This Spring, Clear Your Clutter by Bringing Your Goods to Goodwill

TORONTO, March 29 /CNW/ - Spring cleaning is here, and Goodwill needs your lightly used goods.

The clothes, books, shoes, and household goods that have clogged up your closet over the winter can find a second spring of their own at Goodwill. These goods provide employment opportunities and are a key part of building sustainable green communities.

"At Goodwill, the items that you no longer need are resold for reuse," says Dr. Ken Connelly, President and CEO of Goodwill Toronto. "When you bring goods to our locations, you fuel the work of our staff. All funds generated by this activity are pushed back into Goodwill creating new jobs for those who have not had access to employment but are ready to work."

Helen Zhuang, a store manager at the Goodwill Community Store in Etobicoke, was a teacher at a University in China before she immigrated to Canada in the 1990s.

"Goodwill recruited me and set me on my path to a job, and a career," says Zhuang. "I enjoy coaching others and Goodwill provides much needed paid work experience in the community."

Last year communities supporting Goodwill stores brought in 33 million pounds of textiles, books and household items for reuse. This action directly cleans and greens our communities - 99 per cent of textiles and 95 per cent of household goods are reused.

As a regular contributor, Dennis Sutherland brings goods to a local Attended Donation Centre where he is greeted by a Goodwill employee and assisted in unloading his goods.

"I take household things and clothing to Goodwill several times a month and there is no better time than spring to clear out your closets so the good things we aren't using can be used by others," says Sutherland. "Our family regularly contributes to Goodwill in support of their activities which help people find and sustain meaningful work."

This spring, bring your goods to Goodwill and join with your community to Reuse, Resell and Recruit. To find an Attended Donation Centre near you or to learn more about what you can bring, go to www.goodwill.on.ca.

About Goodwill

Since 1935, Goodwill's mission is to create work opportunities and skills development for people facing serious barriers to employment, including persons with disabilities, youth at risk, the chronically unemployed, Aboriginal people and newcomers to Canada. Our Community Stores resell a wide variety of donated goods for reuse, the revenues from which create jobs at Goodwill, giving people much-needed paid jobs.

For further information: Media contact: Julia Dyck, Advisor, Communications and External Relations, Goodwill Greater Toronto, Central and Eastern Ontario, Tel: [phone], Cell: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]