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communityspotlight Sort, Toss, Pack and


Odds & Ends Again Helping Families Give New Life to Old Stuff by Beth Davis


A


s a realtor focused on the 55-plus market, Jodi Lalib- erte loved helping seniors. While visiting their homes, filled with years of treasured memories, she realized


that many people needed help to sort through the mountain of personal possessions. In early 2011, she and a group of partners—including Katherine Francis, who has more than 25 years of real estate experience, Pattijo Verpy, Lauren Laliberte (Jodi’s daughter-in-law) and Jennifer Pendrill— launched Sort, Toss, Pack (STP), an estate liquidation and home clearance service that helps the elderly and families downsize and prepare to move. Their mission is to assist seniors as they transition into new housing, with an added benefit to the community of redirecting pre-owned goods. To accomplish the second part of that goal, the women also opened Odds & Ends Again (OEA), a retail store for estate liquidations and consign- ments, in the same building as STP. Jodi Laliberte felt that STP was a natural extension of her real estate business because she already had a data- base of targeted clients and a large referral network—plus a strong desire to serve that segment of the population. She says the businesses are symbiotically integrated and adds, “They also aim to take a green approach to business—the ability to reuse, repurpose and recycle are added benefits.” Laliberte notes that for many people, just knowing


where to start is the hardest part of the moving/relocation process. “That is where STP comes in,” she explains.


“It’s not just the physical demands of packing and moving, but the emotional ties to their keepsakes. We work side-by- side with clients to help them go through their belongings and redirect the items for moving, donation, disposal or sale.”


STP will deliver items to a nonprofit of choice, arrange for removal of other objects and take the more valuable posses- sions to OEA for liquidation, so clients don’t have to deal with an estate sale.


Although they are not the only things OEA offers for sale, items from clients’ homes receive prioritized display space. The result is a unique assortment of home furnishings, acces- sories and décor that includes vintage and antique “finds.” The company’s ultimate goal is to help clients pre- pare their homes for sale with the least amount of upfront expenditure. “Getting the home cleaned and pre-inspected immediately adds value when selling,” Laliberte explains. “However, a client doesn’t have to have their home listed with one of the partner realtors for STP to help them. Even if the home is already listed, we can come in and help people declutter or stage the home—whatever they need.” Thanks to her strong retail background, the new venture has been especially rewarding for Laliberte. “It really al- lows me to highlight my gifts and talents while meeting a real need in the community,” she advises. “I consider it a privilege that individuals and families put their trust in us to make their moving process smoother.”


Location: 1080 W. County Road E., Shoreview. For more infor- mation, call 612-850-1866 or visit OddsAndEndsAgain.com or SortTossPack.com.


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