BUFFALO, N.Y. — It's not just a place to drop off old clothes and shoes, it's somewhere that takes those donations and really helps the community around us.
Goodwill is known across the country for its thrift stores and donation drives, but they do a lot more for the community than just that.
“People obviously know us for our stores and our donation centers and that is fantastic, but what we do at Goodwill is help people help themselves,” said Linda Maraszek, an official with the organization. “We are helping people prepare for jobs giving them work readiness training. We help them get the jobs and keep the jobs.”
For those in need of a job, the organization is hosting a hiring event Friday afternoon at its Clarence Plaza location.
There are 11 Goodwill stores in the area, and each one has a donation center where people can drop off clothes and other goods. The organization also has some trailers that accept donations that often show up in the parking lots of Tops Friendly Markets
Goodwill is currently offering safe, no-contact donations right now too because of the coronavirus pandemic. All people need to do is pull up to the donation center, pop their trunk and an attendant will help unload the vehicle.
So go through your storage, go through your shelves and think about your fellow Western New Yorker who relies so much on Goodwill. It always feels good to do good. For more information about Goodwill, or to find more information about donating, click here.