About us

We focus on creating jobs for special needs adults
WE ARE A NON PROFIT TEAM
The Vintage Purse Museum is a stepping stone to acquire skills and confidence to achieve a more joyful life by breaking down the barriers that imprison special needs adults in poverty. A sanctuary and flexible employment environment (we can create a job that matches their skill-set), with mentoring and training that provides a safe haven to reach out, interact with people, feel satisfaction and confidence from a job done well to expand horizons and life goals. VPM encourages growth and independence, no matter what challenges a person faces so they may thrive.
To open an international museum attraction that employs special ability adults and enriches their quality of life with training, creativity, and togetherness.
Initially, the entire first floor will be exhibits, and gift shop/café (8,000 square feet), with the second floor being completed to include a 50’s Diner Café (coffee and pies/bakery goods), with additional exhibits scheduled for 2025.
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our volunteers
Come join the team!
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Kimberly Crothers

Kimberly Crothers is the visionary, founder, President and Executive Director of the Vintage Purse Museum, NFP.

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Tony CaputO

Tony serves on the Board of Directors as a volunteer, along with assisting in building custom display cases and technology support.

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Jenna Varley

Jenna Varley volunteers and is a paid independent contractor. She also serves on the Board of Directors.

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Pam Lanoue

Pam helps with organization and cleaning and easily gets her steps in with 24,000 square feet!

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Dan the Man

Dan lends a hand at special events. He also has helped on many projects within the museum. From moving glass to weeding, Dan makes all work enjoyable with his winning smile and sense of humor.

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Pat & Karyn

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Pat comes by weekly for patching, painting, assembling and moral support to rest of team. Karyn is our new top donation rep.

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Trish & Lisa

We were lucky enough to get this dynamic duo for 'Legally Blonde' event when River Valley Rec was the audience for dress rehearsal. They are both Special Education Teachers and will be consulting experts when we hire our manager.

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brenda o'steen

Brenda is our resident artist who helped us prep the walls for the mural. She will be one of the artists doing a one person show. She volunteers at events. She also made the Barbie exhibit extra special with her donations.

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Barb & nicole wallace

susan & denise

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We cannot thank the Wallace family (our VPM family) enough for their help and support in everything we do and couldn't do it without them! Susan and Denise help with community outreach by passing out flyers at events.

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The case family

Lee helped us safely move 100,000 bees from the elevator shaft to his farm. He was stung 27 times. We are eternally grateful and now carry 

Lee's Bees honey

in our gift shop.

Guy will be one of our cashiers soon.

Volunteers
jeremy homan
max
Scherke

Jeremy and Max's help has been crucial to getting the museum this far. They painstakingly sanded down the wheelchair railing of its years' of paint to looking new, moved heavy stuff, finished the lobby display cases. If we have a problem, they solve it. They should get capes.

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Jan homan
louanne vanmill

Jan and Louanne helped at our sneak peak and their expertise in fundraising was greatly appreciated.  Jan made the donation shop more fun and Louanne a most welcome face at the front desk. They both have made donations to the exhibits with unique items. We are so appreciative for their help.

our Supporters
We greatly appreciate their work!
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Glade PLumbing & Piping

Special thanks to Glade for getting us some basic function to start cleaning early on. Air conditioning in order to begin the project. The heat going before the cold weather. Excellent job on the boilers, and plumbing. We could not have saved this historic building without the wonderful staff at Glade. This company is the best!!

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LANGLOIS ROOFING

Langlois Roofing has been helping us with the huge roof. They have gone above and beyond with their service. A special thank you to Mike for his expertise and working a Sunday in order to get us ready for the sneak preview. We wouldn't have come this far without them.

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Alexander Equipment Rental

Thank you to all the wonderful people at Alexander!

We are eternally grateful for your help with getting the tower fascia fixed, tuckpointed and the bee removal! Quality aerial lift equipment for sale or rent | Alexander Equipment offers wide range of scissor lifts, boom lifts, vertical mast lifts, telehandlers forklifts.

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Custom Tree Work, LLC

Special thanks to Samuel Bortoff of Custom Tree Work, LLC for their donated work. They also removed a huge pine tree that went down the week before the play within 2 hours of us discovering it. They are the best!