Nearly 100-year-old Thrift Shop of Boston exists to help kids in need
BOSTON - There's a thrift store in Boston that's nearly 100 years old, and 100% of their proceeds go somewhere else.
"It's one of those places where it's kind of magic," The Thrift Shop of Boston store manager Chris Roth said.
The Roslindale store gives all of its profits to The Home for Little Wanderers. Starting as an orphanage 225 years ago, they're the oldest child welfare agency in the country and also located in Boston.
"It's such a great way for the community to support the home, be aware of the home, learn about the home," Home for Little Wanderers President and CEO, Leslie Suggs said.
Supporting youth mental health in Boston
The Home serves 15,000 youth and families every year with their services, including being the largest provider of mental health services for Boston Public Schools.
"We provide a whole continuum of services to ensure that kids have the opportunity to grow up in safe and loving families," Suggs said. "They get the treatment that they need and then we work to provide and find their forever family."
Roth has been with The Thrift Shop for decades.
"They asked if I could give them a year, work here for a year, and I said sure . . . that was 20 years ago," Roth said.
Thrift Shop of Boston making a difference in the community
The community and his passion for the work they're doing is what's kept him here for so long.
"The work that The Home does is very special to us. We love the work that they do and we know they're impacting people's lives," Roth said.
The Home told us they couldn't provide some of the services they have if it wasn't for partnerships like this.
"We rely on philanthropy to help really lift up the services that we provide for kids and families," Suggs explained.
The thrift store, being a non-profit themselves, tells WBZ-TV they're grateful for how much the community supports them with donations. It's allowed them to donate nearly $2 million to The Home for Little Wanderers since their partnership began.