out.
