When the Society of St. Vincent de Paul opened its third local thrift store on March 1, within the first 30 minutes more than a dozen people shopped the racks of clothes and shelves of home goods.
The new store is located in the Bittersweet Shopping Center, 8651 Preston Highway, in Okolona. The other thrift stores are located at 2217 Hikes Lane and 10280 Shelbyville Road at Dorsey Lane.
The Okolona location “will allow us to advance our mission to house, feed, and support those in need with compassion and dignity,” said a news release from the society. “One hundred percent of the net profits from our stores help fund our programs and services for those in need.”
Store manager Jessica Brotzge said she’s already gotten positive feedback from folks in the neighborhood. She has worked for St. Vincent de Paul for three years and is excited to have a store in her own neighborhood.
“I live across the street, so I was ecstatic when I found out we were opening here,” she said. “I love this neighborhood. We have a lot of Hispanic people and people from every demographic. I really think this store will thrive here.”
The store “fits with St. Vincent de Paul’s mission,” Brotzge said. “We want to be able to bring good quality stuff to people around here.”
The thrift store is open Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Donations are accepted from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
