TheBridge Curates, Cultivates, and Connects
We connect families and individuals to life-changing essential and household items that suit both their needs and their style.
We connect fellow human service nonprofits to secondhand goods their clients need to thrive.
We connect those who want to build a more sustainable world to thrifting experiences.
And we do it all with a loving heart and a belief in the power of dignified and joyful experiences.
About TheBridge
Our Vision
TheBridge seeks to create a more inclusive, sustainable, and loving world, where everyone has what they need to thrive.
Our Mission
TheBridge is a nonprofit organization connecting neighbors in need to essential and household goods through empowering and dignified experiences.
Our Core Values
We celebrate the goodness in humanity
We believe in and uphold the inherent worth of every individual
We cultivate a dignified environment by fostering choice and agency
We demonstrate kindness and empathy in every interaction
We prioritize mindful consideration of our social and environmental impact at every stage
Who We Serve
We work with our diverse and growing Referral Network throughout the St. Louis region to provide household and essential items to our neighbors in need through dignified “shopping” experiences in our beautiful Thrift Boutique and warehouse. For those who are unable to make it to our location, we stock several area shelters and service organizations with the kinds of items most needed by their residents or clients.
In 2023, we served more than 2,000 individuals and families from St. Louis City and County to Crawford County and beyond.
Our Story
When founder Christine Merryman attended a charity second-hand sale and witnessed a couple on their hands and knees rummaging through the free remnants for items to give to people in need, she knew there must be a better way. She and her husband, Michael, wanted to build a system where everyone was treated with dignity, respect, and kindness.
They began curating thousands of quality items that people no longer needed or desired. Soon, they filled a 13,000 square foot warehouse with everything from men’s coats to sofas to school supplies. From there, TheBridge, a MerryStarkey Charitable Endeavor, was born.
TheBridge was founded in 2021 and officially opened its doors to the community in Spring 2022. Since that time, TheBridge has greatly expanded its services. In 2023 alone, TheBridge provided more than 21,000 items to neighbors and is on pace to eclipse that amount in 2024.
What Makes TheBridge Different?
At TheBridge, we cultivate a dignified environment by fostering autonomy and agency. Instead of providing neighbors in need with remnants or leftovers, TheBridge discovers each person’s unique needs, scours their 13,000 square foot warehouse packed with quality donations, and curates personalized selections, creating a dignified “shopping” experience, where families choose the items they desire, and only those that suit their specific needs and style.
This allows individuals and families, who have often undergone a traumatic experience, such as domestic violence, natural disaster, or significant loss, to have a joy-filled and empowering experience, as they move through their life journey. It also allows TheBridge to pass along items that may have ended up in the landfill, giving those items a second chance.
Our Thrift Boutique
Our Thrift Boutique is one way we fuel the mission of TheBridge. We offer high quality clothing, accessories, and home decor at affordable prices. 100% of the proceeds from our Thrift Boutique go to support our mission.
Why Support TheBridge?
TheBridge helps each of us bridge the gap by adding a little more kindness, a little more love, into our community. To the individuals and families we serve, it’s not just a backpack for their child, a professional outfit for a job interview, or a kitchen table after a fire has destroyed everything they own – it’s a new chance, a new path, an opportunity to thrive. When you support TheBridge, you’re supporting connections that change lives.
Bring More Joy to Your Inbox
Join our email list for special deals, upcoming events, insider updates, and more.