Grand Rapids, Minn. – Lake Country Power selected Tossed and Found Boutique of Longville, Minn., as the winner of its annual Touchstone Energy Community Award. The co-op chose this organization for the vital community services it provides for residents in the Longville and surrounding areas.

As winner of the Touchstone Energy Community Award, Tossed and Found Boutique was awarded a plaque and $500 that will go toward adding on to its building to allow more space for accepting and storing donations.  

“What an honor it is to receive this type of award for all the work our volunteers do for our community,” said Toni Sausman, who manages the organization and submitted the application to Lake Country Power.

Twenty years ago, the Longville area food shelf was formed by a concerned group of citizens who saw a community need. Back then they operated out of a storage room in the basement of a local funeral home that would often flood. After humble beginnings, several temporary locations were used as the program developed and expanded. In 2007, a concept eventually developed for a store to receive donations and sell back to the community as a revenue generator for the food shelf.    

Tossed and Found Boutique is a fundraising arm for the Longville Area Food Shelf and is recognized as an umbrella organization with non-profit designation. The boutique has two part-time employees and nearly 50 volunteers who oversee operations.

Lake Country Power is one of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in Minnesota providing a local award to encourage and recognize local community contributions. Tossed and Found Boutique will compete with winners from other Minnesota-based electric cooperatives for statewide recognition and $1,000.