Audrey Jones feels a special connection to the community when she volunteers in the St Vincent de Paul Society store at Narrabundah, which this week celebrated a special anniversary.
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''I love coming here and seeing all the people,'' the 85-year-old grandmother said. ''Everybody knows everybody in Narrabundah. It's a nice community.''
Friday was the 50th anniversary of the approval of the building plans for the Vinnies shop in Boolimba Crescent.
The society's Canberra and Goulburn president Frank Brassil said construction of the shop started in August 1963 and it opened in October 1964.
A celebratory afternoon tea was held there on Friday and a market day is being held on Saturday from 10am to 2pm.
Mr Brassil said Vinnies shops not only raised funds for the organisation but let those in need get low-cost clothing, furniture and other items without ''having to ask for it''.
Maureen Johnston has been manager of the Narrabundah Vinnies for seven years, in charge of 26 volunteers, ranging from Mrs Jones to university students.
Customers have changed over the years.
''Now we're getting both ends of the scale: a lot of people who do need help, but also people who want fun stuff and to find a bargain,'' Ms Johnston said.
Ria Warke, who has owned the shop next door, Dollworks, the doll hospital, for 22 years, remembers watching the Vinnies building being built when she was a schoolgirl.
''We watched it go up and then we went in and got all our goodies,'' she said.
Vinnies and businesses such as the Dollworks made the Narrabundah shops unique in Canberra, not only for their longevity but their character.
''We've got a really eclectic lot of shops here and a lot of them are privately owned,'' Mrs Warke said.
