Happy 20th birthday, Philly AIDS Thrift!

The store, a staple in the city’s secondhand scene and queer community, is throwing an all-out block party on Saturday to celebrate. The festivities will honor the thrift shop’s legacy of selling used clothing, furniture, books, knickknacks, art and more — then donating the proceeds to LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS service organizations.

“I always just say that we’re longtime AIDS activists and lovers of junk. And so we put those two things together, and this is what we came up with,” said Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou, director and co-founder of Philly AIDS Thrift.

Kallas-Saritsoglou opened the shop in 2005 with her business partner, Tom Brennan, who has since retired. 

Philly AIDS Thrift’s annual block party. (Photo by Kory Aversa)

“People know we really care,” she said. “The mission, it really means something to us. I grew up in the ‘80s, and the community was just devastated with people who were sick and dying, and even though things are way better than they ever have been before, people are still becoming infected. There’s still more that we can do until this thing is completely eradicated.”

Over the past two decades, Philly AIDS Thrift has moved into a larger location, gained around 30 paid staff and donated over $5 million to more than 50 HIV/AIDS service organizations in the greater Philadelphia region. 

“In the beginning, it was a much smaller space around the corner on Bainbridge Street, and we were asking our friends to donate items,” Kallas-Saritsoglou said. “We were gathering things from our apartments, and we were trying to fill up the store a little bit. Gradually, people started coming. And we were like, ‘OK, maybe this is gonna work.’ ”

Michael Byrne, Philly AIDS Thrift board president, is proud of how much impact the store has made over time. The organization has donated to a variety of non-profits like the Attic Youth Center, the Mazzoni Center, MANNA, the William Way LGBT Community Center, Planned Parenthood and more. They also have free, biweekly HIV rapid testing in-store, to help people stay on top of their status in a non-clinical space.

Expect the unexpected for Philly AIDS Thrift’s 20th anniversary celebration. (Courtesy of Philly AIDS Thrift)

“I have been on the board for over 10 years. I’ve been a customer for all 20 years,” he said. “I love thrift stores, but there’s something about Philly AIDS Thrift, that not only is it a great thrift store, but it’s a cool store, and it actually makes a huge difference in our community.”

Byrne is still astounded by the strength of Philly’s community when it comes to supporting LGBTQ+ health, particularly when paired with the power of a beloved used item.

“We’ve raised this money selling T-shirts and used bowls — housewares and furniture and clothing and books,” he said.  “That’s where all of this money has come from. And that’s because of the generosity of donors bringing us their gently used items, but also our incredible customers who come in and buy. It’s really, really phenomenal. I think last month, we had a 10% increase over the previous year in sales, which is amazing.”

You’re cordially invited …

Philly AIDS Thrift’s 20th anniversary block party will take place Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. in front of the store on South 5th Street. All ages, genders and sexual orientations are welcome to come to the free event. There will be live music, food trucks, craft beers, artisan vendors and even a “sword-swallowing, fire-breathing clown babe.” 

Kallas-Saritsoglou explained the latter is a performer named Dr. Reverend MacKenzie Moltov. 

“They call her the clown babe,” she said. “She’s really awesome. I think she’s one of the world’s first sword-swallowing female clowns. She does fire-breathing.”

The block party will include kids entertainment and games. (Photo by Kelly Burkhardt)

In addition to the pyro-theatrics, there will also be a celebrity dunk tank, featuring Philly icons. Guests can also sign up for a very messy pie-eating contest. The contest will be put on in partnership with MANNA, as a promotion ahead of its annual Thanksgiving fundraiser, Pie In The Sky.

“My favorite thing is the pie-eating contest,” Byrne said. “Watching people eat a pie with their hands behind their back. It’s truly revolting and hysterical at the same time.”

Attendees can expect a variety show of fun at the block party. Philly AIDS Thrift is getting the neighborhood shops participating, with other vintage and craft vendors including South Street Art Mart, Crash Bang Boom, South Fellini, Tamme Handmade and IXIJ Art.

Competitors get ready to scarf down some mixed-berry pie. (Photo by Kelly Burkhardt)

“It’s a really, really good time,” Byrne said. “There’s always great food trucks there, but the vendors are always really varied, with lots of cool stuff.”

“A dream come true”

In an era of fast fashion and next-day Amazon delivery, it’s impressive that a brick-and-mortar store has been able to give so much back. However, for Kallas-Saritsoglou, the enduring impact of Philly AIDS Thrift is far from a mystery.

“You’ll probably find a better quality of items at our thrift store,” she said. “In today’s world, with the internet, you can buy anything, anytime you want, and get it the very next day. But there is something to be said about the hunt and the search for that perfect item. And I don’t think that will ever, ever go away.”

The party takes place this Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. (Photo by Kelly Burkhardt)

Philly AIDS Thrift has been around for a lot of historical moments, from major milestones in the queer comunity like the creation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the legalization of gay marriage, and the rise in trans visibility and recognition, to tougher times, including another global pandemic and a backlash against that wave of progress.

In the past year, many queer organizations have dealt with uncertain federal funding cuts, some of which affect the very same organizations that Philly AIDS Thrift supports, including Bebashi – Transition to Hope, Planned Parenthood and the William Way LGBT Community Center.

“It’s getting harder with funding right now, right?” Kallas-Saritsoglou said. “And so I think for us, we’re really happy that we’re able to support those types of organizations.”

Philly AIDS Thrift’s “All at Once Mural” (Photo by Streets Dept)

Kallas-Saritsoglou doesn’t see the store stopping in its mission — shining a spotlight on HIV/AIDS and uplifting Philly’s LGBTQ+ community — any time soon.  

“It’s amazing that we’re hitting this 20-year milestone,” she said. “Being able to give away $5 million, it’s actually $5.1 million at this point, I don’t want to be like, ‘it’s a dream come true,’ but it kind of is.” 

To learn more and receive updates on the PhillyAIDSThrift block party you can check out their website or follow @PhillyAIDSThrift on social media.