St. Louis holds a special place in St. Vincent de Paul history: the first council in the United States began here in 1845. More than 180 years later, the Archdiocesan Council of St. Louis serves a 13-county region with nine thrift shops, emergency assistance, rent and utility help, food, clothing, and one-on-one personal outreach.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul began in Paris in 1833, and the first council in the United States was established in St. Louis in 1845, making the St. Louis council the birthplace of SVdP in America. For more than 180 years it has supported neighbors in need across the region.
Like SVdP everywhere, it works through local conferences whose volunteers, called Vincentians, provide direct, person-to-person help.
The Archdiocesan Council operates nine thrift shops offering clothing, toys, books, furniture, and more. Sales fund the council's assistance programs, and donated goods also go directly to families who have suffered a loss.
You can drop off donations at a shop or schedule a pickup. Check what St. Vincent de Paul accepts before a large drop-off.
SVdP St. Louis provides emergency assistance, help with rent and utilities, food, and clothing, along with one-on-one outreach through home visits. It also delivers furniture, clothing, and household items to people who have experienced a terrible loss, such as a natural disaster, eviction or foreclosure, or domestic violence.
This combination of stores and direct aid lets the council respond quickly to urgent local need.
St. Vincent de Paul is a 501(c)(3), so goods and cash are tax-deductible when you itemize. Get a receipt and keep an itemized list, and use our donation value guide to estimate fair market value.
To support the St. Louis council, donate goods at a shop, schedule a pickup, or give through svdpstlouis.org.
Last updated June 2026. St. Vincent de Paul St. Louis as the first U.S. council (1845), 13-county service area, nine thrift shops, and programs (emergency aid, rent and utility help, food, outreach, furniture delivery) from St. Vincent de Paul St. Louis (svdpstlouis.org). We are not affiliated with Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Archdiocesan Council of St. Louis and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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