St. Vincent de Paul is widely known as the "The Apostle of Charity” and “Father of the Poor," for his incredible love and care for poor people. He established in 17th-century France the Daughters of Charity, Confraternities of Charity, and Ladies of Charity.
A chief concern of his was the disorganization there was at the time for people who wanted to assist the poor and needy. He went right to work and his creative mind was able to give order to the situation, helping countless poor people receive the assistance they needed.
St. Vincent de Paul died in 1660, over 200 years before any St. Vincent de Paul thrift store was established.
Who started the thrift store?
In 1833, another holy man, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul after witnessing the appalling condition of the poor in Paris at the time. The Society he founded was composed of lay people, and quickly spread throughout the world.
It was established in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1845 and did not take long to be present in other parts of the United States.
Part of the organization of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul included a "keeper of the wardrobe" who, "collects clothes for the poor and keeps an account of them. The wardrobe should be an object of the most particular care on the part of the conferences, for the poor are as often in want of clothes as of food."
Around the same time period in the United States the Salvation Army opened a "salvage brigade” in 1897 and Goodwill opened its first store in Boston in 1902.
Similarly, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul began opening various thrift stores during this same time period; they were originally called a "salvage bureau."
Today the Society of St. Vincent de Paul continues to operate hundreds of thrift stores, taking inspiration from St. Vincent de Paul and from their founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam.
Thrift stores are only one part of the mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, as they offer a variety of services, helping the poor in every city where they are present.
