Since 1924, St. Vincent de Paul has been a vital part of central Iowa, originally starting just northwest of our current thrift store and resource center at 1426 6th Ave. In 1956, we moved to our present facility on 6th Avenue. When the flat roof collapsed in 2009, our leadership embraced it as a chance to grow and improve our services, resulting in the expansion of several impactful programs. Today, our 6th Avenue location features a food, clothing, and hygiene pantry, the Tom Varilek Adult Basic Education Center, the Back2Work employment preparation program, and essential homeless outreach efforts. We’re excited about continuing to support our community!
In 2016, SVdP partnered with the Polk County Supervisors and A Partnership for a Hunger-Free Polk County to address the largest “food desert” in Polk County, opening our Southside location at 520 Army Post Rd. This human resource campus includes a thrift store, food, clothing, and hygiene pantry, Immersion Re-entry services, and strategic partnerships with Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Innervisions Health Care to provide wrap-around services in this high need area.
As a result of the workforce challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, SVdP recognized that the community would face unprecedented levels of need, along with potentially decreasing donations and funding opportunities. To address these issues, the organization purchased a new location in Windsor Heights to expand its mission, raise awareness of community needs, and create a welcoming environment for its third thrift store. This store aims to continue providing affordable household goods and necessities for customers while enhancing mission funds to better support broader community assistance programs.
