Common Threads
A Decade of God’s Grace and Great People
Ten years ago, Building Hope in the City took a risk. After years of offering employment readiness classes, the organization realized that helping people prepare for work wasn't enough. To create lasting change, BHITC needed to become an employer itself. That conviction gave birth to Common Threads, Building Hope's first social enterprise.
Jeff Stredney helped lead that vision, stepping back from a successful career in corporate engineering and business development to help build something entirely new. Rather than leaving business behind, he believed God was calling him to use everything he learned in the marketplace to advance ministry through social enterprise.
"God spent a decade preparing me in two worlds—a corporate engineering and business development career and a local church where He refined my character and taught me life-on-life discipleship," Jeff recalls. "I knew blending them was going to be part of my story, because business can learn from the heart of ministry, and ministry can learn from good systems, engineering, and administration. When Building Hope in the City had the opportunity to create a new social enterprise, it felt tailor-made for where God had placed my heart and mind."
When the Fairview Park store opened in June 2016, the vision was simple but bold: create meaningful jobs, operate an excellent business, and generate revenue that would fuel ministry. Every year, Common Threads responsibly recycles more than 250,000 pounds of unusable textiles, keeping them out of landfills by giving donated items a second life. At the same time, revenue from every purchase helps strengthen Building Hope's work with refugees and immigrants, workforce development, youth, families, and neighborhoods across Cleveland.
Ten years later, Common Threads has expanded to two stores, earned multiple "Best Thrift Store" awards from Cleveland Scene, and become much more than a retail operation. It has been shaped by the people God has brought together through its mission including employees, volunteers, shoppers, donors, and church partners, each playing a part in a much bigger story.
One of those people is Clothing Lead, Jocy Kucera. Originally from the Philippines, Jocy joined the Common Threads team in 2021 and quickly discovered that the mission extended well beyond the sales floor. Her work led her to explore other Building Hope ministries, including IMAGO Immigration Legal Services. With support from the community around her, Jocy began her citizenship journey and officially became a U.S. citizen in June 2026!
“I noticed that Common Threads was different from other workplaces because of the mission. From my first days on the team I was encouraged by the prayer, Bible study, and the community we shared in staff meetings. To me, hope is continuing to work at Common Threads.”
Jocy’s story reflects a broader reality at Common Threads, where meaningful work often leads to a lasting community, as it did for Pam DiMauro. Pam joined Common Threads in 2017 after reading about the new thrift store in the newspaper. Drawn by both the mission and her background in retail, she immediately felt at home. Even after retiring, she continues to volunteer because she believes Common Threads is "people working together for a greater purpose." Over the years, she has celebrated store expansions, welcomed new employees, and watched countless customers and volunteers become part of the Common Threads family.
“The mission of Building Hope in the City made a big impression on me, and I wanted to understand more about the programs and the people they served. Knowing that mission made it important to me to serve customers and donors with respect and gratefulness. After I retired, I knew I still wanted to stay involved, and I’ve enjoyed continuing to volunteer with the staff and other volunteers. I am thankful to be part of the CT family.”
The sense of belonging that shapes Common Threads extends beyond its staff and volunteers. It is also carried and supported by a wider network of partners, including local churches who have invested in the mission from the beginning.
At Bay Presbyterian Church, the partnership with Common Threads and Building Hope in the City has become an expression of its commitment to serving the city. For the past ten years, the church has set aside a dedicated collection space for Common Threads donations.
“We know we can make the biggest impact in the city by working alongside mission partners like BHITC,” Director of Missions, Tammy Winklhofer reflects. “For the last ten years, we’ve had a designated collection area—an entire hallway—for Common Threads. It’s been a win-win partnership: our congregation is able to repurpose clothing and household goods in a meaningful way, while those donations are transformed into jobs, ministry support, and lasting impact across Cleveland. Month after month, we’ve watched the shelves fill, and our people’s generosity and enthusiasm have remained strong.”
Looking back, it is clear that Common Threads has never been just a thrift store. It is a living example of what can happen when faith and business work together to glorify God, create meaningful employment, care for creation, and strengthen ministry.
"The story of Common Threads has always been God's grace and great people," Jeff says. "That was true on June 24, 2016, when we first opened these doors, and it's true today. God has arranged hundreds and hundreds of great people to continue to be around this brand, and He continues to raise up great leaders who will carry us into the future."
