One thing great about style is that trends ebb and flow, so what was once cool, may go out of style, but it tends to come back in style sometime in the future, reinvented, considered new. Fashion is never finished.
Corinne found her style at the Goodwill Runway Show.
This is why thrift stores like Goodwill are so fantastic to frequent. New donations come in every day, meaning many new chances for new styles.
Why We Do What We Do
With the proceeds from these donations, people who need job training can receive it, people with disabilities can receive care and socialization they need and older, lower-income people who seek opportunities can find jobs that suit them. Goodwill is a nonprofit organization. We invest 84% of what we take in to help people with disabilities and other barriers to independence.
Some Like the Thrill of the Hunt
We organize our clothes by color, so if you know what colors suit you, which are your favorites, you can start there. Like most stores, shirts and pants are racked together, but unlike most stores, they are all the same price. Jeans are $6. Pants are $4. Shirts are $3.50. Tee-shirts are $1.50. And so on. With our new Rewards Card, you can save even more on select items.
You might even find that thrifting makes you a fashion trendsetter. Sometimes just choosing to wear clothes you love is all you need to be fashionable.
Travis and his mother Sharon are supporters of Goodwill Keystone Area and the programs it provides for people with disabilities like Travis. They are examples of the good work Goodwill Keystone Area does.
Hear a mother talk about her son at Goodwill. Share this video with friends.
Hardbacks, trade paperbacks and children’s books are all available at Goodwill for less. From biographies to classics to thrillers, get it at Goodwill.
You might want to leave your Kindle or iPad at home when you go to the beach. Sand and electronics don’t mix. So buy a hardback or paperback for less at Goodwill.
Whether your vacation spot is a backyard barbecue, a nearby beach or distant mountain, nothing beats a book you can open and read while you relax or when you are on vacation.
Our hardbacks are inexpensive and we have an ample supply of paperbacks, juvenile and children’s books for even less.
The Lightning Thief is a great book, which was made into a movie. So many Stephen King books have become movies. There’s even fitness books to be found just in time for summer.
Readers will always be able to find something to read at Goodwill. Save your money and add to your summer reading list at any one of our Goodwill Keystone Area stores.
On Monday, President Barack Obama gave a moving speech about the importance of families and individuals seeking assistance when encountering symptoms of mental illness. Obama said, “Too many Americans who struggle with mental health illnesses are still suffering in silence rather than seeking help.”
And We at Goodwill Agree.
To provide support, Goodwill offers places that help people with mental health struggles. The Clubhouse of Lehigh County and now the new Drop-In Center of Lehigh County, located within the Clubhouse, are facilities that offer support to people coping with mental illness. Both are located in Allentown and serve Lehigh County residents.
These programs provide a safe and friendly environment where people who have experiernced mental health problems can gather and focus on recovery, education and employment. The Drop-In Center is more informal and offers socialization activities, while empowering participants to set goals, improve their life and become leaders. Each facility also works to break down the stigma of mental illness. For more information about the Clubhouse or the Drop-In Center, go here: https://www.yourgoodwill.org/grow/supportive-services
President Discusses Physical Aspects and Stigma of Mental Illness
In his speech, Obama said, “The brain’s a body part too. We just know less about it. There should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love. We’ve got to get rid of that embarrassment. We’ve got to get rid of that stigma.”
Obama’s continued “We need to see that men and women who would never hesitate to go see a doctor if they had a broken arm or came down with the flu, that they have the same attitude when it comes to their mental health. We see it in veterans who come home from the battlefield with the invisible wounds of war, but who feel that somehow seeking treatment is a sign of weakness, when in fact it is a sign of strength.”
Many famous people have suffered from mental illness over the years, including: President Abraham Lincoln and Prime Minister Winston Churchill; Robert Downey Jr. Robin Williams and Jim Carrey; Vivian Leigh, Patty Duke and Carrie Fisher; Ludwig von Beethoven, Kristen Hersh, and Peter Gabriel; Vincent Van Gogh, J.K. Rowling and Tim Burton; Terry Bradshaw, Daryl Strawberry and Jimmy Piersall; and Kitty Dukakis, Thomas Eagleton and Mary Todd Lincoln, to name a few. All have struggled with mental illness and went on to do great work and live great lives.
When Van Gogh was at Arles being treated for his mental illness, he was often well and in remission from symptoms of his bipolar disorder. While there, he created more than 140 masterpieces in 13 months.
To see videos and read some of the stories of these politicians, actors, composers, musicians, artists, writers, directors, athletes and more, go here: http://www.mentalhealthadvocacyinc.org/role-models.
So everything didn’t sell at the yard sale, but you made some money and cleaned out the garage, basement and those over-stuffed closets.
Instead of putting what you didn’t sell at the curb, donate it to Goodwill. The last thing you want to do is re-store boxes of unsold stuff you no longer use and refill the space you just cleared. Declutter. Feel the freedom of letting go of your unneeded stuff. Keep your gently used items out of landfills.
Next time you are out and about, donate them to Goodwill: store locations. Take those bags and boxes of stuff to a Goodwill store near you. Hundreds of donors give to Goodwill each week. You too can feel good knowing your things are going to a good cause.
Your donations help people in your community. Goodwill provides job training and runs programs for people with disabilities. The sale of donated merchandize helps create jobs and teaches new job skills to people who have barriers to employment. Goodwill accepts clothes, toys, glassware, household items, furniture (at most locations) and computers, but NOT TVs. For a list of what not to donate.
To fulfill its mission, Goodwill needs donations like yours. Don’t let your possession end up in a landfill. When you are ready to declutter, go green and donate to Goodwill.
Topping the Charts, Popping Some Tags with a 20-Dollar Bill
Most of you have probably heard the song “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, which mentions Goodwill. It was shot in part at a Seattle Goodwill Outlet. We think it’s cool that something we have known about for a long time – thrift shopping is fun and saves you cash – is mainstream.
We appreciate Macklemore and Ryan Lewis telling the world that thrifting is cool. Who wants to pay $50 for a T-shirt? Our customers are proud to find low-priced items that suit their style and they show off their new outfits, shoes and purses to their friends on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. They are proud #ThriftShop and #Goodwill enthusiasts. They decorate their home with items found at Goodwill.
Be Proud of Your Thrift Shop Purchase
Styling like Macklemore outside a Goodwill thrift shop.
If you only have $20 in your pocket, and need an outfit (or two), that $20 goes much further at Goodwill than any other retail store. AND, like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, you will have fun stuntin’ in them.
Think like Macklemore and go to Goodwill. Fill your closet with come ups for less. Mother’s or grandpa’s clothes could fit your style perfectly. Be it geek chic, retro, or en vogue, going to a thrift shop could make your day.
At Goodwill, the hat, the jacket, the shirt, for $20.
Through your generous donations and your purchases, Goodwill funds job training programs and helps people with disabilities or other employment challenges live a full and productive life. Your thrift shop purchases and donations create jobs and opportunities.
Many popular titles and authors are available at Goodwill stores and online.
A library of books, CDs, DVDs, video games – as well as old school formats like VHS, cassette tapes and LP albums – gets donated to Goodwill each year. Donations go directly into our stores, which have whole sections devoted to media. Goodwill also sells books and media online to reach broader audiences of shoppers.
Goodwill has Books on Amazon and eBay
Goodwill has two e-books stores, one on Amazon.com and another on eBay.com. Shoppers can browse our virtual stores for in-demand titles that have been donated. This enables shoppers to let their fingers do the shopping to see if we have the book, video, game or music they are looking for. Our online eBay store is called goodwillkeybooks. Check to see what titles are available.
The online stores work in a unique way. At several Goodwill Keystone Area store locations, Goodwill employees scan the bar code of donated books and media. A computer program identifies whether demand for the book is high. Some of the books and media are then shipped to Reading where they are priced and then placed on Amazon or eBay. They are catalogued on shelves awaiting purchase.
The Amazon Store is Different than eBay
Most books sell on Amazon for $1, but shipping is extra and certain items are priced higher to start. On eBay, the books are sold at a fixed price and shipping is free. Books that are in higher demand are more likely to be available online, but are found in stores as well. When sold, they are pulled from the shelves and shipped USPS media mail. Still, most of the prices are a 33-50% lower than the retail price for trade paperbacks and hard covers.
Goodwill has a great supply of children’s books. If you’re still into vinyl or cassettes, VHS or CDs, those formats are also available in our retail and sometimes our online stores.
You would know a hoax when you see it right? We’ve all seen the commercial that says “You can’t put anything on the Internet that isn’t true.” Unfortunately, that is not always the case.When you get an email forwarded to multiple people, chances are you are looking at a chain email that contains outdated information or facts that were never true. Snopes2.com is a valuable resource for vetting urban myths, like the one mentioning Goodwill.
You may have seen this hoax email in your inbox or posted on Facebook. It’s titled ‘Think Before You Donate.’ It falsely states that Mark Curran is the owner of Goodwill and earns $2.3 million a year. We want to set the record straight – no one named Mark Curran has ever ‘owned’ or worked for Goodwill. Plus, no one owns Goodwill. Goodwill is a nonprofit company.
Jim Gibbons is the current CEO of Goodwill Industries International and reports to a volunteer Board of Directors. Ron Kratofil is the President & CEO of Goodwill Keystone Area and reports to a volunteer Board of Directors.
Goodwill is well respected for its devotion to its mission and those it serves. Forbes Magazine agrees. In November 2012, Forbes ranked Goodwill in the top 10 in terms of private support, with a 97% fundraising efficiency rating and an 88% charitable commitment, meaning 88 cents of every dollar raised goes toward the nonprofit’s mission.
Goodwill collects and sells donated items in more than 35 stores in 22 counties in central and southeastern Pennsylvania to help people with disabilities and other barriers become more independent and connected to community.
Many of Goodwill’s programs and services focus on job training and supportive services for employment. We believe work has the power to transform lives and build community.
In fact, Goodwill is the only nonprofit company to make Forbes Magazine’s list top 25 list of most inspirational companies.
If you receive this chain email, delete it and gently remind the person to check their facts before they spread urban myths. Just because you read it on the Internet or received it in your in box doesn’t mean it’s true.
This East African bottle topper is hand carved out of a rare wood and is 55 years old.
Goodwill stores throughout the 22-county region comprising Goodwill Keystone Area receive all sorts of interesting donations every day. After processing and pricing, donations go directly into stores for sale to customers or to shopgoodwill.com. The profits from these sales are used to help people with disabilities and other challenges to employment through job training and other activities.
Interesting sterling silver necklaces.
More than 80 Goodwills across the nation have online stores that auction merchandise on shopgoodwill.com, including five in Pennsylvania. You can search the site by item, category or seller. Goodwill Keystone Area (GKA) has two online stores. (Click here to view merchandise currently up for auction at the Berwyn and Reading online stores.) Each online store offers brand name clothing, shoes, antiques and collectibles.
To browse merchandise on shopgoodwill.com, you can search specifically for items available online at GKA’s two stores, click the magnifying glass and browse by seller. one your search specifically for items for sale by the Berwyn or Reading online stores.
Proceeds from these online auctions are maximized, adding additional funds to Goodwill’s mission to support persons with disabilities and other barriers to independence in achieving their fullest potential as workers and as members of the broader community.
