Prep Roundup – Week 1
September 6, 2016
Slave ‘reparations’ to include Terrebonne, Lafourche kin
September 6, 2016
“Oh look, babe, isn’t that a nice one?” Phyllis Lacoste asked while holding up a glass, tanker-style mug.
“Yeah, that’s really pretty. Too bad we’ve already got about a dozen like it,” Sines Liner responded. Lacoste agreed, put the mug back on the shelf, and the two rolled their cart along slowly, their eyes passing over each row of glassware looking for a steal.
Lacoste and Liner, both from Bayou Dularge, were killing some time in between doctor appointments by shopping at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in downtown Houma. As they perused the store, their cart’s basket, containing a talking clock, indicated the two would not leave empty-handed.
Casual shoppers like Lacoste and Liner are exactly what store manager Lee Landry is looking for at St. Vincent. The nonprofit, which raises money for the local St. Vincent de Paul Society Pharmacy and provides clothing and goods for the homeless, is hosting a grand re-opening this Friday to celebrate the recent changes at the store.
Landry himself is one of those changes, having taken over as manager three months ago from Phylles and Jimmy Lagarde, who had managed the thrift store since 1985 and recently retired. Landry, who previously worked the now-closed Sears at Southland Mall, was looking for a sales clerk position at when he applied at St. Vincent, but found the store was looking for a manager when he interviewed. Administrative assistant Denise Michel hired Landry to the higher position, and he’s been leading ever since. Michel, an eight-year veteran of the store, said the Lagardes’ presence is never too far away, though.
“I miss them, but they’re only a phone call away. And they come visit about once every two weeks. They know they don’t have to make an appointment; they just come,” Michel said.
While Landry’s leadership is one bit of news at the store, the main attraction is St. Vincent’s new hours. Previously, the store was open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on weekdays. This month, the store changed its weekday hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is now open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Landry said St. Vincent changed its hours and opened on Saturdays to accommodate working families who could not find the time to drop by. Through two weekend shifts, he said he saw a small increase in business from the first to the second Saturday. According to him, St. Vincent could not previously have a weekend shift because of a lack of workers and volunteers.
“Now we have a pretty steady crew. They’re an awesome crew. They’re not working overtime; they’re still making their 40 hours. They enjoy it now because they actually get a day off during the week if they work a Saturday,” Landry said.
The thrift store is also using the re-opening as a chance to stress its availability to all shoppers in the area. Michel and Landry said they fret about the stigma associated with the store, with some people thinking the second-hand, cheap goods and clothes are only for those in need. Landry said he’s seen doctors, lawyers and local business owners drop in to shop. Assistant manager Lacey Marcel emphasized how people in all tax brackets can find something to bring home from its wide breadth of goods.
“I think the best thing to say about this store is it is a shopping experience for everyone. We have the necessities for people that are in need, then we have high-end collectibles for people that are looking for something else,” Marcel said.
However, the focus of the store remains on its mission to help those most in need, and that realm, too, is about inclusivity. Landry said though St. Vincent de Paul is a Catholic layperson organization, its services are open to people from all backgrounds. The store provides clothing for homeless people who come in and school uniforms for homeless families with children.
Michel said she has seen a recent influx of homeless people from other states who were told to come to the Houma area for its booming job market. However, they arrived as the price of oil cratered and the economy stumbled in response. Michel said while Houma has a few shelters, such as the Bunkhouse shelter, they have limited capacity, an $11 daily charge and a one-week limit. Once local homeless people go through all the different local organizations, they run out of services and cannot get more help.
“This area really needs a soup kitchen and a homeless shelter for at least them to shower,” Michel said.
While the thrift store looks to join efforts to build new shelters in Houma, it will continue raising money by selling goods to all local shoppers. The grand re-opening starts at 10 a.m. on Friday with a prayer and a ribbon cutting ceremony, and all goods in the store will be 25 percent off. •
