Ask Mr. Answer Person: "What's the difference between the Depot Outlet and the thrift store going into the old Hostess building?"

Carrie e-mails Mr. Answer Person: "Someone told me the Depot Outlet is moving into the space by Team Rehab and The thrift store is going in the old Hostess building? What's the difference between the Depot and the Thrift Store?"

Mr. Answer Person says, "I know this is a little confusing, but let me try to explain the various groups operating thrift shops in Decorah. 

The Depot Outlet has operated a thrift shop in Decorah since 1974, opening first in the old train depot building, then moving across the street to the space that is now the parking lot for Oneota Valley Family Eye Care, then building its present facilities on Railroad Avenue in 1984.  The Depot Outlet is running out of space, so it is moving its entire operations to Montgomery Plaza (next to Team Rehab, as you say) some time this spring.

The thrift shop that will open in the former Hostess building will be operated by the Spectrum Network.  Spectrum also began operations in 1974, in the basement of Grace Episcopal Church in Decorah.  Spectrum and The Depot Outlet have always been separate organizations, although they shared facilities on Railroad Avenue for six years in the 1980s, which might be why the two organizations sometimes get confused.  When The Spectrum Network decided to buy the former Hostess building, it wanted the space for several purposes.  A thrift shop will be one of those purposes, although the thrift shop will be run by The Spectrum Network, not The Depot Outlet.

Has Mr. Answer Person talked about Decorah's Goodwill store yet?  Now you're probably getting a sense of why you're not the only person who's confusing about which organization is operating which thrift shop.

Mr. Answer Person will tell you that Goodwill Industries, The Depot Outlet and The Spectrum Network are all outstanding organizations and you couldn't go wrong making donations to any of them (or all of them, for that matter). 

Mr. Answer Person makes his own personal donations to The Depot Outlet.  That's because the organization's 2012 tax return filing showed that it donated a total of $109,740 to organizations throughout the area.  The Depot Outlet is run by 33 churches in Winneshiek County and once a year members of The Depot Outlet board decide how to spend the money left over after the year's operations—and which groups will receive grants from The Deport Outlet.  The Depot Outlet made $109,740 in donations in 2012, which places it ahead of the Winneshiek County Community Foundation (which awarded $97,000 in donations in 2012) and just behind United Way of Winneshiek County (which awarded $129,701 in 2012)--both organizations which do great jobs in supporting worthwhile causes in the area.

So clean out a closet or two when you do spring cleaning this year.  The donations you make will be turned into money for worthwhile causes, which I believe is the message Goodwill Industries stresses.  Or was it The Depot Outlet?  Or The Spectrum Network?  Where did you say my donations should go?