Forest and Found Thrift Donates $20,000 to Food Bank

April 10, 2021 - Forest & Found, a charitable thrift store located in Lake Forest, IL has donated $20,000 to the Northern IL Food Bank. The donation represents 100% of the shop's profits from the first quarter of 2021.

Per its operations, each quarter the nonprofit gives the profits from its sales to local charities. This recent donation represents Forest & Found's continuing support to solve hunger in the community during Covid. At the end of 2020, despite the state shutdown and a reduction in hours, the nonprofit also gave $10,000 to Phoenix Rising, a food pantry that serves Lake County.

Forest & Found has been in existence since 2014, opening during a winter of heavy snowfall in an out-of-the-way storefront in north Lake Forest.

“While some global retailers are now catching on, we've been champions of retail and re-use for seven years. Our shop is a mini department store of great products that happen to be used,” said Diana Durkes, founder and president of Forest & Found. “We've noticed that since the Covid shutdown, our customer base has increased both in the shop and online. More people are realizing the climate value of existing goods.”

Community participation has been the key to Forest & Found's success, Durkes added. “The support we receive through donations and local shopping dollars makes it all possible.”

Forest & Found is a 501 (c)3 organization at 1363 N. Western Avenue, Lake Forest IL 60045. The organization recycles upscale goods and clothing to support other hard working charities in the local community. For more information, find Forest & Found online at forestandfound.com and @forestnfound, or call 847-482-1705.