Philly AIDS Thrift celebrated its 20 years of turning secondhand treasures into life-saving support on Saturday.

What began in 2005 as a tiny storefront, originally on Bainbridge Street — founded by longtime AIDS activists and “lovers of junk” Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou and Tom Brennan — has grown into a local landmark, complete with a second home at Giovanni’s Room, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ and feminist bookstore.

And this weekend’s event drew a throng. “The crowd is almost twice the size of any other year, and we couldn’t be more pleased,” Kallas-Saritsoglou said.

Philly AIDS Thrift has always been more than a store; it has also served as a lifeline for local HIV/AIDS organizations, and as a beacon of creativity and self-reliance within the queer community. With 30 staff and 70 vol

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