Assistance League of El Paso opened its thrift shop at 2225 ½ Montana Ave. selling donations from members and their friends; along with member-made crafts. By May of 1968 a bigger space was needed, a rental building at 2131 Yandell opened with a “Bundles Brunch” for members to bring bundles of used clothing. In November of that year the “Back Door Boutique” opened selling handmade items. Over the next several years we started having “front Porch” sales, appealing to the members for white elephant items, especially, vases, glassware and dishes. 1977-78 store experienced many break-ins a decided we could not afford the insurance had a “Last Sweep” rummage sale at Ascarate Park Drive in Theater and closed the shop.

We continued to sell boutique and handmade items at various fund raisers. During the 1982-83 school year we lost the space for Operation School Bell and decided we needed to buy our own property. A little house at 2208 Montana was purchased and in October of 1983 Operation School Bell was moved in. To get ready to open the thrift shop a “Name the Thrift Shop” contest was held Thrifty House won! A new cash register from Providence Hospital gift shop, husbands painting and built shelves and the hours of operation set for Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings. Monday was a work and pricing day which was done in a cold damp cellar with rickety steps. January of 1984 the Grand Opening of Thrifty House with a wine buffet, with the hopes of the income making the house payment.

March of 1989 an adjoining building was purchased at 2200-2202 Montana, it continued to have the boutique area for handmade items. Mervyns Department Store donated some display cases and crafting was an on-going monthly activity and ALL members were required to contribute handmade crafts. A capital campaign begun in 1995 to purchase our current building. March of 1999 the old Coco-Cola building was purchased and several months of renovations begun. Just A Second Thrift Store opened with very little in the way of fixtures. When Montgomery Wards Department Store went out of business, they allowed us early access, and at a great discount, to purchase some much-needed store fixtures, and our Thrift Store continued to grow.

In 2003 we established, what is now known as, Christmas at Our House. At first the ladies would pack up items and take them to sell at the Queen of Peace Christmas bazaar, by 2014 it was realized that the amount of work to pack, transport, sell and return unsold merchandize was too much for our members to continue doing. So, Christmas of 2015 brought the sale to our Thrift Shop and it became our largest fundraiser “Christmas at Our House”. The annual Christmas sale weekend sees customers lined up around the block waiting to get in to our store. We could not do what we do without the generous donations from our donors.  Many wonderful items are donated all year and we keep new items and gently used items for Christmas at Our House.

2025 also saw an update to our store the old dull yellow paint freshened up to the serene light blue it is today.