The Otterbein Thrift Shop

Location: 177 W. Park St. Westerville, OH
Hours:
Wednesdays (10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) & Saturdays (10:00 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
Closed annually between Christmas and New Year’s Day and each summer (approx. mid-June through mid-August).

Cash or check only, please; no credit cards accepted.

Membership in WOWC: Please fill out this form to express your interest in becoming a member of the Westerville Otterbein Women’s Club.

Located at 177 W. Park Street, the shop hours are Wednesdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. You can drop donations on the back porch of the shop, including men’s/women’s/children’s clothing, jewelry, shoes, household items, CDs, books and DVDs. Proceeds from the shop go directly to the University to support student scholarships and awards. To learn more about volunteering, stop by the shop during store hours.

The Otterbein Thrift Shop is operated by the Westerville Otterbein Women’s Club (W.O.W.C.) to serve Otterbein University. Proceeds go directly to the University to support seven endowed scholarships and The Diamond Jubilee Grant. Capital Project gifts are given to support the mission and strategic plan of Otterbein University.

Thrift Store

Community Connections

The Thrift Shop is a charitable organization under 501(c) (3) of the IRS Code for exempt purposes.

The Club has donated merchandise to the annual Staff Assembly Holiday Auction. We also have participated in RecycleMania, and campus “fairs” to publicize our philosophy of reusing, and recycling that contributes to campus sustainability efforts.

The Thrift Shop cooperates with the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (W.A.R.M.) to provide clothing certificates that allow free shopping for outfits for individuals and families in need.

About the Westerville Otterbein Women's Club

The Westerville Otterbein Women’s Club was founded in 1921 for the purpose of raising funds for Otterbein and her students. Initially, funds were raised through bake sales and rummage sales. In 1952 the first thrift shop opened in the basement of Cowan Hall. After the basement in Cowan flooded, the shop was temporarily moved to a room in Towers, eventually to a house on Maple Street, and in the 1970s to its home at 177 W. Park Street.

The Westerville Otterbein Women’s Club received two honors in the fall of 2021.

  • Otterbein University presented us with the Mary B. Thomas Commitment to Otterbein Award.
  • The Association of Fundraising Professional Central Ohio Chapter presented us with the Outstanding Fundraising Group Award.

We now are working on our second million to give to the university!

As of September 2019, more than one million dollars has been raised.