Spring Cleaning With a Purpose Amy Smith, April 26, 2021February 26, 2022 It is that time of year again… time to do some spring cleaning! Windows open, drawer by drawer, closet by closet, cabinet by cabinet… this house gets a good cleaning out each year around this time. Anyone else? Over the past several years, most of us have had a family member, friend, acquaintance struggle in this economy. Either they have lost a job or struggled to find employment. And if not someone you know personally, really, all you have to do is turn on the TV or pull up social media to see the struggle. It is real. Goodwill’s career centers, training programs, and staffing operations give people the resources, skills, and confidence that changes thousands of lives each year. So how can you help to be a part of this growth and effort in your own community? It’s easy! Donate to Goodwill = create jobs! I don’t only love to shop at Goodwill but I also love to donate as well. As I go through my own home, I decide which items are ones that I would buy at Goodwill if I was in need of it. If it is good enough for me to buy it again (in good shape), then I donate it. Why not pass it along to someone else who could use it?! I typically go room by room making a pile for trash and a pile for donation. If we haven’t used the item in a couple of months, it is GONE! With my children, I go through their rooms while they are out of the house. They love coming home to mom having cleaned their room. Very rarely do they even notice anything is missing! Kids nowadays have SO much stuff! Thanks to the programs and support services made possible by donations of clothes and household items, Goodwill helped place more than 312,000 people in jobs in the United States and Canada in 2015 – that’s one person finding a job every 23 seconds of every business day. Why do I donate? Because what I may not want or have use for may be perfect for someone else! If we have perfectly good items that can be loved by someone else, why not help our community? If you are not sure where your local Goodwill is, you can use the Goodwill Locator App available for Android and iOS devices and at http://www.goodwill.org/ (click “Explore Our Map” on the homepage). Simply input the items you’re donating to calculate the number of hours of career counseling, on-the-job training, résumé preparation, financial planning classes, and other services you’ve helped provide people facing challenges finding employment. When jobs thrive, communities thrive. Last year, nearly 2 million people engaged in face-to-face Goodwill services to advance in their careers. More than 35 million people accessed education, training, mentoring, and online learning tools offered by Goodwill virtually to strengthen their skills and gain industry-recognized credentials. We have done our part! Now it is time for you to do yours! Tag us on your social media posts with a photo of your Goodwill donations using #DonateStuffCreateJobs. Share on FacebookTweetFollow usSave Articles Encourage My Heart goodwillspring cleaning