Posted by Anoushkha Koutharapu

PROP Shop Executive Director, Cindy Eddy on PROP Shop on PROP Shop’s Current Initiatives and Needs

The Rotary's August 18th guest was the Executive Director of PROP Shop, Cindy Eddy. Cindy Eddy talked to the Rotary about the PROP Shop and its characteristics. She mentioned that the PROP Shop is self sufficient. She also talked about the families that the PROP Shop helps with the majority of them being white, but the PROP Shop also serves a fair amount of Hispanic, Russian, and Somalian families. All of these families are in trouble especially now with the ongoing pandemic.

 
To better convey the situations these families are in, she shared a story about a little boy and his mother who were in the parking lot of PROP Shop when the little boy fainted, but the mother couldn't get any help because they didn't have health insurance. On the other hand, she stated that there is a bright side because these people usually get back on their feet, and they end up donating to the shop or working at the shop. Some individuals that were in need were so surprised and thankful that people were so kind enough to give away important items, which shows that if we all step up a little bit, we can all make a big difference in someone's life.
 
 
The PROP Shop has helped so many individuals over the past few years because Eden Prairie is a wonderful Community. In the PROP Shop, the staff only keep 20% of what they receive. She also stated that it is great to be part of a team that is successful. In their early days, many people had told them that couldn't do it, but the individuals at PROP Shop kept on going, and they succeeded. Cindy Eddy has learned a lot from working at the PROP Shop, and one of the most important things was to never judge anybody because you don't know what they are going through or what happened in their lives.

 

Spotlight on Craig Blixrud: 

In Craig Blixrud's vocational, we learned that he is from Alexandria, Minnesota. Craig went to school at the University of Minnesota, and this is where he studied Mechanical Engineering. Later, he worked at Honeywell for 20 years, which is also where he met his wife, Susan. Craig and Susan have four children. Now, Craig is a real estate agent in the Twin Cities with his wife, Susan

 

 

Announcements:

  • Remember to finish the opportunity to volunteer forms and email them to Carol. It is fine if you don't sign up for something.
  • Our guest speaker for August 25th will be Jon Kaufman, and on September 1st, we will have Mrinalni Iyer and Kevin Gao share a Marketing Presentation with the Rotarians.
  • Jane McGinty encouraged Rotarians to try to find speakers that align with their own interests.

Happy Fives:

Elaine Larabee isn't going to run for school board this year. George Esbensen is recovering from Lyme Disease.