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Celebrating 25 Years of Goodwill in Shelby, NC!

We’re excited to celebrate 25 years of serving the Shelby community! While our store has relocated during that time, it has remained a constant presence in the community – and we’re proud to continue making a positive impact in the area.

To celebrate and thank the community for donating and shopping with us over the past 25 years, we’re hosting a special anniversary event on Friday, September 26, at the Shelby store, which is located at 1005 E. Dixon Blvd. in Shelby, NC. Here’s what’s in store:

Your support over the past 25 years means the world to us. Every donation and purchase helps people in our community pursue the life they want to achieve. We hope to celebrate with you on Friday, September 26!

$5 OFF $25

Christmas is coming early at Goodwill!

Join us for our Christmas in July Sale on Saturday, July 19 – Sunday, July 20 and get $5 off your purchase of $25 or more* as our gift to you!

This festive pop-up is happening at all of our retail stores (excluding Second Editions outlet stores). In addition to the promotion, we’re rolling out a special selection of holiday decor and seasonal items, so you can stock up early and deck the halls in style.

Bonus tip: The $5 discount applies once per customer, per store, so make a day of it and visit multiple locations to unwrap even more savings!

*Limit one transaction per customer, per store. Maximum discount is $5 per store.

YOUR PURCHASES DO GOOD

Shopping at Goodwill is good for more than just your budget – it’s good for our community too! That’s because the revenue we generate from selling donated goods in our stores funds the career training programs, job search support and more that we offer absolutely free of charge to thousands of people in our community each year, including our own Goodwill team members. Together, we can create a brighter future for all!

PHOTOS FROM LAST YEAR’S SALE

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY EARLY & SAVE!

Why wait to plan the most festive event of the year? Book your holiday party at the Goodwill Opportunity Campus between July 1–31 and receive 15% off your room rental! Just use promo code CHRISTMAS2025 at booking. That’s up to hundreds in savings, plus you’ll get first pick of prime holiday dates!

Our event rentals include:

Don’t miss out on this limited-time offer! Book by July 31 to take advantage of these savings at https://goodwillsp.org/newsevents/event-spaces.

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is pleased to announce the promotion of Haley Smith to Director of Real Estate and Facilities. Since joining Goodwill in December 2021 as a Construction Manager, Haley has been a driving force behind our Donated Goods Retail growth. Before her time with the nonprofit, Haley brought her expertise as a Project Manager in residential construction and retail construction for Goodwill Industries of San Diego. 

Haley’s dedication to professional growth is evident as she pursues her Project Management certification and Commercial Real Estate license. She has been instrumental in managing key projects, including the recent opening of the Gastonia Career & Employment Center, and will now lead Facilities, Events, and Real Estate for Goodwill, along with her expanded team.  

Congratulations, Haley! 

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is pleased to announce the promotion of Lee Bond to Director of Corporate Compliance, recognizing his more than 17 years of exceptional service and leadership at Goodwill. Lee has been pivotal in advancing Risk Management, Safety, Loss Prevention, and Business Continuity initiatives. His guidance during the challenges of COVID-19 and disaster recovery planning underscored his invaluable expertise.

Lee’s commitment to growth includes earning the V-Legal Certificate from Vanderbilt School of Law and certifications in Environmental Health and Safety and Loss Prevention. Lee also served as a Detective Sergeant for more than 20 years in command of the Homicide and Robbery division for a Hampton Roads police Department in southeastern Virginia, before his tenure at Goodwill.

Congratulations, Lee!

2025 marks a monumental milestone for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont as we celebrate 60 years of service and impact in the Greater Charlotte community! Over the past six decades, we’ve worked to create opportunities that change lives, and this year, we’re taking the time to honor our history, celebrate our growth and envision an even brighter future.

As we count down to our official anniversary in May, we’re reflecting on the transformative journey that began in 1965. Back then, Goodwill was a small but determined organization with fewer than 20 employees, serving just 49 community members in its first year. Fast forward to today, and we’re proud to be a 21st-century leader in regional workforce development, employing more than 1,200 people and having empowered more than 255,000 job seekers to achieve their career goals over the last 60 years.

This would not have been possible without the steadfast support of our community. Your donations, purchases and partnership have helped make these achievements possible, changing countless lives along the way.

Stay tuned as we share stories, milestones and highlights from our history in the months leading up to our 60th anniversary – like our surprise golden ticket scratch-off discount cards on Friday, May 9. Together, we’ll celebrate this incredible journey and the impact we’ve made together, paving the way for the next chapter of Goodwill’s legacy.

Here’s to 60 years of making a difference – and to the future we’ll build together!

HELLO, 2025

Happy New Year! Whether you want to tackle fitness goals, start a wellness journey, or simply embrace comfy casual vibes in 2025, you can shop your local Goodwill for activewear and athleisure that supports your goals – whatever they may be! Plus, you can feel good about your purchases because they do good for our community! That’s because the revenue we generate from selling donated items in our stores funds tuition-free career training programs, job search support and more – all of which we offer completely free of charge to thousands of people in our community each year, including our own team members.

AFFORDABLE STYLE

SPOTTED IN STORES

 

CARF International announced that Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont has been accredited for a period of three years for its Employee Development Services; Employment and Career Centers; and Employment Skills Training Services programs.

The CARF three-year accreditation represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows our nonprofit’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a three-year accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs, services, organizational leadership and governance practices are of the highest quality, measurable and accountable.

“We are honored to receive this recognition from CARF International, which highlights the hard work and dedication of our team in delivering high-quality programs and services to the community,” said Chris Jackson, president & CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “This accreditation affirms our commitment to partnering with individuals to build pathways that help people pursue the life they want to achieve, strengthening the workforce, and maintaining the highest standards of quality, innovation and measurable impact.”

About CARF

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. For more information about the accreditation process, please visit the CARF website.

THRIFTING & GIFTING

‘Tis the season for thrifting and gifting! Stop by your local Goodwill to browse its collection of holiday décor, festive accessories, gift wrapping essentials, and more! And remember, you don’t have to break the bank to SLEIGH the holidays this year.

HOLIDAY DECOR

FESTIVE FINDS

FEEL JOLLY

Every time you shop at Goodwill, you help someone in our community on their pathway to prosperity. That’s because the revenue we generate from selling items in our stores funds career training courses, job search support, family stability services and more – all of which we offer free of charge to thousands of people in our community each year, including our very own team members. Now that’s something to feel good about!

BLACK FRIDAY DEALS

This Black Friday, November 29, stop by The GRID’s flagship location in Charlotte or one of its mini-stores inside our Shelby and Rockingham retail locations to shop these great deals:

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Not only is shopping at The GRID good for your budget, it’s good for the environment too! The GRID helps keep used electronics out of landfills by refurbishing them and giving them a second chance. Plus, if we’re unable to refurbish and sell something that was donated to The GRID, we make sure it’s recycled responsibly through our partnership with Dell Reconnect.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

You can also feel good about your purchases because they do good for our community! The revenue we generate from selling items at The GRID funds career training programs, job search support, family stability services and more – all of which we offer free of charge to thousands of people in our community each year, including our very own team members.

The Charlotte region is home to more than 100,000 financial services jobs, and it is the second-largest banking center in the nation. With no other workforce development programs dedicated to the finance industry in the greater Charlotte region, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, in partnership with The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and CareerWork$, expanded its training division to offer the BankWork$® program in Fall 2023.

Since its launch, the nonprofit has helped 42 participants from four cohorts achieve employment, 30 of those jobs in the banking industry. Financial institutions such as Bank OZK are helping the nonprofit work toward its bold vision of providing meaningful employment to 15,000 individuals by 2029, and together the organizations are creating a new talent pipeline to address the critical issue of economic mobility in the Charlotte region.

“In today’s employment landscape, staffing continues to pose challenges for employers. Our partnership with Goodwill has been very beneficial to Bank OZK as Goodwill trains participants on essential skills like relationship building, problem solving, identifying customer needs, developing the ability to engage customers effectively, as well as promoting and selling bank products and services,” said Cathy Bonner, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Outreach Programs at Bank OZK.

BankWork$ is an eight-week intensive workforce services program delivered by Goodwill that gives people the skills, access and coaching needed to succeed and grow in banking careers—from understanding the financial services workplace to bank regulations, bank products, cash handling, and processing customer transactions. Graduates are prepared for roles such as: Associate Banker, Branch Banker, Client Services Representative, Lead Teller, Member Service Consultant, Personal Banker, Relationship Banker, Teller, and Call Center Representative.

“BankWork$ and our great relationship with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont has played an instrumental role in helping us identify diverse, qualified talent in our North Carolina Retail Division led by Division President Shirley Edmond. BankWork$ prepares students well, making them immediately ready for a career in banking,” Bonner explained.

To date, four BankWork$ graduates have been hired by Bank OZK and work at their Belmont, Bessemer City, Cornelius and Landis banking centers. The bank anticipates hiring more graduates and is already eyeing participants from the fifth cohort, which ended in early November.

While the priority is to help community members access meaningful jobs, the partnership goes far beyond employment. Bank OZK has become an intricate part of the curriculum in the classroom and lends their industry insight to participants as needed.

“Bank OZK provides our expertise by facilitating classroom instruction and participating in mock interviews for each cohort class,” Bonner said. “Each completed cohort produces participants that are ready and prepared for careers in banking. Bank OZK prides itself on delivering exceptional customer service, and the talent we have sourced through Goodwill has certainly strengthened our team.”

Kenya Cunningham works as a Customer Banking Relationship Specialist for Bank OZK, a job she was able to land less than two months after graduating from the inaugural BankWork$ program.

“Goodwill is the place where you can turn your life around in a few weeks. You can go from, like myself, below poverty level to now middle-class income,” Cunningham stated during her graduation speech in January 2024 after starting with Bank OZK.

Tuition-free training programs like BankWork$ are available to the community, thanks to shopping and donating at Goodwill’s 36 retail locations and more than 40 donation sites, in addition to critical philanthropic contributions from corporations and community members. Success isn’t achieved alone, which is why Goodwill encourages partnership and collaboration to help community members advance their careers, and improve their lives.  

“We envision a community where equitable access to career opportunities is available for all,” said Chris Jackson, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “We recognize that skilled training is an essential part of helping to build our growing city, and we cannot achieve this work alone. Bank OZK’s partnership is critical in supporting our mission and providing economic stability to individuals in the Charlotte region.”

Bonner echoes that sentiment and encourages other financial institutions to learn about the BankWork$ program and find a way to get involved.

“Banks can support Goodwill’s mission by participating in Goodwill programs, offering job training and placement services for Goodwill participants through partnerships, promoting Goodwill’s programs to their customers, and hiring Goodwill graduates. This ultimately contributes to a more inclusive and thriving local economy by helping individuals overcome barriers to employment and achieve financial stability,” she said.

If you would like to support the BankWork$ program, or other career services and programs offered by Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, you can email Clarence Scott, director of GoodWork Staffing & Employer Engagement at Clarence.Scott@goodwillsp.org.