Selma Loewen is an admitted thrift store addict, despite living in a world of excess.

This is a virtue she got from her Mennonite parents and community, who have a decades old tradition of sending clothes to the needy overseas. This had to stop because the process became ineffective.

One day, she had an idea. She gathered 3 of her friends to help her and they decided to open a thrift store. They would sell clothes and donate the money to development projects worldwide.

Everyone thought the project would be short-lived, but it has continued to grow and grow and grow. Today there are over 100 thrift stores with the same goal, usually run by volunteers.

The thrift store network raised more than 10 million last year to help needy people all over the world.

The tiny idea now continues to grow and help so many people!