Companies to Classrooms Duluth (C2C) was founded in 2012 by Mary Jo Jauert and Mary Beth Kjolhaug as a 501©3 nonprofit to address two important community issues: enhance the education of our children and protect our environment by recycling and reusing items destined for landfills. 

The C2C store was located in a warehouse in the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Duluth for the first six years. From March 2018 until October 2021 C2C operated out of the basement in the Historic Old Central High School. In October of 2021 we moved and now operate out of what used to be the Grant Park Recreation Center. Like most businesses and nonprofits, we were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A new online appointment and registration system, plus capacity limits and sanitizing processes, allowed us to stay open during the 2020-2021 school year.
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The organization is staffed by approximately 20 volunteers and led by Board Chair Mary Streufert and Store Manager Carolyn Schroeder. All volunteers, including Mary and Carolyn, are unpaid. Mary was the former Northeast Regional Coordinator for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. She brings nonprofit governance and volunteer management knowledge to the organization. Carolyn is a retired elementary school teacher, bringing her understanding of the needs of teachers and students to the organization, and manages incoming donations and communications. The current board has seven members representing both education and local businesses. C2C is contracting with Beth Moncrief to provide community outreach, communications, and fundraising assistance.