The Thrift Shop Association of Ann Arbor record group has been arranged into six series: Historical/Background Materials, Minutes of Board and General Meeting Minutes, Committee Records, Topical Files, Photographs, and Chronological Files.
The Thrift Shop Association of Ann Arbor is a charitable organization that sells donated clothing and housewares, then using the proceeds for local charitable projects. The Thrift Shop Association was founded in April 1932 by Margaret McOmber as a private venture in a small shop in the Cornwall Building; its purpose was to assist new mothers with their various needs.
In December 1932 the shop was taken over by Mary Christy, head of Harris Hall of the Episcopal Church. The proceeds went to Mr. Lewis Poor Fund. Christy drew on women from the Episcopal Church to help her run the shop, and in May 1933 the first Board of Directors was established. The Association formed many committees to help achieve its goals. The Ways and Means Committee was established to decide upon disbursement of funds. (This committee later evolved into two separate committees: Ways and Means (which performed the Association's publicity functions) and the Social Services Committee. The Thrift Shop Association held its first Bundle Tea to collect goods for the shop in 1934. In 1935 Thrift Shop move to a location at 120 N. Fourth Avenue.
It was in January 1936 that the Thrift Shop Association began its monthly schedule of luncheon meetings. The luncheons were held at member homes or the Michigan League until 1951 when the Women's Club was founded. The luncheon schedule has evolved so that the board meetings are held in the morning, followed by the general meeting for all members, and then the luncheon itself.
The Thrift Shop Association adopted its first constitution in March 1937, and the next year, in March 1938, it broke its affiliation with the Episcopal Church. It was also during this time that the Thrift Shop Association began to develop membership guidelines for the association. The constitution and bylaws are occasionally amended with these and other changes. The Association, for many years open only to women, accepted male members in the 1980s.
The Thrift Shop Association has five officers and eight committee chairs. The officers are President and President-Elect who hold their offices for one year and the treasurer, recording secretary and corresponding secretary, who hold their offices for two years. There are seven committee chairs who hold their offices for two years. These committees are mainly functional in purpose: marking, merchandizing, ingathering (for pick-ups of donations), publicity (formerly ways and means), time and membership, luncheon, and social service.
The Thrift Shop Association began a program, in 1936, of distributing milk to local schools which later evolved into lunches for children in need and donations to other charitable organizations. The Thrift Shop Association has continued to give monthly contributions to local charities, such as the Perry Nursery School and the homeless shelter, and to needy individuals. The Thrift Shop Association, in 1992, operates a re-sale shop on Broadway in Ann Arbor, completely staffed with volunteers and with all proceeds going to local charities. The Thrift Shop Association of Ann Arbor is an example of a private social services organization composed mainly of women and devoted to serving the needs of the local community.
