cashier

case manager

sales associate

donation attendant

thrift store associate

St Vincent de Paul Society

St. Vincent de Paul was a nice place to work. People are friendly and you really get a sense of joy from your work simply through the acts of charity you make. There is a lot of opportunity to help people here and gain a deeper perspective on the lives of people going through hard times in their lives. Where I worked there are various departments. The first being the front counter where people register and check in to receive cards which will be exchanged later for donations. The next department the donated clothes. People working in the clothes section will generally sort through the donations and find where they should be placed. The next department thereafter is food. Within the food section there are several things one can do. First off there are people at the front counter receiving cards which has a number indicating the size of the family. The higher the number the more food that will be received. The person at the front counter will first hand a bag containing essentials which are bagged by another person in the back with others who are preparing food and stocking. Next the recipient will sort through the bag to take out what they don't want. The number will also indicate how much food on the shelf behind the front counter a person can pick out. Once the recipient is finished choosing food from the shelf the volunteer at the front counter will then ask if they want certain drinks, meats and poultry, yogurt, chips, eggs, etc. Once the proper amount of food is given, the recipient will then be shown to an area where various breads, beans, vegetables, fruits, water, deserts, etc. are displayed. Another volunteer will keep watch of this area so that people do not take too much food or take food without first seeing the front counter. The card  with the number on it also represents the ability for a recipient to access the food shelved in this area. With the card being handed in before one leaves the counter presents a difficult problem for a volunteer as they need to recognize when someone is skipping the front counter or is just walking in and taking food without permission. Confronting people not following rules is the most difficult part of this work cause the people deserve to have the food, but the rules need to be followed so that everyone can receive the quantity of food they need. It is also difficult when certain items are asked for and it is simply not there, because you want to serve these people to the fullest. Anyways, another department one could work is the garage area where donation are brought in. The donations are weighed and then moved to either food or clothing. Donations that are not food or clothing will generally be moved to other charities or stores that receive such donations. All in all St Vincent de Paul is a great place to work for since it gives you the chance to make a difference in a persons life. It presents a chance for you to talk to those who are on the streets and those who are barely scratching by. People all have amazing stories of hardship, triumph, and loss to tell and for that I'm really glad I came here.This place presented me a chance to build some basic food handling skills as well as understanding how to stock, sort, communicate, and work with others in a team.

The days consist of helping patients with self-care, like grooming or bathing, or helping a patient get settled in a hospital by inspecting their items for anything dangerous, and helping them make up a bed and put away their things. Watching, observing and interacting with patients regularly. Observations are very important, because they form a part of how care is determined for each patient, and they help to keep patients safe, especially those at high risk for harmful behavior to self or to others. In a psychiatric hospital, its common for events to moderate to the subduing of patients that become upset or potentially harmful, and watchfulness is key to being certain that this occurs quickly so patients don’t harm themselves or others. Other interactions may involve, being in charge of admitting patients, taking phone calls, staffing a main desk, or helping to keep records. In some cases, administering medication or help nurses to do so. Must also work with patients in designated groups to do certain types of activities. These could include things like art, exercise, or therapy. At specified times take part in groups and assist those that are running them by remaining vigilant and simply lending an extra hand to the person running the group and patients participating in it. I've learned how to make a difference in the lives of my patients. Perhaps the details of how one does this can only be the credit of humanitarianism. Co-workers are the nucleus better known as a team of professionals who understand the nature of the work and must be at all times alert and physically assertive in taking the proper precautions in being able to recognize the antecedents of patients responses. Doing so saves lives.I would say this is the hardest part of the job. The most enjoyable part of the job is when you are able to chart remarkable progressions in your patients goals.

It’s really unfortunate that a business that is built off of doing good for others doesn’t apply the same values towards it’s employees. Many times we were overworked and under appreciated. Told on multiple occasions that we were replaceable and they would simply fill our positions, even if you were with the company for years and in a higher position. Managers were also demoted on multiple occasions so family members of the higher ups could go up the ladder. The company also prides itself on helping the homeless but homeless people were treated like trash the minute they’d step into the stores, some employees would chase them around and even take their purses or items when they weren’t paying attention so they could dig through and see if there was stolen merchandise in them. Not to mention the $15 vouchers were barely enough money to get two items when everything is so overpriced, I was helping a homeless veteran once and he had to chose between a pair of long johns, jeans, or a nice winter coat because winter coats are $9.99, I payed the difference even though you’re not suppose too. They’re not even allowed to use the vouchers to get water or chips in our stores. This is a company that you start working at because you think you’re contributing to something good and then quickly realize that it hides behind its non-profit community name. St Vincent’s De Paul retail is not the place you want to be. If the company sees this, do good by your employees too. It’s great that you have shelters and provide services, but understand that the vouchers are not enough to afford things in our stores anymore and criminalizing the homeless people who come into use their vouchers doesn’t help either. 

Pros

Mission focused work that is well supported for the clients. Passionate people who want to do good in the city of Cincinnati. Good hearted management on the services side doing the best with what they have.

Cons

Extremely low pay for what they ask you to do. Expect salaried employees especially to go over and above without the give/take of compensation or promotion. Divided office culture. One set of office employees allowed to work from home, go on champagne brunches in the name of "networking" on busy Friday afternoons, and not complete expected service in other areas. The other set of same level office employees expected to regularly volunteer for external relations events off hours as well as excessive direct service work. Work/ life balance is frowned upon and will limit possibility of promotion. They ask their employees to directly donate to the mission even though employees are not paid well except for director level and above.

Advice to Management

When your most visible employees, specifically your VP of External Relations does not embody the mission or expectations of the organization, it creates a disconnected culture. Get the high school drama out of the way and pay your employees fairly. There is no reason why when you have a 1-million-dollar surplus that employees should be going to food pantries to feed their families.

Promote internally! Create new opportunities even if it's small raise and a title change. Focus just as much on your culture for your employees as you do for your volunteers. Stop overworking your employees.

St. Vincent de Paul is a county run series of thrift stores that are run by a non-profit lay Catholic (meaning they are not connected to the church) charitable organization. Dane County SVDP runs the largest customer based food pantry, women's and Men's temp housing, a pharmacy along with vouchers for those in need to receive free clothing and household items. 

People from the local community bring donations to the store and the employees ensure they are properly bagged or boxed and they are sent to the central processing facility to be priced and dispersed through the 7 Dane County stores.

Each day a truck goes to each store and drops off a load of priced clothing, miscellaneous items, linens, furniture  and more to each location. These items are unpacked and placed throughout the store. Most days this is a 2-3 hour task. 

Customer service is the most important part of this position! From regular customers to first time shoppers we try to ensure they all feel welcome and wanted. I had several regulars who brought cookies at least once a week because they loved us so much!

Hardest part is working the donation truck in whatever weather comes your way! But it is what keeps the business running so it is one of the most important pieces as well! 

Merchandising experience, or a willingness to learn is a must! While we run a thrift store we like it to look like a boutique. It is a lot of fun and very satisfying to here the customers ooo and ahh over your work! 

If you want a job were you are working for the good of mankind and getting great deals on clothing, household items and more...this is the place for you!

A typical day at St. Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Store would be checking in with my manager on what needs to be done for the day and what the priorities are. In the department I work for, Human Resources, is constantly engaging the community but creating a homeless recruitment center in a vacant room in the building and a dance studio where volunteer dance instructors teach the employees/customers several dance styles. During the a typical day my boss and I work on our projects together in addition to posting job positions for the whole society, interview those best fit, and taking care of the day to day needs.

I have learned working in Human Resources your primary responsibility is to keep the businesses assets protected and the employees assets protected. This department has many different tasks that require skills in multi-tasking and being proactive.

Management is decentralized but great at collaborating together. All those in management have been there for over five years and all share the same desire to be compassionate to the unfortunate.

My co-workers do an excellent job developing new ideas to grow the company.

The hardest part of my job is have to go through the process of terminating. I have only had to do it once but was so far the hardest task from my position.

The most enjoyable part of my job is being part of a department that involves everyone who works for St. Vincent de Paul. It exposes me to different aspects of the business. I also enjoy expanding the companies’ facility to help strengthen the companies culture and their involvement in the community.

Served customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out foods.
• Accepted payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
• Requested and records customer orders, and compute bills using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
• Cleaned and organizes eating, service, and kitchen areas.
• Notified kitchen personnel of shortages, special orders or the changes needed for special diets.
• Selected food items from serving or storage areas and place them in dishes, on serving trays, or in takeout bags.
• Prepared a variety of foods according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.
• Portioned and wrapped the food, or placed it directly on plates for service to patrons.
• Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.
• Inform supervisors when supplies are getting low or equipment is not working properly.
• Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
• Wash, peel and/or cut various foods to prepare for cooking or serving.
• Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.
• Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.
• Prepare and serve a variety of beverages such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
• Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches.
• Use manual and/or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
• Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads.

I worked with this organization from 2016 through 2023 and had a very positive experience overall. The team culture during that time was incredibly supportive, genuine, and collaborative. It truly felt like a second family, and I valued the relationships and sense of community within the organization.

In September 2023, I transitioned into a property management role under new supervision, and my experience changed significantly. I experienced ongoing concerns related to my work environment and reported them through the appropriate channels. It took several months for the situation to be addressed, which made the role increasingly difficult.

I made efforts to explore opportunities within the organization under different supervision but was unable to secure a transfer. Ultimately, I made the decision to leave in April 2024.

Overall, my experience reflects both the strong, supportive culture that exists within parts of the organization, as well as the impact that leadership and responsiveness can have on the work environment.

I had a hard time adjusting to the place, on my first day, of course, I was nervous so I did not talk much and kept to myself but I listened to what I was told and did what I was told. 
The very next day right in the morning the store manager calls me over to tell me that I didn't seem "enthusiastic" enough the day before... IT WAS MY FIRST DAY AT A NEW JOB WHERE EVERYONE TALKED TO THEMSELVES ONLY. I was around people much older than I so, of course, I got stared at a lot by a lot of employees/volunteers. I felt out of place, but I tried my hardest to just focus on my tasks. 
This manager literally expected me to be SMILING 24/7. How am I supposed to keep a smile the whole time while I'm pricing, picking clothes, etc? interesting enough the other girl they hired along with me looked less enthusiastic than I did, in fact, many workers/volunteers did not even smile.
There they had a chart where you would choose how much a clothing piece would be based on the quality, brand, fabric, etc.
I was following the chart and pricing women's shirts. Tell me why when I come back from my break, the pricing manager tells me I priced everything wrong, and when I tell her I was following HER chart she tells me "oh well that chart is old, my bad"
All of this happened on my second day of work. Not even letting me finish my shift, only on my second day, I got called to the office and I was told this job was not a "good fit" and they fired me.
I wasted 2 days of my life, I left my job for this job because of the pay and the need for college money.

We put money aside from our purchases to help the needy as a charitable organization yet we can't afford that same care to our coworkers on govt assistance because they are working full time for chump change. I have no job title, and the parameters of my job change each day. I love to gain new skills and be helpful but people keep quitting and I get their additional work. I don't get a choice in it either, suddenly I'm running another department whether I want to or not. If you are generous and help them in a pinch they take advantage of you and it becomes expected. Benefits are abysmal  free life insurance, over priced health insurance and that's it, tough luck if you need dental or vision you sure can't afford it privately off the wages you get here. Management treats you like a stupid child no matter how old you are and how much you do. They cannot accept criticism and are extremely defensive when called out for their mistakes. You cannot make suggestions, they will all be ignored or deflected with excuses. If you are looking for an abusive environment full of catch 22s where additional work routinely avalanches on you this is the place! I will say the company doesn't deserve the good people who work here, they have had their workload increase dramatically since covid started. In closing I just want to say we are in a pandemic, unemployment is at a record high and people still don't want to work here. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Cashier 7 salaries reported	$13.29 per hour
Case manager 16 salaries reported	$20.38 per hour
Sales associate 3 salaries reported	$16.99 per hour
Donation attendant 7 salaries reported	$14.57 per hour
Thrift store associate 9 salaries reported	$12.92 per hour

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