The Drawer is an enlivening and empowering organization not only for the recipients of the product, but also to every person whose life somehow intersects with The Drawer. We understand a communal need that goes beyond socks and underwear. A need for the power of community. A need to act in the world. A need to pass on the faith in humankind. Stew and Debby Shepard, the power couple behind The Drawer, recognized these needs and had a desire to create a place where everyone is welcome. No exceptions. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Meet Grandma Lucy. The inspiration behind The Drawer, and Debby’s mother. In the early 1980’s Grandma Lucy (Lucille Rozenberg) began giving socks and underwear as gifts at Christmas. Every person sitting around the tree, children, in-laws, grandchildren, and even Christmas guests, received just the right package of socks and underwear.
When Grandma Lucy passed away in 2000, the family decided that, in her honor, each family member would bring socks and underwear in their own sizes to Christmas. All the gifts were given to a non-profit.
In 2014, Stew and Debby decided to ask friends and members of their church for additional donations of socks and underwear. That year a total of 1,417 pairs of new socks and underwear were collected, with items distributed to Loaves and Fishes (at Holy Rosary Church), The Link, and Union Gospel Mission. After seeing the community’s response to their call, and learning more about the need of such basic items, Stew and Debby cleared out a room in their home to warehouse product, became a 501(c)3, formed a board of directors, and The Drawer was born.
Gina is passionate about non-profit, mission fueled work. Her professional experience includes marketing, development, strategic planning, and outreach. Gina is an avid outdoor adventurer with most of her free time dedicated to volleyball, camping, hiking, and movies with her beloved cats, two large dogs, and loving significant other.
Debby Shepard is Grandma Lucy's daughter and is the founder of The Drawer. She has a heart-felt calling to do good in the world. Debby, along with her husband Stew, started The Drawer in 2016 when it was brought to her attention that the most needed, but least donated, items were NEW socks and underwear.
Along with his wife, Debby, Stew is a founder of The Drawer, and currently serves as the council’s president. Stew’s infectious positivity and internal compass of good keeps The Drawer’s focus on the mission. Stew’s involvement in the organization includes nearly every activity, including donor and recipient relations, distribution of product, and organizational growth.
Beth has over 30 years of experience in the finance field, focusing on small businesses. Recently retired from CCF, she hopes to bring her energy and deep desire to support The Drawer. She has watched The Drawer grow from a small clothes basket collection to an organization that is meeting the greater community needs … and beyond.
Randy has almost 30 years experience in the banking industry and is currently employed with Bremer Bank in St. Paul, Minnesota. Randy’s previous board volunteerism includes serving as the board chair for Camp Fire Minnesota, a youth development organization, and serving as a board member for the Minnesota Chapter of the Risk Management Association.
With strong passion towards community involvement, volunteerism largely encompasses Latisha's life. She is currently the Director of Volunteers & Outreach at Loaves & Fishes whose mission is to feed those with the greatest need in Minnesota. On her own time Latisha is also an active member of Lion's International holding positions as the Lions District 5M-6 Social Media Communications Manager and as an acting board member in the Lakeville Lions Club. Latisha has been a volunteer and champion for The Drawer since meeting the Shepard Family in 2021.
Along with his wife, Debby, Stew is a founder of The Drawer, and currently serves as the council’s president. Stew’s infectious positivity and internal compass of good keeps The Drawer’s focus on the mission. Stew’s involvement in the organization includes nearly every activity, including donor and recipient relations, distribution of product, and organizational growth.
Rian is a finance professional with over 25 years of experience in a variety of finance positions and frequently finds himself bridging the gap between finance and technology. His role on The Drawer’s board mirrors his professional role of helping partners understand their financial position.
Kevin has worked in the non-profit world his entire career starting with being a Children's Pastor, working with children to Senior Adults, to currently leading teams of staff within his Human Services career. As a Community Resources Coordinator he is passionate about helping people who are disabled or in need find the right community resource. His professional and volunteer work span over 25 years. In his free time you will find Kevin mentoring Youth and adults, walking in nature and listening to birds songs, finding great mom-and-pop shops in rural Minnesota, being creative and spending time with his nephews and niece.
Andy is passionate about helping others. He is the VP of Marketing and Development for Feed My Starving Children where he heads the teams responsible for all aspects of fundraising and marketing. His business background includes various levels of sales and marketing management and government affairs activities. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors of Global Eye Mission, VERUS Community, and is actively involved in the leadership of Bible Study Fellowship in the Minneapolis area.
With a passion for seeing people use their gifts and passions to the fullest, Kris has found herself always working alongside teenagers and those that lead teenagers. Kris currently serves as the interim director of youth ministry for the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) which serves approximately 8,500 churches across the country. Additionally she serves part time in First Third ministry at the Minneapolis Area Synod (a part of the ELCA) and teaches at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. What brings her joy is sharing a cup of coffee with friends and family, traveling, watching hockey, national parks, cats, quilting, serving others and hanging out with her husband of 30 years Scott and their 2 grown daughters.
Mary Caruso Dailey, Ph.D. is a Senior Product Development Specialist in 3M’s Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division. Dr. Caruso Dailey has a passion for positively influencing our next generation of scientists by being a Mentor and Judge for 3M Young Scientist Challenge. She is the past chair of the Technical Women’s Leadership Forum at 3M and advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM. She is an active member of the community-conscious, action-oriented organization Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and currently serves as the Minnesota State Director for the organization.
Interested in learning more about joining our Board of Directors? Contact us today at info@thedrawer.org!