Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores: a win – win proposition

The Diocese of Toledo is BLESSED with 5 Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores in Fayette, Fostoria, North Baltimore, Tiffin, and Toledo, OH.  Each thrift store is supported and/or sponsored by a parish conference or district council.  All of the thrift stores receive clothes, furniture, appliances, baby items or household goods to sell at a reduced cost or give away to individuals and/or families.

On the average, clothing account for 7 – 10 % of the space at a landfill.  Accepting the clothing, which would otherwise fill our local landfills, provides families and individuals on restricted or limited incomes to purchase very good clothing at a discounted cost or receive free through the individual stores voucher programs.  Saving our environment and meeting, the needs of the poor . . . a win – win proposition.

Collecting and selling donated clothes, shoes, furniture, and other items produces an important income for each of the stores to use to meet the other needs of the poor in their community.  Every week, nearly a hundred volunteers, and 20 paid staff in the thrift stores accept donations of clothes, sort the clothes, and prepare the clothes for resale or give away.  The jobs created along the process of  accepting the clothes to selling the clothes, provides job training and career services to people with disabilities and volunteer experience for welfare recipients, dislocated workers, and other job seekers.  The on the job training has enabled people to secure jobs in fields such as financial services, computer programming, commercial services, including janitorial work, packaging and assembly, food service preparation, document management and destruction and health care.  Providing jobs for people, volunteer opportunities for the poor to learn employable skills, and raising funds for other needs in the community . . . a win – win proposition.

Donated clothing and shoes not sold or given away at our thrift stores are packaged and exported  to missions in Mexico, the Northwest territories of Canada, Peru, Nigeria, Paraguay and a various islands in Indonesia.  Donated items that are not in good enough condition to sell, give away, or send to our missions are bundled and sold as rags or salvaged — “scrapped” for much needed funds.  Meeting the needs of the poor beyond our boundaries and earning funds from salvaged items . . . a win – win proposition.

Each store is an independently functioning entity, but all stores are an integral part of the whole organization.  At the thrift stores, people can purchase a variety of quality goods at low prices, including clothing, furniture, appliances, cookware, home décor and more. We also fill vouchers with items donated to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.  Funds from sales at the stores support our services to the community, including food, clothing, lodging, job training.  Please consider donating your gently used clothing, furniture and household items to The Society St. Vincent de Paul.  Donations are accepted at all the store locations.  Call the thrift store nearest you to inquire about receiving a free home pick up.

If you would like to volunteer, find out when and where you can donate, or arrange a parish or community clothing drive, please call your local Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store nearest you: Fayette – (419) 237-2441, Fostoria – (419) 435-7259, North Baltimore – (419) 257-2454, Tiffin – (419) 447-8218, and Toledo – (419)-243-2243.