In the heat of a humid, late August afternoon, entrenched in the excitement of first-year orientation, armed with my iPhone, I attended the Arlington Amble. As a Summer Social Media Ambassador for Vassar, I was charged with taking pictures of first-years getting their initial taste (literally, so many free food samples) of what Arlington has to offer. Feeling confident with my extensive knowledge of the shops and restaurants on the street, I was caught off guard by the latest addition to our community, Heart & HOAM Thriftique. I decided to give awkwardly asking first-years to pose for pictures a break and ventured inside, curious and excited.
Immediately I was greeted with a smile and the information that this new, shiny and well-stocked thrift store donates all their proceeds to charity. The hustle and bustle of the environment and my demanding work meant I had to leave prematurely after taking a quick span of the space. So this past Friday, wanting to know how, when and why Heart & HOAM came to be on the humble street Vassar students are bound to tread, I went back.
I was lucky enough to steal 10 minutes from the Co-Founders, Murielle and CaraMia, to hear their story. The two had met six years ago, already running their ministries dedicated to serving and supporting women. This shared passion for giving back to the community led them to join hands in opening this ‘thriftique’ (a boutique with thrift store prices) that sells women’s clothes and accessories.
Murielle’s ministry, A Giving Heart, where the Heart section of the store name comes from, was focused on helping single women and women who were dealing with the loss of a child. CaraMia’s ministry, Hope On A Mission, giving rise to the acronym HOAM, aided women suffering from addiction. Murielle said, “We try to help in any way we can. That means groceries, meals, and even mental support.” They currently provide hot meals, clothes, hygiene items and groceries four times a week on the streets of Poughkeepsie. Both women are volunteers, and they rely on other volunteers to help in the store and continue their work.
CaraMia and Murielle excitedly shared that Heart & HOAM has many plans for growth and expansion. They look forward to putting a minibus, “Ministries in Motion,” on the road. Murielle told me, “Using a donation from a sponsor, we were able to transfer a minibus into a mobile ministry.” This bus will be able to expand the geographic range where the two can offer support and services such as hot meals. They can use the bus to travel to underserved neighborhoods and areas of refuge. Since the mobile ministry will continue to rack up costs like gas, insurance and maintenance, Heart & HOAM will play a huge role in helping bear these expenses. That is how this cozy thrift store is the beating heart of a much larger effort to offer help and support to those in need. Fortunately, logistical effort and help from fellow good samaritans holds it all together.
Heart & HOAM coordinates donation appointments via text messages. They then research the pieces in order to price them accordingly. After searching for comparable pieces on e-commerce and resale sites such as eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, etc they then sell below the standard price point. This is because the main goal of the store is to move merchandise as quickly as possible so they can feed and help people as quickly as they can. Next time I gloat about how I bought a pair of cherry red ballet flats with silver buckles for only 10 dollars, I will also be reminded of the pricing system that centers community service.
If simply supporting Heart & HOAM by buying their affordable jewelry does not feel involved enough, you can make an appointment to donate clothes and accessories. And if you are further interested in being involved with Murielle and CaraMia’s mission there are numerous ways they envision receiving your help. They would like to create a committee to help manage the minibus. This would involve social media help, research for potential sponsors, and organizing finances. They also shared that they are hoping to hold a fashion show in the spring, Murielle added “The show would be a fundraiser, so, help with marketing and styling and such would be good.” Aside from all of these avenues, CaraMia said that even ideas are a valuable contribution to them, “we are open to ideas and innovation if the students have any suggestions.”
Towards the end of our conversation, Murielle leaned in toward me and I felt as though I was about to be privy to a secret. Instead, we began to talk about the foundational role of faith in Heart & HOAM and how that may be perceived by Vassar College students. Murielle said, doing an endearing impression of a Brewer, “‘I know it is a political place, so they might see that we are Christian and think, ‘Oh, these women are not inclusive,’ but that is not true. We are open to all faiths, everyone.” I nodded, smiling, to show Murielle that I believed her. Faith has certainly played a role in the work that Murielle and CaraMia do and it will continue to. It is a lens through which they view the world and their purpose within it.
If faith is a fueling component in a local, eco-friendly, female-run business that uses its proceeds to help people in Poughkeepsie, it does not eliminate any of the latter listed truths. Heart & HOAM Thriftique is an earnest attempt of trying to do your part and is a result of mixing business intellect, friendship and a sense of community that Arlington and Vassar could benefit from.
Very interesting & well written article about Heart& Hoam.
Extremely funny piece on inhalers.
Is the Misc only published digitally? And how often is it published?