Grandma Lucy was 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 local 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.

Lana is thrilled to be helping The Drawer fulfill its mission as the Operations Manager. She has over a decade of experience working in the non-profit sector, with a strong background in volunteer management. Lana loves working with volunteers, and helping things move smoothly and efficiently. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, and her very active miniature goldendoodle Ollie.

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.

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.

Kathy is a retired marketing professional whose career included nearly 30 years with U.S. Bank. A 25-year resident of Dakota County, she is dedicated to serving her community, both at the local level and internationally, and has served on the boards of multiple non-profit organizations including Lifetrack Resources and the Ramsey County Workforce Investment Board. In addition to volunteering with The Drawer, Kathy participates with African Children Today, Feed My Starving Children and in various local community outreach activities through her church. Kathy was drawn to The Drawer by their direct community outreach and partnerships, their local service area and how treating people with dignity and respect are priorities. She is humbled to have the opportunity to be involved with The Drawer.

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.

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.