Goodwill of Middle Georgia and the CSRA is in need of donations, especially clothing.

Items donated by community members are sold in Goodwill retails stores, with the majority of every dollar raised spent fulfilling the organization’s mission of helping people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to find a job. Those programs will suffer if retail stores aren’t fully stocked with ready to wear inventory, warns the organization’s president, James K. Stiff.

Last year Goodwill of Middle Georgia and the CSRA placed 6,827 people into jobs. In addition, more than 17,492 received education, training and mentoring to strengthen their skills through the organization’s Job Connection offices and Career Center.

Donated items help create jobs for people like John, a man with multiple disabilities who developed his job skills in Goodwill stores; Shay, a single mother who trained for a new career in the construction industry; and Jason, a Marine Corps veteran who started his own security business employing fellow veterans.

The impact doesn’t end there: the planet also benefits when donors choose to ditch the dumpster and drop their unwanted items at Goodwill. Goodwill of Middle Georgia and the CSRA has helped divert millions of pounds from local landfills. Even items that can’t be or aren’t sold in stores or online are recycled rather than discarded – Goodwill bundles unsold items for sale to recycling (aftermarket) dealers.

“Revenue earned from the donation of unwanted goods to Goodwill changes lives by providing funds to help people to get necessary training and find a job,” said Stiff. “Not only does Goodwill enable people to become more self-sufficient and feel the pride of a paycheck, funds raised here stay local, creating a stronger economy. We hope everyone will check their drawers and closets and see what they might be willing to part with in order to support a worthy cause.”

Donors can save money on their taxes by claiming the donation of unwanted items; they should retain the receipt from the donation attendant and use an online valuation guide to determine a monetary value for their donation. Area businesses seeking to provide charitable opportunities for their employees are encouraged to hold donation drives to benefit Goodwill; call(478) 475-9995 or (706) 650-5760 for more information.