Skip to Content

Make a Difference by Donating and Creating Jobs with Goodwill

Saving money during the holidays is something that we all try to do. We scout out the best deals on the best products searching high and low. One way to save money, that most people don’t think about is Goodwill! Not only can you donate your items, you can do some shopping while you are there. They have such a large selection of gently used and new items. You can find everything from clothes for the family, art work, house décor, baking needs you name it. If you are an antique enthusiast or a collector, chances are you will find something at your local Goodwill store.

Our donations and shopping trips to Goodwill have tremendously helped the community already. Thanks to the job training programs made possible by donations of clothes and household items, Goodwill helped place more than 312,000 in jobs in the United States and Canada in 2015 — that’s one person finding a job every 23 seconds of every business day. So you’re literally donating your stuff AND helping to create jobs. How amazing is that?

With 8.9 million Americans out of work, and nearly 15 percent of the workforce is underemployed, which includes part-time workers who would prefer full-time employment. The 164 local and independent Goodwill nonprofit organizations provided job placement services, career counseling, onsite and virtual skills training, and other community-based services (such as financial education, youth mentoring and access to transportation and child care) to millions of people last year. We can all do a little extra this year and support Goodwill and job opportunities with our donations.

Let’s keep the magic alive this season! I’d love to see your reverse hauls! Share a video or photo of what you plan to donate using the hasthtag #DonateStuffCreateJobs. And use the donation impact calculator to let the world know how many hours of on-the-job training you are creating with your used stuff — stuff that doesn’t help anyone when it’s in the back of your closet or under your bed.

You can calculate how your donation helps your local community by using Goodwill’s donation impact calculator, a feature available within the Goodwill Locator App and at Goodwill.org (click “Explore Our Map” on the homepage to access the calculator). Simply input the items you’re donating to calculate the number of hours of career counseling, on-the-job training, résumé preparation, financial planning classes, and other services you’ve helped provide to people facing challenges finding employment.

What are you waiting for? Gather your stuff up and head on over to Goodwill. Don’t forget to share your reverse haul with us.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.