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Your Donations Make a Difference

Before you buy new this back-to-school season, consider cleaning out your closet to help others by donating to Goodwill.

Donations of clothes, shoes, household goods and other items make a difference by connecting people to resources and career training for free. Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont uses the revenue generated from the sale of donations throughout its stores and online to provide job placement and training, certifications and credentials for anyone looking to grow their careers.

Upcoming drives are as follows: 

In partnership with Simon Malls, when you bring your donations to either of the donation drives on August 20 or August 26, you can enter to win a $500 Simon Malls gift card!

If you can’t make it to a donation drive, Goodwill has more than 30 donation locations in the region to drop-off items. Click here for a list.

IDLEWILD ROAD GRAND OPENING

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is opening a new store on Idlewild Road in Matthews, NC, on Friday, May 13, at 10 a.m. The first 100 shoppers will receive a free reusable tote bag, and throughout the day shoppers will have the opportunity to find one of 40 “golden ticket” gift cards, ranging in value from $5 – $20, to use when they want!

The new retail store, located at 15090 Idlewild Road, has a drive-up donation drop off location. This marks the nonprofit’s 28th store in the greater Charlotte region, and second store in Matthews. Regular hours for the new store are Monday from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Tuesday from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

SUPPORTING THE MISSION

The store will provide a location for local residents to donate and shop to support Goodwill’s mission. Like all of our retail stores, the money we make selling donated goods at our new Idlewild Road location will fund career training courses, employment services, job search support, family stabilizing services and more – all of which we offer free of charge to thousands of people in our community each year. When you donate and shop at Goodwill, you’re helping to create a brighter future for all!

Spring is here – and one of the reasons we love this season is because it’s the time when most people will start to clean out their closets and think about donating items they no longer need. When spring cleaning, you can streamline your accumulation of clothing, shoes, housewares and books. But how do you decide what goes and what stays?

Getting organized is all about decisions. Our favorite way to help you make these decisions is by using the A-B-C-D prioritization tool. Think of each item and any potential storage places as A, B, C or D, according to the definitions below:

The goal is to get the “A” things in the “A” places, and the “D” things in the “D” places. We often see “C” things in “A” places, and so on, taking up valuable real estate in your space. Ideally, your home would have mostly “A” and “B” things you really use and love, and very few “C” and “D” items.

During this phase of reviewing and deciding, it’s helpful to ask yourself some questions when you are unsure about an item. Here are some of our favorites:

What would your home feel like if you only had things that you intentionally wanted and needed — things that you use and love? Be choosy about what surrounds you and donate what you no longer need to Goodwill. We’ll take your donations and turn them into good! The money we make from selling donated goods funds job training courses, employment services, job search support, family stabilizing services and more. Find your nearest donation center, and get to spring cleaning!

ROCKINGHAM STORE GRAND OPENING

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is opening a new store in Rockingham, NC, on Friday, April 22, at 10 a.m. The new store is located at 705 U.S. 74 Business in Rockingham. The first 100 shoppers on grand opening day will receive a free reusable tote bag. And throughout the day, we’ll hide 40 “golden ticket” gift cards, ranging in value from $5 – $20, in the store for people to find and use when they want!

NEW IN-STORE FEATURES

Goodwill’s new Rockingham store is significantly larger than our other stores, as it’s a former Lidl. You can expect a traditional shopping experience, but with a few new added features including: a café in partnership with a local coffee shop, a rentable community room and an entire electronics section hosted by our technology store, The GRID. The store will be open Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

SUPPORTING THE MISSION

Like all of our retail stores, the money we make selling donated goods at our new Rockingham location will fund job training courses, employment services, job search support, family stabilizing services and more – all of which we offer free of charge to thousands of people in our community each year. When you donate and shop at Goodwill, you’re helping to create a brighter future for all!

Last updated February 24, 2022

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the world we live in. We want to ensure you that keeping our team members, shoppers, donors and participants safe is our top priority. Here at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, we’re following guidance from the CDC and local health officials. As such, here are some safety protocols we’ve implemented at Goodwill:

  1. As of February 26, 2022, masks will no longer be required for team members, shoppers, donors, participants or other guests at any Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont location.
    • We support anyone who wishes to continue wearing their mask, as we know masks are effective in preventing the spread of illness.
  2. Floor graphics direct the flow of store traffic and encourage social distancing while you wait in line to check out.
  3. Sneeze guards are located at each register.
  4. High-touch areas, including shopping carts, door handles, registers, bathrooms and more, are disinfected several times daily.
  5. Our fitting rooms are closed.
  6. Our restrooms and breakrooms are stocked with hand soap, working hand dryers and/or paper towels.
  7. Tuesdays from 9 – 10 a.m. are reserved exclusively for seniors and those with underlying medical conditions to shop. 

Goodwill has some great advice for people who are already thinking of ditching — or who may have already ditched — their New Year’s resolutions. Consider ditching and switching to something better!

Goodwill suggests using January 17th, known now as Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day, as a time to switch your goals to something more achievable and agreeable, and that helps others in your community. One solution? Decide that now is the right time to get organized, collect those things around the house you no longer want or need, and donate them to someone who can use them.

Let’s face it. New Year’s resolutions are tough to stick with and that’s because we often set the bar too high. But with a little change in mindset and a focus on what’s really important, you can turn that broken resolution into a successful solution.

Goodwill has a three-step process for successful switching:

  1. Pay more attention to the outcome than to the process. In other words, focus on how great it’ll feel to have some extra space in your closet rather than on having to sort through a big pile of clothes.
  2. Take little steps to get to the big goal. Remember that the easiest way to reach a big goal is by breaking it down into smaller steps. And congratulate yourself with each step you take along the way.
  3. Pay attention to what’s important. Maybe you’re someone who likes to recycle because you’re concerned about the environment. Remind yourself that every item you donate can be purchased by someone else rather than end up in a landfill.

Still stuck? Goodwill is a great resource if you want to find options for volunteering or mentoring or simply helping others in your community. Visit goodwillsp.org to find out more about the good you can do and learn about how donated items are sold to help others in your community train for and find good jobs and launch better careers.

One of our core values at Goodwill is build a village. We know success isn’t achieved alone, which is why we encourage partnership and collaboration to help our team and the people we serve in achieving their goals.

The Blumenthal Foundation has made an investment in our new Virtual Community, which will go live in early 2022. The pandemic highlighted the need for Goodwill to provide more equitable access to our services. Therefore, we are launching this new initiative to provide access to career building services and learning opportunities through an online platform.

The Blumenthal Foundation’s gift will support people throughout our 18-county region. Those who have previously not had access to services will be able to upskill, reskill or launch a career. They will also gain access to career coaches who can work with them on their goals and help align them with Goodwill’s job training and employment services.

Special thanks to the Blumenthal Foundation for believing in the vision that all people deserve to see possibilities, seize opportunities and prosper!

With the holiday season approaching, many people are looking for ways to give back. Since doing good doesn’t have to be overly time-consuming or costly, we put together a list of five simple things you can do to help people in our community.

1. Virtually Attend Good Morning, Opportunity!

Join us on Tuesday, November 9, from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. for the first rendition of our new annual fundraising event series – Good Morning, Opportunity!

Hosted by WBTV Charlotte’s Dedrick Russell, we’ll share inspirational stories of Goodwill participants and spotlight local employers who partner with Goodwill. Keynote speaker, Jia Jiang, will also talk about how we can lead and influence beyond the boxes already defined for us based on our identity.

You’ll leave feeling grateful for the opportunities each day brings and with a better understanding of who Goodwill is and what we do in our community. Reserve one ticket for yourself or host a virtual table.

2. Donate Goods

Your old jeans that are too small can do big things for others. When you donate gently used clothes, electronics and household items, you’re helping fund our mission of providing job training and other life-changing career services to people in our community, free of charge.

Because of your generosity, we were able to provide services to more than 7,570 people who needed help developing job skills and finding employment last year. Your donations truly change lives!

3. Donate Money

While the money Goodwill makes from selling donated goods funds many of our programs and services, it doesn’t cover the cost of everything we do! We rely on grant awards and monetary donors to fill in the gaps. These monetary donations fund job training opportunities, paid work experience, building renovations and other critical needs. Consider making a gift today!

4. Shop Secondhand

By now you probably know that shopping at Goodwill funds the programs and services we offer to the community free of charge. But did you know that shopping secondhand is also great for the environment? Buying just one item used instead of new reduces that item’s carbon footprint by 82%, eliminating roughly 17.4 pounds of CO2 emissions. Visit one of our stores to shop secondhand!

5. Hire a Goodwill Participant

The participants who graduate from our training programs are skilled, motivated and looking for their next career opportunity. If your company is looking for top talent — especially in the Customer Service, IT, and Construction & Trade fields — connect with our Employer Engagement Team to learn more about hiring from our talent pool!

There are so many ways to support your community and give back this holiday season. We thank you for your continued support.

Black Philanthropy Month (BPM), held every August, was created in 2011 by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland and the Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Network as an annual global celebration of African-descent giving. BPM culminates with a giving day on August 28 initiated by The Young, Black & Giving Back Institute to promote financial support for Black-led and Black-benefitting organizations.

We are so grateful for donors like Shantia Coley! Shantia also serves on the board of directors for Goodwill. Her ongoing support helps people in our community access employment services and job training for in-demand skills, free of charge.

“As a woman of color, I know firsthand the inequities facing our communities. I am thankful for nonprofits such as Goodwill that consistently encourage, lift and provide for our people. These organizations make it a priority to offer resources necessary to provide equity and in return I make it a priority to offer of myself. I will forever support those who go to such lengths to support historically disenfranchised groups, and I will continue to remain a faithful donor to these organizations,” said Shantia.

Special thanks to Shantia for her investment in Goodwill’s mission and launching careers for so many people!

The school year is upon us, and with it often comes new technology. But, what are you doing with the old technology?

Donate your old technology to dispose of it properly while also supporting job seekers in your community! Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is partnering with Mecklenburg County Solid Waste to host a free electronics take-back event from 9 a.m. to noon on August 28. This event will be held at the Compost Central and Recycling Center. The collaborative effort between the two organizations ensures electronics are reused, if possible, prior to recycling or disposal.

Residents are encouraged to bring working devices such as computers, cell phones, gaming consoles and small appliances that can be donated. Goodwill assesses and refurbishes the items to sell in its technology store, The GRID. The nonprofit uses proceeds from its 26 stores – including The GRID – to fund job training and employment services offered at no cost to the community. Any tech that can’t be refurbished and reused are recycled responsibly, adhering to the strictest environmental policies in place today.

Year-round electronics can be donated at any Goodwill store or dropped off at any Mecklenburg County full-service recycling center.