At 5935 Broadway in Denver, the Arc of Denver Advocacy Inc listing points to a store operating under the Arc Thrift Stores banner, a Colorado nonprofit retail network with roots tracing back to 1968. Rather than existing purely as a retail business, the store functions as a fundraising engine for The Arc’s chapters across Colorado and New Mexico, organizations that advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Every purchase made on the sales floor, whether it is a piece of furniture, a rack of clothing, housewares, or general secondhand merchandise, channels proceeds back into programs supporting people with conditions such as Down syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy.
The Broadway location keeps extended hours, open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 9pm, giving shoppers plenty of flexibility to browse before or after work, on weekends, or during a lunch break. Thrift stores in the Arc network are known for a donation model that keeps merchandise turning over quickly, so the furniture, clothing, and household goods on the floor change on a near-daily basis as new donations arrive and get processed for sale. That constant turnover is part of what draws repeat customers who treat regular visits almost like a routine, since the same aisle can look completely different from one week to the next.
Beyond the retail floor, the Arc Thrift network has built a reputation in Colorado for going further than a typical secondhand store: it operates employment programs that specifically create job opportunities for people with developmental disabilities, giving the workforce inside the stores a direct connection to the mission the proceeds ultimately fund. The organization also runs a furniture donation pickup service and an eClub membership program offering shoppers coupons and promotions, along with volunteer and ambassador opportunities for community members who want to get involved beyond just shopping.
For anyone new to the Broadway store, the appeal is twofold: affordable secondhand shopping paired with the knowledge that dollars spent support a cause with deep local roots in Colorado’s disability advocacy community. The store can be reached by phone at 303-238-5263 for questions about donations, hours, or current merchandise categories, and its connection to the broader Arc Thrift Stores network means shoppers benefit from an organization with decades of operating experience behind a single storefront.
Because the store operates as part of a larger mission-driven chain, its inventory reflects the donation patterns of the surrounding Denver community rather than a curated retail strategy, which is exactly what makes browsing here an exercise in discovery. Furniture, clothing, books, electronics, and housewares arrive unpredictably and sell quickly, rewarding shoppers who make a habit of stopping in rather than waiting for a specific need to arise.
In short, the Arc of Denver Advocacy Inc storefront at 5935 Broadway is a Denver thrift store within the Arc Thrift Stores network, where secondhand shopping directly funds programs and employment opportunities for Coloradans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
