INDIANAPOLIS — Fun fact about Ryan Monson: He has been to every Goodwill in the state of Indiana.

He also happens to be passionate about mental health, so he found a way to combine the two, launching a nonprofit flea market that raises money for local mental health programs.

His organization, Classic Buffalo, is a group of small businesses that holds monthly flea markets around Indy. The flea markets are accessible to up-and-coming vendors because there’s no booth fee to participate, but 10% of each vendor’s proceeds are donated to a local mental health nonprofit — currently to Irvington Counseling Collective.

Monson started thrifting in 2017, and it was 2018 and 2019 when he traveled to every Goodwill in the state, from Angola to Evansville. His booth is mostly vintage items like concert t-shirts, but other vendors sell everything from plants to artwork and jewelry.

About a dozen of the vendors will be participating in the Irvington First Friday this week. They’ll be set up outside World Famous HotBoys, 1004 Virginia Ave., from 5:30-11 p.m.

Eventually, once the official nonprofit status kicks in, Monson plans to offer his own mental health programming through Classic Buffalo. His goal is to collaborate with local colleges to offer more mental health resources and increase awareness about mental health issues.

Source: Nonprofit flea market raises money for mental health in Indy