GOODWILL'S ANNUAL WEIGH GOOD DONATION DRIVE

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT: Dorothy H. Viets
Director of Community Relations
(203) 581-5319 or (203) 650-5723 (cell)
dviets@goodwillwct.org

GOODWILL’S ANNUAL WEIGH GOOD DONATION DRIVE

IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT THIS YEAR

By donating to Goodwill, you could win a prize. Because the slow economy is hurting donations to Goodwill stores while more and more people are coming to the agency for help with finding a job, Goodwill’s annual Weigh Good Donation Drive is especially important this year. To encourage donations, Goodwill has set a goal of collecting 400,000 pounds of donations in five days, from April 2 to April 6, 2009. The non-profit agency is urging people to be generous this spring as they clean out their closets and then recycle by bringing their gently used clothing and household goods to a Goodwill store or donation center. Those who donate one or more bags or boxes of items during the Weigh Good Drive will receive a chance to win a prize.

Prizes include a 46-inch LCD high definition television and two Visa gift cards. Participating Goodwill stores and donation centers are located in Bethel, Bethlehem, Bridgeport, Bristol, Brookfield, Danbury, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Milford, Manchester, Monroe, Naugatuck, New Milford, Newington, Newtown, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Shelton, Southbury, Stamford, Stratford, Torrington, Waterbury and Westport.

A successful drive will restock the stores and recycle the donated items by making them available at low costs to people adversely affected by our slow economy. The revenue generated will help Goodwill help the economy by providing training and employment to those who need it most right here in our own communities.

Goodwill provides vocational and support services to individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment. In addition to offering great bargains to shoppers, Goodwill Stores provide a means for the individuals Goodwill serves to gain valuable training and work experience. Revenues generated by Goodwill stores fund community-based job training and job placement programs that help people achieve independence and self-sufficiency.

Goodwill Stores are open seven days a week. Goodwill staff is available at all stores and attended donation centers to receive donations and provide donors with a tax receipt. Store hours are Monday - Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All stores begin accepting donations at 8:00 a.m. Monday - Saturday and 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. Donation Center hours vary. Call 1-800-423-9787 or go to www.goodwillwct.org for more information.

###