How Creative Purpose Collective Got Its Start

The dawn of a new era.

Before we ever opened our doors in downtown Grand Forks, before a single product hit the shelves, before Creative Purpose Collective had a name, it started with a message.

On a mission trip to Mexico, our founder, Doris Lebby, met a woman in need. Like so many others, this woman had incredible gifts. She could sew, cook, and craft, but she didn’t see those talents as a pathway forward. Doris heard God say, "The money is in her hands."

That moment changed everything.

After sharing that message, the woman began to talk about her gifts with new energy. Not as hobbies. Not as “not enough.” But as real tools already in her hands that could change her life.

That conversation became the spark behind what is now the Money in Your Hands Project, an initiative of Love in Action. Built on dignity and opportunity, it’s designed to help people take what they already have: their creativity, their culture, and their God-given talents, and use them to build a more stable future. Through encouragement, opportunities, and a place to sell products, artisans and small business owners have been turning their ideas into income.

As the movement grew, so did the need for a space.

That’s where Creative Purpose Collective comes in.

We opened this store in 2025, not as a charity shop or a temporary pop-up, but as a lasting space to celebrate and sell the beautiful handmade products coming out of our community and communities around the world. From Native beaded earrings made in Grand Forks to handwoven baskets from Ghana, each item here carries the story of someone using what is in their hands to build something new.

We believe in shopping with purpose. We believe creativity is a gift. And we believe that honoring someone’s work means more than giving them a platform. It means treating that work with respect, joy, and fair opportunity.

This is more than a store. It is a collective of makers, dreamers, and people like you who believe in the beauty of buying local and global, handcrafted and heartfelt.

So next time you stop in or see us online, remember: you’re part of a bigger story. One that started with a simple truth, spoken in love. And it continues with every purchase, every partnership, every step forward.