Winter Shop // Steller Connect

When people ask us what we use our Steller Connect space for, we often times laugh because the list is so extensive and the possibilities are endless.

Steller Connect has been (but no limited to); a salon, a wedding venue, a photography studio, a workout space, a meeting room, a place to hold brunch, a space for healing, and most recently, a free winter gear shop.

A few weeks ago we put out an ask to the community: Help us gather enough winter gear so that we can set up a store-like experience for people to come and choose items that fit them, body and personality! We wanted to create a space full of dignity and respect for folks who could use some help bundling up this winter.

When we first put out our request on Instagram we were once again reminded of how incredible our community is. In the first 3 days we received 81 new or gently used coats. As the excitement started building up, our friends at (realtor place) joined us and began collecting and donated another 5 boxes filled with winter gear.

The day before the event we enlisted some wonderful neighbors to transform Steller Connect into a store. With the help from our amazing volunteers we were able to pull it all off. When we opened our Winter Shop up, we were excited to have people start showing up! In the weeks leading up to the event, we connected with organizations we have partnered with in the past in the hopes of seeing some familiar faces show up. It was so awesome to reconnect with folks, and also meet new people who were passing by on the way to the bus stop! One gentleman was so thrilled to not only find a coat for himself, but also pick out a few items for his wife.

Our constant hope is to use our platform to create experiences that help us connect with our community in meaningful ways. From people donating, to volunteers showing up to help out, to the wonderful people who walked through our doors and left with items to keep themselves warm and stylish, we can honestly say this event was a huge success!

Written by Emily Lall and Katie Steller

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