WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. – St. Vincent de Paul is opening a new thrift store in Wayne County, with a mission to provide affordable goods while helping support efforts that guide families toward independence.

“It’s shopping with a purpose and that purpose is to help other people,” said Tony Talbert, president of St. Vincent de Paul. “All of it is geared towards helping people. And you might be sorting through clothes or putting price tags on clothes, but in the end, what you’re doing is going to help hundreds of people here have better lives.”

Located at 440 S 9th Street in Richmond, the store opened Saturday, March 21, with a “soft opening” to establish processes before operating regularly Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with plans to expand hours as needed. “We’ll be open every Thursday through Saturday from ten to four. And then we’ll look and see how it goes. We’ll potentially expand days beyond that,” Talbert said.

The shop relies on donations of furniture, clothing, household items, and décor. Items are cleaned and prepared before being placed for sale.

“We have a room in the back. We do the cleaning. We get it ready to go out onto the floor,” Talbert said. Right now, furniture makes up a majority of the inventory.

Talbert said the store is designed to benefit the broader mission of the organization, with its success helping drive current and future programs focused on stability and self-sufficiency.

Those programs include life skills classes such as cooking, budgeting and GED support, striving for individuals to build a stronger foundation.

 “We really only have those three programs right now…life skills to help them that they haven’t been taught before…We do that, they start seeing and they start thinking differently,” he said.

The organization also works with individuals facing challenges like employment and access to healthcare, navigating barriers that can come with financial progress.

“Our goal is to help people in need, families in need to get out of their current situation, to put them on a new path, a path of independence. Instead of enabling them to stay in their current situation, we’re empowering them to see a new path that’s going to make their life better,” he said.

A key part of that approach is mentorship. Volunteers work directly with families, visiting homes, identifying challenges and connecting them with resources and community partners.

Rather than offering one-time assistance, Talbert said the focus is on long-term relationships and lasting change.

“It’s not a transaction. It’s an interaction,” he said.

By working alongside other local organizations, St. Vincent de Paul aims to maximize its impact without duplicating services.

Ultimately, Talbert said the mission is about helping people rediscover themselves after hardship.

“They get lost through drugs, through mental illness, through financial hardship,” he said. “We’re trying to help them find that person again.”