St. Vincent de Paul and a pop-up thrift store give Cindy Teffer a new beginning
One ordinary day, Cindy Teffer was doing her normal chores at home, walking from one room to another. Suddenly, she heard a shocking “cruch, crunch” in one of her legs leading her to collapse to the floor, her leg twisted behind her and broken. Cindy would soon learn she had osteoporosis, a diagnosis she never saw coming. This unexpected diagnosis began a difficult journey that led her to St. Vincent de Paul for the support she urgently needed, and where a creative effort by SVdP’s Hope Chest Thrift Store helped her regain stability.
After Cindy broke her leg, her life was consumed by surgeries, treatments, and rehabilitation. This made it nearly impossible for her to continue working in the career she loved as a Certified Nurse Assistant. With no stable income or support systems, Cindy lost her home.
Doctors referred Cindy to Circle The City to recover, and from there, she found a new path at SVdP's Ozanam Manor transitional shelter. It was there that Cindy met her social worker, Stephanie Wise, who became an important guide in her journey to permanent housing.
"Ozanam Manor has programs where people like me can blossom," Cindy shared. "It's up to the people receiving the resources to succeed, but the environment is there for that to happen."
After nearly two years of perseverance and wait, Cindy qualified for disability benefits and began receiving retirement income. With the help of her social worker, Cindy found an affordable apartment that fit her needs. SVdP furnished her new home through its Bringing Hope Home Program, ensuring Cindy could start this next chapter of her life with the essential items any home could need. But that was not everything the thrift store would cover.
Through a unique fundraising effort during SVdP’s national assembly in Phoenix, SVdP's Thrift Store team set up a two-day pop-up shop inside a local hotel. With over 800 Vincentians from across the country in attendance, the store raised more than $4,000 and sold every item in the pop-up store. Those same funds directly helped Cindy’s move-in costs into her new apartment.
Today, Cindy is settled in her new place where she enjoys cooking some of her favorite recipes with her furry companion, Miley always alongside her. She plans on finding a part-time job from home and volunteer at SVdP.
Stories like Cindy's are a powerful reminder of why St. Vincent de Paul’s programs that feed, clothe, house and heal are vital for those in need. SVdP’s thrift stores, along with the new Virtual Hope Chest e-thrift store, play a direct role in funding part of those life-changing services. Every purchase from the Virtual Hope Chest helps individuals like Cindy who are working toward a brighter future.
