Prairie Thrift: Thrifting Never Felt So Good

When Delphina Baumann gets an idea, she runs with it. This time, she was inspired by last year’s downtown assessment done in Grinnell back in the sunny, flowery month of June.

During this time, the Grinnell Chamber, City of Grinnell, and the Poweshiek Economic Development teams partnered with Iowa Economic Development Authority to ask Grinnellians a hard-hitting question: what was missing for them in downtown Grinnell?

“What kept coming up was this number of big empty buildings scattered throughout downtown and the need for a thrift shop,” recounts Baumann. “I love thrifting, so I thought, ‘why not start one?’”

In the span of November 2025 to April 2026, the tides turned quickly. Baumann recruited a board from both the non-profit world and Grinnell retail sector to support this new non-profit store: Prairie Thrift . Collectively, they hired Ren Lang to be its store manager.

“We came to Ren with a vision and she designed this incredible space in like, six weeks?” laughs Baumann.

Lang hit the ground running with a plan. “I wanted to merchandise the store so it isn’t your average thrift store experience. I wanted it to be organized, easy to walk through, and spaced out well.” The new store even attracted one Instagram influencer with 27.6k followers — she recorded a video of herself shopping there and even singled out the store’s fancy wooden hangers and pricing!

“We keep the prices very low,” explains Lang. “The accessibility of this shop is really where we are giving back in a big way. Everything is donated, but we are not charging $8 for pants or $30 for a bedset. That’s how we help the community.”

But the non-profit organization would’ve remained a fantasy without some help.

Just like the Avengers assembled in "Avengers: Endgame," local businesses around Grinnell assembled to support the creation of Prairie Thrift . With the help of realtor Matt Karjalahti at REMAX, the Prairie Thrift team secured a deal on a vacant Main St building and measured the floor dimensions for local Grinnell business Luther Floor Covering 236, Inc. to install new carpeting. Plus, the beautiful Prairie Thrift logo was designed by Katy Wells at Double You Marketing, Inc..

“Jensen Mechanical also removed an existing heater in the space, MCG supplied our internet, and Starnes TV & Appliance donated a washer/dryer in the basement — also hooked up by Jensen’s,” shared board member Chad Nath.

Because of Grinnell businesses’ team efforts, the empty Main St storefront has become a bustling shopping hot spot.

“The community has really shown up,” says Lang. “And all of our net profits are going back into downtown.”

When you shop at Prairie Thrift, the revenue will go toward local downtown initiatives. The team is envisioning a few ideas: supporting the transformation and beautification of alleys with lights, art, and seating, for example, or creating outdoor gathering spaces for music, events, and everyday use.

Lang is now focusing on recruiting volunteers and spreading the word about the thrift shop on social media, receiving over 200,000 views already! As a social media guru herself, Lang is about engaging with new audiences and showing how fun it is to volunteer.

Currently, Prairie Thrift needs about 5 people on the floor to operate the store. Tonight, May 12, from 7-8 PM, the store will host a volunteer information session for those interested. Volunteers can receive a $1/hour store credit. “And it adds up fast because our merchandise is so inexpensive,” says Lang.

Prairie Thrift is open Mon.-Fri. from 10 AM-6 PM and Sat. 10-4 PM in hopes of bringing expanded retail hours to town. Looking to donate your high-quality items? Lang has guidelines for you to follow — request a handout and then haul your goods on over!

Chamber Ambassadors from left to right:

• Monique Shore — PFLAG Grinnell Poweshiek
• Donnette Ellis — Grinnell College with Grinnell College Community Connections
• Cassie Busby — Pioneer Bookshop, Grinnell College
• Jess Dawson — REMAX Partners Realty- Grinnell
• Libby Eggert — Grinnell College
• Chad Nath — Prairie Thrift Board
• Becky Broadston — Comfort Inn & Suites
• Blake Pearson — Converge Chiropractic PLLC
• Cynthia Sherman — Prairie Thrift Board
• Monica St. Angelo — Grinnell Area Arts Council
• Delphina Baumann — Prairie Thrift Board
• Trent Arment — MCG - Mahaska Communication Group
• Yesenia Mozo — Grinnell Chamber
• Channing Fraker — Prairie Thrift Board
• Alathia Andera – Iowa State University Extension & Outreach: Poweshiek County & Poweshiek County 4-H
• Cassy Cinqmars — Luther Floor Covering 236, Inc.
• Ren Lang — Prairie Thrift
• Jack Guan — Great Wall Stone
• Braden Crist — Homeopathic Remedy Apothecary - Grinnell, IA
• Desi Strayer — German Plumbing Heating and Cooling
• Mackenzie Hoxie — Prairie Thrift
• Jennifer McAlexander — JM Consulting & Hawkeye Lock & Security
• Rachel Arseneault — Ramsey-Weeks Inc. Real Estate
• Melissa Strovers — Prairie Thrift Board
• Donna Fischer — UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center
• Hannah Greene — Bayer Crop Science
• Ryan Beckman — Prairie Thrift Board
• Nikki Armstead — Grinnell Chamber
• Evan Petig — The Grinnellian
• Erin Bustin — Grinnell School of Music
• Fran Conn
• Kent Reed — American Brawn Solace Center