Goodwill® And Rotary Clubs Form Alliance To Help Thousands Earn Good Jobs

Goodwill and Rotary Launch Spring Donation Drive to Fund Job Training

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May 01, 2013, 08:00 ET

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries International and Rotary International are partnering to help thousands of people find and keep good jobs this spring. Members of Rotary clubs across the United States and Canada will be cleaning out their closets and donating gently used clothing and household items to Goodwill during a donation drive that will run from now until May 31.

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Rotary clubs as well as Rotaract and Interact clubs (Rotary-sponsored service clubs for young adults and high school students, respectively), will collect clothing and soft good donations to be sold in local Goodwill stores. The revenue from the sale of the donated goods will be used to fund job training programs and support services — such as child care, financial education, youth mentoring and transportation — for people facing challenges to finding employment. Goodwill provides career services to anyone having a hard time finding employment, including people who are unemployed or underemployed.

"A simple act like cleaning out your closets and donating what you no longer need to Goodwill has the power to change lives," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Both Goodwill and Rotary are committed to creating and expanding opportunities for people to earn good jobs and support their families. Through this partnership, we are meeting the unique needs of individuals in local communities across the United States and Canada."

Goodwill and Rotary share an interest in building strong communities together. In addition to the donation drive, the two organizations also work together on vocational training and mentoring projects. Rotarians also help with social services, such as providing tuition and transportation for children and adults with disabilities to attend education and recreation camps.

The cooperative relationship builds on Rotary's strength as an association of professionals committed to service and on Goodwill's expertise in education and job training. Since 2001, Rotarians have supported Goodwill through community-based projects as well as through job training, career fairs, grants and fundraising. Both organizations recognize the power of work and the critical role employment and training play in building personal financial stability as well as economically strong communities.

For more information, visit http://goodwill.org/rotary.

ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL:
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with 14 affiliates in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of America's top 25 most inspiring companies (Forbes). Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 2,700 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2012, more than five million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 82 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services.

To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at locator.goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl or @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.

ABOUT ROTARY INTERNATIONAL:
Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International