When Willa Breese opened Kitchen Outfitters in 2006, she noticed customers seeking to upgrade their kitchen arsenals by buying new pots, pans, knives, and other kitchenware, would regularly ask what they might do with their old cookware. When she learned about Household Goods, which was barely a mile away on Rt. 27, she knew right away that it might be a perfect coupling of missions.
“We started referring people over there,” Willa said. “I knew that it was volunteer-run and they had somewhat limited hours for taking donations, and I thought we could be of more help by taking donations at the store. It was just a convenience for people to drop things off here.” As often happens with good intentions, the store soon got overwhelmed with donations, especially old knives that required sharpening. Trying to establish a retail business left limited time for her well-intentioned largesse.
But Willa never backed off her commitment to Household Goods. For nearly 19 years, she has maintained a productive relationship with the non-profit organization. And for the past 13 years she has devoted the month of February for soliciting donations of gently used cookware from customers to be delivered to Household Goods. A few years ago, she initiated a drawing for a Kitchen Outfitters gift card to encourage donations. Customers have continued to show up with boxes and bags loaded with invaluable items.
For Willa, Kitchen Outfitters, through this kind of effort, has evolved into more than a successful retail outlet. “It’s a heartbeat in the community,” she explained. “It’s a gathering place, and it gives the community a unique identity, different from other communities.”
Under Willa’s deft hand, Kitchen Outfitters has tripled in size since it opened and has become a destination location for the growing number of people seeking fulfillment at the stovetop and oven. Cooking is in, big time. Customers know they’ll find not only high-quality kitchen products but also knowledgeable and caring service from the store’s staff.
Kitchen Outfitters supports many local non-profit organizations, such as the Discovery Museum, Groton Hill Music Center, and local schools. But Household Goods “is our primary focus,” she said. “They align so perfectly with what we do. What sets us apart as a retail store is that we treat people with dignity, respect, and compassion. That’s what I love about Household Goods. People go there with needs and leave there feeling very supported and cared about. That’s huge.”
Though February is the main donation drive, Kitchen Outfitters and Household Goods partner throughout the year. Willa donates vendor samples or cookware with slight imperfections and sharpens knives to be included in kitchen starter sets offered to clients. For Willa, the relationship is rewarding on many levels.
“When I’m boxing up a bunch of pots and pans and bowls to send over, I wonder what kind of food that person will be preparing in this pot or pan,” she said. “ Will it be an Indian rice dish, or Japanese, Korean, or Mexican, or some traditional American dish? I just love thinking about how someone will make it their own.”
Photo: Willa Breese (center) with Household Goods volunteers Judy (l) and Jane (r). Thanks to Household Goods volunteer Glenn Rifkin for contributing this story.
