Roulande Begy runs Little Treasure Thrift Shop in Montclair. Source: Parisa Burton.

Teaching in the Orange School District and running Little Treasure Thrift Shop in Montclair, Roulande Begy is driven by a deep-seated passion for enriching the lives of local children.

Since opening the shop at 2 Maple Avenue in 2016, she has built it into far more than a traditional thrift shop. Designed as a nonprofit, Little Treasure is dedicated to supporting children in need across Essex County, providing them with clothing and other essential items.

Having worked in the Orange School District classroom for over a decade, Begy witnessed firsthand the challenges children faced when coming to school in unclean or worn out attire. Beyond bullying from peers, she noticed these students also received less attention from their teachers. Concerned, she was motivated to provide them with clean uniforms and hygiene products such as shampoo and hairbrushes.

In 2018, she expanded her mission of supporting children in the community by opening up a brick-and-mortar thrift store.

The shop is entirely stocked through community donations, carefully curated by season. Out-of-season clothing is sanitized and stored until it’s needed. The store carries everything from clothing to household items, school supplies, and small trinkets. Begy says that each piece bears a special memory from the donor, whether it was worn on a date, displayed at a wedding, or marked another memorable event.

According to Edward Garcia, a colleague of Roulande’s from the Orange School District, Little Treasure stands out from other thrift stores because it’s clean and well-organized, making it easy to find items.

“It's great to see things that could potentially end up in a landfill that are able to find new life…it definitely has made me a lot more interested in purchasing secondhand clothing and items when I see what great condition it could be in,” Garcia said.

Clothing that is not suitable to sell is repurposed for art projects. On most Saturdays, Little Treasure hosts arts and craft classes for children ages six to eleven, often run by Begy herself. She recalled a session where the children created flower pots out of old boots, which they excitedly took home.

On most Saturdays, Little Treasure hosts arts and craft classes for children ages six to eleven. Source: Roulande Begy.

Over the past two years, attendance has declined from around 10-12 to 3-5 in recent sessions, though it remains unclear why.

Begy said the classes will be officially relaunched in January, with a cap of 10 students per class. To boost enrollment, she plans to contact past participants, put up advertising posters and speak directly with families at the park.

The money earned from sales helps cover utilities and rent, with the remainder funding the art classes, school uniforms, and school supplies for children in need.

“Being that she, outside of her store, works in the school, she has a close bond with children and cares about their well-being and their education,” Garcia said. “And so I think that through her store, she's been able to really reach a wide range of kids in different communities.”

Volunteers, usually high schoolers, help Begy run the store when she’s occupied with her teaching responsibilities. She typically has one or two help out each month.

Students, ranging from elementary school to college, turn to Begy for support. The store holds backpacks, notebooks, and other supplies for them to pick up at any point in the school year.

In addition to helping students, Begy also tries to accommodate anyone in need with free clothing.

“Anyone who's going to a job interview, and doesn’t have the clothes, we provide them with free clothes that day,” Begy said. “Come back and tell me if you have the job. We try to work with our community. Everyone who comes here is welcome.”

Jacqueline Apicella, former Marketing and Event Director for Montclair BID, chanced upon Little Treasure one day and was really touched by Begy’s mission of supporting young students to get uniforms, school supplies, and even prom dresses.

The Montclair Center BID helps local businesses stay engaged in their community, enabling them to maximize their visibility. They promote business events and post highlights on social media, and businesses located within the district’s mapping area typically receive a 50% discount for vending in festivals like Montclair Pride and Jazz Festival.

These festivals garner about 20,000 to 30,000 visitors to the district, according to Abhishake Shah, Executive Director of the Montclair BID.

During these events, the BID also ensures Montclair business owners avoid direct competition with out-of-town vendors by strategically managing table placement.

“We make sure that we're not going to be cannibalizing or taking away from those that pay brick-and-mortar leases with those who are coming for a one day event,” Shah said. “We’re not putting a soap vendor in front of another brick-and-mortar soap business or a pizza truck in front of a pizza place.”

While working with the Montclair BID, Apicella shared Begy’s story with local groups and on social media, reaching a large audience.

“What a lot of people didn't realize is, they knew that they liked the store and they liked Roulande, but they didn't know the mission so I really wanted to make sure that it was told,” Apicella said. “The thing that I did most was asking people if they’d consider donating to Little Treasures because of what she does with the money and how she turns it around.”

Begy now regularly attends community events, giving her the opportunity to network with other small business owners, share her mission, and exchange ideas for improving their business practices.

“Whether it’s art related, music related, or holiday related, she will attend them,”Apicella said. “She's gonna make sure by the time she leaves, everybody knows her name.”

Shah agreed, adding that her success comes not only from who she is, but from how she fully engages with everything, including her work. “She is one of the kindest, warmest people I've ever met. She has such a big heart and a passion for the work she does and the community of people she serves.”

Similarly actively engaged in the Montclair community through her business is Genevieve Wrenn, founder of Genevieve’s Exclusive Vintage Collection, a designer vintage boutique located at 10 Lackawanna Plaza. Wrenn is an outspoken opponent to fast fashion who sees Montclair’s small business community as closely interconnected, with everyone supporting one another through sponsorships, customer referrals, and partnerships with local nonprofits.

“It’s more collaboration rather than competition because a lot of us recognize that if one of us does well, we all do well,” she said. “If the businesses in Montclair are known to be successful, then that brings more shoppers, businesses, and visitors to the area, and that’s good for all of us.”

According to ThredUp’s 2025 Resale Report, the global secondhand apparel market is projected to reach $367 billion by 2029, growing almost three times faster than the overall global apparel market. The study also found that younger shoppers plan to allocate 46% of their apparel budget on secondhand purchases in the next 12 months, and 55% say they won’t buy it new if they can find it secondhand.

Shah said the BID is actively working to engage younger generations, especially Montclair State University students, encouraging them to come downtown and discover local secondhand gems, as he believes many aren’t aware of them.

“We're trying to get more of those students to come out to see that you're able to find good deals right here in your community and support the local economy,” he said.

The Lackawanna Station, located at 1 Lackawanna Plaza, Montclair, regularly hosts flea markets every non-holiday weekend, with a vintage-themed one held twice annually.

At these markets, they distribute a Vintage Crawl map highlighting some of the vintage stores visitors can explore in Montclair. Those that post a story at every shop and tag both The Montclair Flea and each store’s Instagram handle by the end of the weekend receive a prize. The faster participants complete the crawl, the bigger the prize.

Lackwanna Station regularly hosts flea markets where they distribute a Vintage Crawl map. Source: Georgia Vardidakis Simoes.

Lackawanna Station doesn’t release the maps until the day of the event to create a sense of urgency to participate and to finish, according to Georgia Vardidakis Simoes, General Manager and Director of Events for Lackawanna Station. “We have had people tell us this is the first time they heard of some of [the businesses], so it gives them exposure and an audience they may not have had before.”

Genevieve Wrenn noted that Montclair Pride is one of the most important days of the year for both local businesses and marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ community. As an active business owner in the neighborhood, she helped secure the 2025 festival’s success during a precarious financial situation that nearly shut it down by volunteering to run it herself.

“She stepped up in a time when there was a lot of uncertainty with funding being cut on the federal and state level…with no prior experience in this kind of festival organization,” Shah said. “These are the people who make the community…she put her money where her mouth is.”

Local business owner Genevieve Wrenn stepped up to host Monclair Pride 2025. Source: Genevieve Wrenn.

Wrenn’s commitment reflects a broader culture of mutual support among Montclair business owners, where collaboration, camaraderie, and shared investment in the success of local events and initiatives are valued just as highly as individual business goals.

Wrenn believes she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to contribute in this way if she wasn’t already engaged in the community through her business.

“Roulande and Genevieve are both dynamic, passionate, caring individuals who love this community, put so much heart and soul into their businesses, and make such an effort to really make an impact, " Shah said. “I am astounded by all the work they do.”

From Thrift Shops to Vintage Boutiques, Montclair’s Small Businesses Thrive on Collaboration and a Culture of Giving Back