Goodwill is reminding individuals who are considering making year-end, tax deductible contributions that there are many ways to give. When families donate the clothing and other household items they no longer use to Goodwill, it funds employment training programs, provides needed medical equipment and assists seniors to live independently.
“At Goodwill, we take your donated items, sell them in our store and use the proceeds to empower people with disabilities and other disadvantages to improve the quality of their lives,” said Kevin Beirne, director of Development for Goodwill of Chattanooga. “In addition to employment training services to help people find and advance in jobs, we provide over 6,000 individuals with medical equipment that they need for their health and well-being. These include bath seats, wheelchairs and hospital beds and all are provided free for those in need.”
Goodwill has 36 Attended Donation Centers throughout its communities to increase convenience and provide a helpful service to donors. “When you bring your donations to one of our Donation Centers, our Attendant will help you unload and provide you with a receipt for tax records,” stated Mr. Beirne. “Bringing your donated items to centers when they are open also ensures your donation makes it into the right hands and truly benefits those in need.”
Find a Goodwill Attended Donation Center near you at GoodwillChatt.org/Donations. Hours are Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m., and Sunday, noon–5 p.m. All Goodwill retail stores can also accept and receipt donations during their operating hours, Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday, noon-6 p.m.
"When you donate to Goodwill, your donations will benefit over 9,000 individuals with disabilities and other disadvantages... you help fight unemployment, you help meet someone's medical needs, you help give a second chance after a felony or you may even help provide an apartment full of furniture for a family moving out of homelessness. When you donate a bag of clothing with a pair of jeans, a purse and a sweater, the revenue generated can provide 1.5 hours of career skills training for a teen at-risk of dropping out and not graduating high school," officials said. "For more than 91 years, Goodwill has been an environmental leader, turning the power of donated goods into job opportunities for people in need of work and keeping items, some of which are toxic, out of local landfills."
To pay for its programs, Goodwill sells donated clothes and other household items in its retail stores and online at shopgoodwill.com/chattanooga. And 84% of all proceeds stay local go directly into Goodwill programs and services.
“Whether you are donating things you no longer use or making a cash contribution, it is important to double-check that your donations are going to legitimate charities,” said Mr. Beirne. “Goodwill of Chattanooga was recognized by the Chattanooga Better Business Bureau and awarded the 2014 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics for nonprofits.”