As many of you know, when you shop or donate at Goodwill, you do good for the community. That’s because the money we make from selling donated items in our stores is what funds the programs and services we offer to the community absolutely free of charge. These programs and services help people train for and find employment so that they can support themselves and their families. When families thrive, communities thrive.
But did you know when you shop or donate at Goodwill, you also do good for our planet? Here are just three ways Goodwill is good for the Earth:
- Goodwill stores play a big part in the circular economy, which is a system that keeps products in circulation for as long as possible. Goodwill helps communities extend the life of usable items, which reduces the amount of material sent to landfills or incinerators. Last year, we sold more than 17 million items, giving them a second chance.
- Goodwill works to solve the planet’s e-waste problem, the fastest growing waste problem in the world. We recycle and refurbish more than 1 million pounds of electronics each year. Electronics that are donated in working condition and items we’re able to refurbish are sold at our tech store, The GRID. Items that we can’t resell are recycled.
- Many people don’t realize the amount of limited natural resources it takes to produce everyday items. For example, did you know that it takes 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one pair of jeans? That’s crazy! When you donate clothes you no longer want and buy secondhand items, you help preserve the planet’s water supply.
If you’re looking for a way to make a difference, start by donating to Goodwill. We make it easy to give stuff a new life to keep the planet a bit greener!
ABOUT THE DONATION DRIVE
Join Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont and WCNC Charlotte for the Goodwill Day of Giving on Saturday, May 11, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Charlotte Premium Outlets! Clean out your closets, declutter your drawers, and drop off the items you no longer want at this special donation drive. Not sure what you can donate? Check out our list of items we can and cannot accept!
HOW YOUR DONATIONS DO GOOD
FOR THE COMMUNITY:
We’ll sell the donations we receive from this special drive in our retail stores and online shops, and use the proceeds to fund job training programs, job search support services, family stability services and more – all of which we offer free of charge to thousands of people in our community each year. Last year, your donations and purchases allowed us to help more than 9,000 people in our community advance their careers and improve their lives.
FOR THE PLANET:
When you donate your unwanted items to Goodwill, you give them a second chance. Goodwill stores play a big part in the circular economy, which is a system that keeps products in circulation for as long as possible. Goodwill helps communities extend the life of usable items, which lessens the amount of material sent to landfills or incinerators. Millions of donated items are given a second life through your local Goodwill each year.
CAN’T MAKE IT?
If you can’t make it to the Goodwill Day of Giving, don’t worry! Goodwill accepts donations every day at its 36 retail stores and 10+ drop-off locations.
Did you know that donating your electronics and gently used items to Goodwill helps the earth tremendously? Help keep our planet safe and healthy while you declutter and start your spring cleaning this season.
RECYCLE YOUR ELECTRONICS WITH GOODWILL
Electronic waste is the fastest-growing waste problem in the world. Did you know that you can donate your used electronics to Goodwill, whether or not they work? Through our partnership with Dell Reconnect, we’ll refurbish your donated electronics to sell at our tech store, the GRID: Powered by Goodwill. If we can’t sell your electronic donations, we’ll recycle them responsibly, ensuring they don’t end up in a landfill. Here are four ways you can recycle your tech this Earth Month:
- Saturday, April 6, from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Concord Safe Disposal Event at 280 Concord Parkway North, Concord
- Saturday, April 13, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Gaston County Shred Event at the Gastonia Farmers Market (410 East Long Avenue, Gastonia)
- Friday, April 19, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Mecklenburg County E-Cycling Event at the Mecklenburg County Hickory Grove Recycling Center (8007 Pence Road, Charlotte)
- You can also donate your electronics at any of our stores and donation centers on any day!
We accept the following items in all conditions and all brands:
- Desktops, laptops, mouses and keyboards
- iPads, Surfaces, tablets & e-readers
- Monitors, printers & scanners
- Flat screen televisions
- Home audio & theater equipment
- Video games & gaming systems
- iPods, MP3 players & accessories
- Cameras, media cards, video equipment & GPS systems
- Mobile phones & accessories
- External & internal hard drives
- Power cords, chargers & cables
- Ink & toner cartridges
- Children’s educational toys
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
In addition to helping the planet, donating your electronics and other items makes a difference by connecting people in our community to resources and job training at no cost. 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. Read about just a few of the thousands of people we’ve helped thanks to your donations here.
SECOND EDITIONS – ROCK HILL GRAND OPENING
Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is excited to announce that we’re opening a second outlet location in Rock Hill, SC! Second Editions – Rock Hill will be located at 1179 Galleria Boulevard and will open to the public Friday, April 12, at 10 a.m. This marks our first outlet store in South Carolina and our second in the region.
ABOUT THE OUTLET
At Second Editions it’s all about the thrill of the hunt, as textiles are placed in large bins for shoppers to sort through. Also known as the “pound store” or the “Goodwill bins,” merchandise at Second Editions is sold by the pound and offered at great bargains. Clothing, shoes, accessories, purses and plush toys are sold by the pound at $1.99; housewares, electronics and toys are sold by the pound at $0.79; while books and furniture are offered at 50% off the ticketed price.
STEWARDSHIP & SUSTAINABILITY
Gently used items that aren’t sold at Goodwill’s traditional retail stores are sent to Second Editions for a second chance. Goodwill stores, and especially the Second Editions outlets, play a big part in the circular economy, which is a system that keeps products in circulation for as long as possible. Second Editions helps communities extend the life of usable items, which lessens the amount of material sent to landfills or incinerators. In this way, Second Editions demonstrates Goodwill’s emphasis on stewardship and sustainability at its highest level.
GRAND OPENING FESTIVITIES
We invite you to come to the store on grand opening day to shop and win prizes! We have some fun things in store for you:
- On-site screen printing of a custom design by Sir Will from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Shoppers can purchase a blank sweatshirt for $10 (sizes limited to L and XL) and get it screen printed at no extra cost by Sir Will himself!
- The first 75 shoppers in line will receive a free reusable tote bag.
- Shoppers can spin our prize wheel to win Goodwill swag and other prizes – like water bottles, pens, sunglasses and more.
- Free coffee and donuts for those who shop in the morning.
MORE THAN A THRIFT STORE
At Goodwill, we envision a community where equitable access to career opportunities is available for all. Your donations and purchases make an impact by funding job training programs, job search support, family stability services and more – all of which we offer free of charge to people in our community, including our very own team members. If you’d like to see our vision and mission in action, check out a few of our recent success stories.
ABOUT THE DONATION DRIVE
Join Goodwill and WCNC Charlotte for the Goodwill Day of Giving on Saturday, April 29, from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Goodwill’s Ballantyne – East retail store! At this special donation drive, WCNC Charlotte will broadcast live, and you’ll have the opportunity to meet Larry Sprinkle, WCNC Charlotte’s beloved weatherman.
DONATIONS WE CAN ACCEPT:
- Clothing
- Shoes and fashion accessories
- Collectibles and antiques
- Books, music and movies
- Housewares and home décor
- Household textiles and bedding
- Furniture
- Small Appliances
- Computers and related accessories
- Electronic equipment
- Sports equipment
- Toys and video games
- Flat-panel televisions (working or non-working)
DONATIONS WE CAN’T ACCEPT:
- Mattresses and box springs
- Bed pillows
- Pianos
- Hazardous, flammable or toxic materials
- Children’s car seats or drop-side cribs
- Non-flat screen TVs
- Items that have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission
HOW YOUR DONATIONS DO GOOD
We’ll sell the donations we receive from this special event in our retail stores and online, and use the revenue to fund 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. Last year, your donations and purchases allowed us to help more than 7,000 people in our community advance their careers and improve their lives.
Plus, when you donate to Goodwill, you’re helping more than our community – you’re helping our planet too! More than 17 million donated items were given a second life through your local Goodwill just last year.
If you can’t make it to the Goodwill Day of Giving, don’t worry! Goodwill accepts donations every day at its 31 retail stores and seven drop-off locations.
DENIM FOR DAYS
Does denim ever go out of style? Nope. It’s a tried-and-true staple of almost every wardrobe. And the good news is that you don’t have to break the bank or hurt the planet to add some cute denim pieces to your collection. Our stores are stocked with affordable, secondhand denim! Take a look at just some of the denim displays we saw at our stores this week!
DO GOOD FOR OUR PLANET
Did you know it takes 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one pair of jeans? Crazy, right? When you donate denim you no longer want or buy secondhand jeans, you help preserve the planet’s water supply. This Earth Month, we encourage you to help the planet by donating to Goodwill and shopping secondhand.
DO GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITY
You can feel good about your purchases because they do good for our community! 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.
Did you know that shopping secondhand and donating your electronics and gently used items to organizations like Goodwill helps the earth tremendously? Help keep our planet safe and healthy while you declutter and start your spring cleaning this season.
DONATE YOUR GENTLY USED ITEMS
Do you need to clear out your old furniture to make space for that new piece you just bought? Are you ditching skinny jeans and jumping on the mom jeans trend? Donate your gently used items to Goodwill to give them a chance at a second life, helping them stay out of landfills. Goodwill has 35+ donation locations in the region to drop-off your gently used items.
RECYCLE YOUR ELECTRONICS WITH GOODWILL
Electronic waste is the fastest-growing waste problem in the world. Did you know that you can donate your used electronics to Goodwill, whether or not they work? Through our partnership with Dell Reconnect, we’ll refurbish your donated electronics to sell at our tech store, the GRID: Powered by Goodwill. If we can’t sell your electronic donations, we’ll recycle them responsibly, ensuring they don’t end up in a landfill. You can donate your electronics at any of our stores and donation centers on any day, or attend one of our four upcoming electronics donation and recycling drives:
- Friday, April 21, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Ballantyne E-Cycling Drive at Brixham Hill (15801 Brixham Hill Ave., Charlotte, NC, 28277)
- Friday, April 28, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Mecklenburg County Electronics Drive at the Hickory Grove Recycling Center (8007 Pence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28215)
- Saturday, April 29, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Concord Shred Event* (280 Concord Pkwy N, Concord, NC, 28027)
- Saturday, April 29, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Gastonia Shred Event* at the Gastonia Farmers Market (410 E Long Ave, Gastonia, NC, 28054)
*These electronics drives will also accept documents to be shredded and recycled.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
In addition to helping the planet, donating your clothes, shoes, household goods, electronics and other items makes a difference by connecting people in our community to resources and career training at no cost. 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. Read about just a few of the thousands of people we’ve helped thanks to your donations here.
Entering a new year frequently inspires positive life changes like decluttering and simplifying. If getting organized has topped your list of New Year’s resolutions, check out these decluttering methods to help you reach your goals in 2023:
REVERSE HANGER METHOD
For this method, take just a few minutes to go into your closet and turn all of your hangers around backward so the open end of the hanger faces toward you. Then, each time you wear a clothing item, make sure to hang it back in your closet facing forward as you normally would, so the opening of the hanger faces away from you.
Set a calendar reminder for June 2023. When your reminder goes off, you’ll know exactly what items you wear and don’t wear. Chances are, if you haven’t worn it yet it could be time to let it go!
ONE IN, ONE OUT METHOD
Grab some new tops at a sale? Purge the tops you never pull out of your drawer! Get a new pair of shoes for your birthday? Donate your older pair! In this method, each time you buy something new, a similar item must go. If you keep removing as many items as you add, you declutter regularly without noticing or putting in a lot of effort, and you won’t accumulate more items than you already have.
FOUR BOX METHOD
This method makes decluttering easier by speeding up the decision-making process. Find and label four boxes – the throw away box, the donate box, the storage box and the keep box. As you go through a cluttered room in your house, pick up each item and ask yourself how often you use the item. Put items you still use regularly in the “keep” box, and items you still use but not as regularly in the “storage” box.
For items you no longer use, ask yourself if the item is gently used. One thing to consider when deciding whether to donate or throw away an item is if you’d feel good getting it as a gift or a hand-me-down. If you wouldn’t want to receive it, chances are someone else probably wouldn’t either. Toss those items!
YOUR DONATED ITEMS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Once you’re organized, you’ll be in a perfect position to donate what you no longer need to your local Goodwill. Those items will then be sold to fund 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. Not only will your efforts help you be better organized, less stressed and more productive, but they’ll also help someone else in your community.
A little effort can go a long way. Spending just a few minutes each day to get organized will help make your life healthier and happier! January is the perfect month to make it happen. Wishing you a positive, productive and healthy 2023.
Before you buy new this back-to-school season, consider cleaning out your closet and helping others by donating to Goodwill. You can drop off your donations at any of our drop-off locations in the region during operating hours or at one of our upcoming back-to-school donation drives.
Here are three ways donating to Goodwill does good for our community.
1. You support our mission of building pathways that help people pursue the life they want to achieve.
We rely on donations to support our mission. The money acquired from donations and purchases at our stores funds career training programs, employment services, job search support, family stabilizing services and more to people in our community, offered free of charge. Last year, Goodwill invested over $6 million to assist more than 6,000 individuals with the resources, tools and support they needed to pursue the life they want to achieve – all thanks to donations and purchases from the community.
2. You support job creation in our community.
Currently, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont employs more than 1,200 people in 18 counties in North and South Carolina. Our bold plans to open 25 stores in the next five years will create more jobs and employ more people in the area.
3. You help the planet.
Secondhand shopping not only saves money, but it also contributes to a cleaner, safer environment for all! Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont sold more than 15 million items last year, giving those donated goods new homes and diverting them from the landfill. We were also able to recycle, refurbish or resell more than 1 million pounds of electronics.
The GRID, the technology store run by Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, has a new home. On November 8, 2021, the store closed its University-area storefront and opened a new location on November 19, 2021, at the Goodwill Opportunity Campus, replacing the GW boutique.
“At Goodwill, we envision a community where there is equitable access for all people. This is a great opportunity to provide technology and computer equipment to customers in this area of Charlotte, where there’s a digital divide,” said Chief Operating Officer Jose Luis. “Relocating the store to the GOC, the same location of the Goodwill E-Commerce department, will also help streamline the process of stocking the store with the latest and greatest technology.”
Year-round, Goodwill encourages residents to donate electronic devices and small appliances. The nonprofit assesses and refurbishes the items to sell at the GRID. Any tech that can’t be refurbished and reused is recycled responsibly.
The GRID, known for its unbeatable selection of new, refurbished and donated products, carries desktop and laptop computers, printers, flat screen televisions, audio components, portable chargers, phone and tablet accessories, retro games, gaming consoles, controllers and more. You can even make purchases online through the GRID’s online shop.
When you shop with Goodwill, you’re helping people in the Charlotte region on their journey to prosperity. Goodwill offers job training programs and employment support, including career coaching, to anyone in the community who needs them. All of this is offered at no cost, thanks to the community’s donations and purchases.