COMMUNITY HEADLINE:
(SAVANNAH, GA) – Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire is in real need of donations, especially clothing in good condition. More people than ever need its job evaluation and training programs to get back to work; more people now need to shop at its affordable stores, which provide the funding for those job programs; and yet fewer people are donating items to Goodwill so it can stock its stores. Corporations wishing to do donation drives should contact Steve Bellmoff at (912) 663-0786. Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire, Inc. is dedicated to the mission of assisting people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to live independently and become employed.
Goodwill needs more donations, soon
More shoppers and fewer donations put a hurt on the non-profit, which uses store proceeds to fund mission of helping people with employment barriers get jobs.
(SAVANNAH, GA) – For most stores, high demand is good news. For Goodwill, it’s a challenge.
Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire is in real need of donations, especially clothing in good condition.
Goodwill is in a Catch-22 of the faltering economy. More people than ever need its job evaluation and training programs to get back to work; more people now need to shop at its affordable stores, which provide the funding for those job programs; and yet fewer people are donating items to Goodwill so it can stock its stores.
“Donations to Goodwill change lives by providing the funds for people to get training and get a job,” said Coni Curtas, Vice President of Donated Goods for Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire. “It’s amazing how much Goodwill helps the community by helping people get a job and become more independent.”
The large majority of every dollar raised by Goodwill is spent fulfilling its mission of helping people with disabilities and other barriers to employment find a job. Those programs won’t be able to help as many people if the stores don’t have enough inventory.
“As federal and state funding continues to shrink, funding to assist people in need of our services shrinks as well,” Curtas said. “Additionally, donors are facing tough times and are holding on to what would have been donations for longer and longer periods of time.”
The emergence of for-profit salvage dealers posing as charitable agencies is causing more of a drop in the number of donations, Curtas said.
“Their ‘donation boxes’ are intentionally displayed and worded to give a casual observer the impression of charitable intent,” Curtas said. “This diverting of donations has a direct, negative impact on the number of charitable donations Goodwill receives and consequently, the amount of services we are able to provide.”
August is often a high-demand month for Goodwill stores, and so September often has a dip in inventory as a result. The stores are having to start this busy season with fewer donations and Goodwill worries how much their programs will be affected by lower funding.
“Goodwill’s services are all highly dependent upon the generous donations of our community – services that support people with disAbilities to enter the labor market, provide mentoring of at-risk youth; employment, training and support services for homeless veterans; outreach, education and employment services for immigrants and our ADVANCE acquired brain injury program,” said Nicholas C. Pecone, Vice President, Workforce Development.
This past year, Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire provided services to 18,916 people and placed 644 individuals into employment. Through May of this year, it has provided services to 11,004 individuals and provided 643 with employment assistance.
“Without the revenue generated from donations to our retail operations, this would not be possible,” Pecone said.
Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire employs nearly 600 people throughout the coastal region. Goodwill’s Job Connection employment centers are especially needed in some areas where there is little other employment help.
Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire processes more than 386,000 donations of used goods every year. Through its partnership with Dell, Goodwill can help donors recycle computers and related items in an environmentally safe way.
The need for Goodwill’s services has increased, and Goodwill has been helping more people, going to more places, and adding services in the past few years.
Corporations wishing to do donation drives should contact Steve Bellmoff at (912) 663-0786.
Goodwill has 14 stores from Ridgeland, S.C. out to Vidalia and down to St. Marys, Ga. All stores and Goodwill’s attended donation centers can accept donations. Donation forms for your taxes are available.
About Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire
Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire, Inc. is dedicated to the mission of assisting people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to live independently and become employed. The not-for-profit organization employs nearly 600 people, provided services to approximately 18,916 people and placed 644 people in jobs in our community this past year. Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire serves 33 counties in Georgia and South Carolina and operates 13 retail locations in the region. Goodwill accepts tax deductable car donations and operates an online store at shopgoodwill.com. For more information on Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire, please visit www.goodwillsavannah.org.