St. Vincent de Paul opens thrift store in Portland – just in time tor spring cleaning!

After its last thrift store closed almost two decades ago in Portland, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Portland, in Oregon (SVdP) is back in business – booming business! – with an expansive 20,000 square foot retail space located at 17108 S.E. Powell Blvd.

A “soft opening” of the thrift store was held in late 2024, but under new leadership beginning in 2016, the wisdom of reestablishing a thrift store to expand and support SVdP’s core mission began to take root and gather momentum. The store is now fully stocked and is like a rocket on the launchpad! Its aisles are lined with fashionable clothing, shoes and handbags, vintage items of all kinds, furniture, housewares, books, tools, and a myriad of other treasures waiting to be discovered, and its launch will be fueled by your donation of similar new and “gently used” items.

Brian Ferschweiler, Executive Director of SVdP since early 2016, recently explained the motivation for re-opening thrift store doors this way:

“For more than 154 years, St. Vincent de Paul has served as a beacon of hope for so many individuals and families living in and around the Portland area. As a way of expanding SVdP’s charitable purpose of providing rent, utility, and food assistance to those living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to stay sheltered, the Board of Directors and I felt it was the right time to launch this endeavor. It is my belief that the physical presence of an SVdP thrift store will raise awareness of our mission and the crucial services we provide in the community. I could not be more pleased with the store’s success in the short time it has been open.”

“A thrift store fits the Portland way, which values sustainability,” added Chris Greiveldinger, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of SVdP. “Our community values both reusing and recycling, thus making the opening of our new thrift store a great opportunity for us,” Greiveldinger said. “Besides providing affordable products to those who shop our store, revenue will also allow us to expand the services we offer to our neighbors in need. We’re very excited about the store and the many benefits this operation will generate for our clients.”

So, for all those wanting a win/win – downsizing the contents of your home while supporting this crucial charitable mission – donations are now being gratefully accepted. Although home pickup is not currently available, ample assistance for unloading your donations is available at the store’s donation drop-off area.

The donation drop-off hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday thru Sunday.

The store is open for shopping from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday thru Sunday as well.

For additional details about store donations, and other store specific issues, please visit svdppdx.org or call the store directly at 503-744-7533.

For more information about SVdP generally, its mission, and how to support the mission’s many other programs, please contact Brian Ferschweiler at 503-234-5287.