Celebrating the First Anniversary of Bridging’s Plymouth location!
Can you believe the Plymouth warehouse is already celebrating its one-year anniversary?
Time truly flies when we’re furnishing homes with hope and making a real impact!
An ongoing puzzle that Bridging endeavored to solve was how to ensure an abundance of inventory throughout the year and ensure dignity of choice for clients as they selected a foundational home setup. Bridging’s Plymouth location emerged as a key piece of the puzzle! On March 4, 2025, Bridging officially opened its third location in Plymouth, which serves as a donation hub for the Northwest Twin Cities community.
For the past year, the Plymouth location has accepted a steady stream of donations from the community, organized the expanding inventory, and transported quality furnishings to Bridging’s Bloomington and Roseville warehouses. The result has been noticeable, quantifiable, and astounding: warehouse shelves full of large, upholstered furniture items plus other needed household items for 120 client shopping appointments each week!
The stellar staff and volunteer team in Plymouth has steadily fine-tuned warehouse processes and expanded its capacity throughout the year. What started as an empty warehouse evolved into an organized and highly efficient operation that plays a pivotal role in creating a positive Bridging experience.
A Transformative First Year
Plymouth Warehouse Manager Bailey De‑La‑Rosa‑Troth has worked in all three Bridging locations and understands the nuances of Bridging’s operations. According to Bailey, the Plymouth location has had a significant impact on Bridging’s ability to deliver on its mission. Notably, client satisfaction has risen from 87% to 96%. The hard work of the Plymouth team and the generosity of Northwest community donors are contributing factors to this increase.
Before Plymouth, Bridging frequently ran low on upholstered items — especially beds. To address this, Plymouth set a goal of collecting 500 mattresses and box springs in its first year. They surpassed that goal by 54%, ultimately receiving 772 mattresses and 678 box springs.
“The bed sections are now full, and we can give comfort and a place to sleep to people in need thanks to our work out here,” he says. “More donations come in during the summer and fall, but the need is year‑round. Building a back‑stock of larger furniture items here in Plymouth ensures the shopping experience remains consistent for clients, no matter the season.”
And the ripple effects have been felt across Bridging’s locations.
“The impact on Bridging as a whole has been amazing!” says Sara Plan, Warehouse Supervisor in Roseville. “Bloomington and Roseville have seen higher inventory through the slower season, allowing our stance on dignity of choice to show up strong for clients.”
“The Plymouth team consistently delivers quality furniture and beds we wouldn’t have otherwise,” says Sasha Benitez-Wise, warehouse floor supervisor in Bloomington. “Our shelves are more full, especially in winter, and it’s always fun to work with the Plymouth team.”
Jeff Jones, a warehouse team member in Roseville thinks Bridging got it spot on: “Plymouth has provided a steady flow of quality donations from areas previously out of reach. They’re the perfect puzzle piece.”
The Inner Workings of Plymouth’s Operations
A major focus in the Plymouth location’s first year was simply getting organized. When Bridging first acquired the space, it was a vast empty room — no shelves, no racks, and everything stored on the floor.
“There were little paths all over the place, and it was difficult to load trucks or move around in the warehouse,” Bailey recalled.
The Plymouth team — especially its volunteers — completely changed that.
“We’re storing, staging, and packing things to go to other locations, which is different than packing things to go to clients’ homes,” says Bailey.
As a start-up operation, the Plymouth team completed important tasks like pallet building and shelf construction. Early in Plymouth’s operations, the team also cleaned and repaired items so they were like new.
Kirk Hobbs, a full-time Plymouth warehouse team member since the site opened, travels between Bridging locations daily, sharing knowledge, coordinating inventory, and building strong connections. He values the volunteers and their dedication:
“I really appreciated the folks who stuck with us when we were totally swamped. Ninety percent of the racks here were built by volunteers,” he says.
Thanks to volunteer expertise, the team was equipped to work on housewares processing, furniture repair, and much of the warehouse infrastructure.
Kirk highlights many of the volunteers who played a vital role during Plymouth’s first year:
- “Brad S.’s background in construction and woodworking made him indispensable. Brad made art carts that doubled our capacity for art movement and drastically decreased damage. He also built our table‑storage racks and helped us be more efficient. He’s an all‑around resourceful guy.”
- Vernie, an upholsterer, makes repairs to damaged items, so they look like new.
- Kim W., who has been part of Plymouth since day one, serves as Plymouth’s detail‑oriented quality‑control expert.
- The Choice Job Group, whose members volunteer weekly, have become a beloved part of the team.”
Bailey credits the entire team for powering through the most challenging times — including the summer months when inventory at the Plymouth location boomed.
“We went from literally zero to 130% capacity by mid-summer, and we had the same number of volunteers helping us through that,” adds Kirk. “I have to admit I was a little bit scared about how things were going to work, but with the support of the volunteers helping us adapt to how we store things and building shelves, we made it through.”
Abundant donations coupled with the hard work of the Plymouth staff and volunteer team have had a positive ripple effect, extending to the Bloomington and Roseville warehouses and homes throughout the Twin Cities.
“When the warehouse was packed, it seemed like it would take years to move all of it,” says Allan, a Plymouth volunteer. “Then literally, within a month our inventory significantly decreased, and these furnishings were finding a home.”
Volunteers: The Heart of Plymouth
Through the first year of growth and success, the Plymouth staff team is grateful for the 30 – 40 weekly committed volunteers who supported every aspect of the warehouse and Bridging’s mission.
“The staff and volunteers at Plymouth are committed to helping people in need and have a deep connection to our mission — even though they don’t see the results of their work directly,” says Bailey.
Plymouth volunteers share many reasons for participating in Bridging’s mission:
“I love helping people out, and I really love the variety here and the hands-on nature of the work,” says Sam, a Plymouth volunteer.
“I like the concept of finding a new home for resources that still have value,” adds Plymouth volunteer Allan.
Community Donations are Essential
Plymouth’s donations come from everywhere — individuals, retail partners like HOM Furniture, and even junk‑removal companies that now stop by daily with items they believe could benefit a family. Bridging relies on residential and corporate donors to keep its shelves full.
The generosity of donors continues to inspire. Volunteers shared stories of people using coupons to buy new towels and bedding for clients, or stopping in simply to ask what’s needed most. Bridging appreciates its community donors, and encourages everyone to bring their quality items to Bridging to help furnish more homes with hope!
A Year of Growth and Time for Celebration!
From an empty warehouse to a bustling, efficient operation, Plymouth’s first year has been defined by teamwork, adaptability, and a deep commitment to Bridging’s mission.
With its dedicated staff and volunteer team, and a strong collaboration across locations, Plymouth has become an essential part of Bridging’s ability to serve more than 5,300 households each year.
Thank you, Plymouth team!
Get involved as a Bridging volunteer.
Read stories of Bridging’s impact on our blog.
