First Goodwill Mini Shop & Donation Drop opens in Long Island, NY

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Feb 29, 2024, 21:00 ET

Goodwill Industries® of Greater NY and Northern NJ held today a grand opening ceremony to officially launch the first Mini Shop & Donation Drop in Long Island to bring job opportunities, and to offer shopping of selected goods and an easy and convenient way for Nassau County residents to donate and reuse the goods while supporting Goodwill's programs for employment.

MERRICK, N.Y., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries® of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc. (Goodwill NYNJ) held today a grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony with local dignitaries to celebrate the official opening of its first Mini Shop & Donation Drop in Nassau County, Long Island. Goodwill Mini Shop & Donation Drop is a smaller format store (compared to the traditional Goodwill stores & Donation Centers), that takes all donations of clothes, handbags, shoes and household items, and offers a selection of pre-loved donated goods that Long Island donors generously donated including home décor, books, glassware, knick-knacks, and other great finds. This 2,000-sq-ft Goodwill site is a sustainability resource for Long Islanders to re-use and re-purpose the clothing and goods they no longer need. Address is 1163 Merrick Avenue; Merrick, NY 11566. It is open every day 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

From L-R: Goodwill Employees, Town of Hempstead Councilman Seth Koslow, District 5; NYS Assemblymen David McDonough, District 14; Town of Hempstead Clerk Kate Murray; Goodwill NYNJ team: Katy Gaul-Stigge, President/CEO; Michael Feinman, Regional VP E Commerce and Metro Stores; Ilana Zimmerman, Executive Vice President Donated Goods Retail; Samantha Rich, VP Donated Goods Retail; Rebecca Adorno, HR; and Town of Hempstead Councilman Chris Carini, District 5, with 2 of his staff members.

In 2023, Goodwill NYNJ re-purposed more than 37 million pounds of pre-loved clothing and home goods, successfully diverting the weight of usable goods equivalent to 83 Statues of Liberty from the landfills. In addition saving nearly 55 thousand metric tons of CO2 from polluting the atmosphere, the equivalent of removing 12 thousand cars from the road. Over 933 thousand donors, enough to fill the Nassau Coliseum 58 times, dropped goods at Goodwill.

This Merrick location is the second in Long Island. The other location, a traditional Goodwill store and donation center is located in Suffolk County at 1900 Jericho Turnpike, East Northport, NY 11731. Because Goodwill is a nonprofit organization, donors receive a tax receipt for their donations upon request.

According to Capital One Shopping, thrift store shoppers save an average of $1,760 per year by purchasing secondhand, 54% of thrift gift shoppers choose secondhand to be more sustainable, 34% want to give a unique gift, and 72% of Gen Z consumers are open to receiving a secondhand gift."

"We are delighted to be back in the beautiful and friendly Nassau County, Long Island, to bring an easy and convenient way for local residents to have a double impact with their pre-loved clothing and goods, by donating them at this local donation drop & mini shop," said Katy Gaul-Stigge, Goodwill NYNJ President and CEO. "We are committed to playing a vital role in the community, and look forward to collaborating with elected officials, residential buildings, schools, and other organizations to help residents achieve their reuse goals."

In addition to treasure hunting at Goodwill stores, customers may shop online from the comfort of their homes at our ShopGoodwill page

About Goodwill NYNJ:
Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc. (Goodwill NYNJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates retail stores throughout the region powered by donations of clothing and household items. Goodwill NYNJ translates those donations into workforce development services for people with disabilities and the unemployed, and job training leading to employment. Goodwill NYNJ's services build better lives for thousands of New York City Metropolitan Area residents and their families. For more than 108 years, the agency's mission has been to empower individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment to gain independence through the power of work. Learn more about Goodwill NYNJ at http://www.goodwillnynj.org; follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillNYNJ; and find us on Facebook or Instagram @GoodwillNYNJ.

Contact: Jose Medellin | [email protected] | (646) 238-9133 mobile

SOURCE Goodwill NYNJ