A steady stream of people come and go from Troost39, a modest, tidy thrift store at 3922 Troost Ave., set along Kansas City’s historic dividing line. On the north side of the building, black-and-white portraits of six local community members are painted larger than life, watching over the neighborhood.

Inside, the shelves and racks are filled with donated goods — clothes, shoes, furniture, music, household items, knick-knacks — each with its own story.

Tucked in the back of the store, a book room is a bibliophile’s haven, where shoppers linger among titles warmed by an oversized hanging lamp and retro furniture. The books, neatly shelved in alphabetical order, are available for 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hard cover titles. Overlooking the shelves, a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King hangs high above.

Throughout the day, people from all walks of life come and go. Some are looking for bargains, others just stop by to chat. There’s a calm, welcoming atmosphere, shaped more by the people than the merchandise. The staff knows many customers by name, and conversations often stretch beyond the line at the cash register.

St. Vincent De Paul, a KC Catholic church, operated the thrift store at this location for about 17 years before approaching St. James Parish to take over its operations as a nonprofit. The idea was presented to the parish, and two couples — Chuck Wurth, a former educator and administrator of an Alzheimer’s care facility, and his wife, Toni Pennisi, a Colgate retiree, along with Jo Babaran, a retired nurse, and her husband, Ben Babaran, former parish administrator at St. James Midtown Catholic Church — stepped forward to lead the transition.

Together, they took over the store and launched its next chapter as Troost39 in 2007.

“We took over from Saint Vincent de Paul, which was also a thrift store,” said Chuck Wurth, who now serves as a founder and manager. “We changed the name to Troost39 to represent the intersection where we are located,” he added.

Wurth said when they first took over the shop, they registered about 30 transactions a day.

“Today we’re at about 190 transactions today, and we sell over about $2,000 worth of merchandise,” Wurth said. “Plus, we give away about $1,500 worth to people that just, you know, don’t have any money. So we give it away.”

Step inside, and it’s clear that Troost39 is more than just a place to find a bargain.

“The culture is what makes us unique,” Wurth said on a recent day bustling with shoppers. “It’s a community thrift store and a nonprofit.”

“More importantly, we really try to be a true thrift store in terms of pricing, but it’s the community that gives us our vibe. You see people from all walks of life — race, age, gender — they get along, they come in here, half the people know each other. People come in not just to shop, but to socialize.”

What happens here, quietly and without much fuss, enriches the lives of many who shop at and support the thrift shop.

For Jo Babaran, one of the owner/founders, giving back to the community is at the heart of everything she does at Troost39.

From a small, crowded office at the back of Troost39, Jo Babaran — who retired after a 50-year nursing career — carefully sorts and prices all of the jewelry, handbags and watches, working alongside her husband, Ben, and Wurth. Ben takes watches home to put in new batteries before Jo adds them to the store’s inventory.

“What’s most gratifying to me is when you give something to people who won’t have a chance to give it back to you — then you can stand tall as a person, as a gift to this community,” Jo said.

Shoppers from across KC

What makes Troost39 truly distinctive are the stories of dedicated shoppers who travel from all over the metro area, many arriving by bus, who return frequently to browse the ever-changing selection. Wurth said there’s a constant stream of donations, which keeps inventory at the store fresh.

Pushing a yellow shopping cart, Sister Francis Voivedich of the Sisters of St. Joseph, a volunteer, restocked the shelves with decorative items for Valentine’s Day last month. One item she came across, a long wooden stocking stretcher, had her a bit mystified, she said. The item, listed online for $99, was priced in the store for just $1.

Pat Warren, a grandmother from Kansas City, perused the children’s clothes nearby, and said she stops by every week.

Betzaida Sanchez, shopping with her friend Araceli Herrera, both from Kansas City, Kansas, was thrilled to find a perfectly fitting pair of burgundy thigh-high suede boots for just $8. Sanchez, who planned to buy the boots, admitted she might wear them out on a Saturday night.

On a February Thursday — a day known for fresh inventory — Judith Roberts of Raytown, dressed head to toe in an $8 outfit she’d purchased at the store, browsed the aisles with her sister, Mary Towse of Bonner Springs.

“The people who work here are wonderful,” said Roberts, a regular at Troost39. “Also, it’s not overpriced for everything I buy here.”

She often brings in items to donate, and is continually impressed by what she finds. “And the quality, believe it or not, I find Chico’s here and all kinds of brand names,” she added.

Sporting a large cowboy hat and vintage leather coat, Anthony Stewart said he is a neighbor and a regular shopper Troost39.

“I like that it has a variety of things, and then you get all sorts of people coming in from all incomes,” Stewart said. He also values the frequent specials, particularly the colored tag discounts.

“They always have specials on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They have these red tags or green or yellow tags — like the yellow tags today were 50 cents off, and I think the green tags are half price off,” he added.

As a disabled veteran, he finds these discounts especially meaningful. Stewart fondly remembers coming to the store when it was the St. Vincent thrift shop as a child for the $5 sack days, when you could fill a bag with clothes for just five dollars.

Building ‘a community of artists’

Troost39 actively gives back to the community through a range of initiatives, including programs that uplift Black artists and entrepreneurs in partnership with KC G.I.F.T. — a Kansas City nonprofit focused on combating systemic inequity. Profits from the store are used to fund the initiatives.

The store’s owners have purchased and proudly display works by local Black artists, each accompanied by descriptions throughout the shop. Paintings of jazz musicians, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and former President Barack Obama capture the spirit and history of the neighborhood.

“We sponsor emerging Black artists,” explains Wurth. “We try to build a community of artists so they can stay. We want to keep our talent in Kansas City as long as we can, and that’s the purpose of that.”

Although the much of artwork on display is not for sale, informative signs and QR codes invite visitors to learn more about each piece and its creator.

Harold Smith, a Black artist from Kansas City, Kansas, received a grant last Mayas part of The GIFT of Troost initiative in collaboration with Troost39 and Kansas City G.I.F.T. The grant supported not just his own work, but the work of three local artists who have disabilities.

“What I did is I applied actually, not for myself, but I work with three disadvantaged artists,” Smith said from an artist retreat in Seaside, Florida.

“I applied for a grant to be distributed equally among those three,” he explained. “So I was awarded the grant to go to each of them.”

The grant helped these artists to purchase art supplies and other essentials for their chosen medium. One of Smith’s paintings, featuring two jazz musicians, was purchased by Wurth and now hangs in the Troost39 thrift shop.

More community initiatives

A new initiative at Troost39, the KC Connectors program, provides monthly grants to six community members to support activities that help neighbors connect and build relationships and spark positive change.

“We want neighbors to get to know neighbors,” said Wurth.

The store’s Basic Needs program ensures that shoppers facing urgent situations can receive essential items free of charge, while a voucher system helps others make subsidized purchases when needed.

And Wurth recognizes that many customers cannot transport furniture they might want to buy, so they offer the Troost39 Furniture Delivery Service. Arrangements can be made at the store to deliver it for $30 delivery fee.

The At Risk program creates part-time and flexible job opportunities for people who may have difficulty finding work elsewhere. Troost39 also supports St. James Catholic Church, too.

Plus, every month, the employees share in the first ten percent of the stores’ profit.

“It’s like a dividend check, an equal dose for the employees,” Wurth said.

Employee Jane Flower, a sharply dressed woman of 82, brings warmth and a sense of community to Troost39, both behind the counter and out on the floor helping customers.

“It’s great. I really enjoy working here. It’s family oriented — it’s where people come together,” said Fowler. “But my favorite thing to do is when customers ask, ‘can you help me mix-and-match an outfit?’”

Fowler, a former AARP inspector, ended up joining the team after jokingly asking for a job. “And I’ve loved it ever since.”

Beyond supporting artists and entrepreneurs, Troost39’s commitment to community extends to its own staff and the people it serves every day.

“Changing the narrative in this city is huge,” said Wurth.

“We’re blessed, we’ve hired 15 people as part of the ministry as well,” said Wurth. “And we’re blessed to be here, to be part of a community that hasn’t been brought together in very many other places.”

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