Goodwill NYNJ launches a convenient donation and small store in Northern NJ

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Sep 19, 2023, 21:00 ET

Goodwill Industries® of Greater NY and Northern NJ held a grand opening ceremony to officially launch a Donation Center and small store in Northern NJ to offer shopping of selected goods, to help New Jerseyans reduce their carbon footprint, and to help the nonprofit organization fund programs that connect people with disabilities and other barriers to jobs

HILLSBOROUGH, N.J., Sept. 19, 2023 /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 Donation Center and small store in Northern New Jersey. Goodwill store is a little different: the small-format store offers a unique selection of pre-loved donated goods that local donors have dropped off, including home décor, books, glassware and other great knick-knacks and doodads. This 2,093-sq-ft Goodwill site serves as a sustainability resource to help residents re-use and re-purpose the clothing and goods they no longer need.

Goodwill NYNJ President & CEO Katy Gaul-Stigge and team with Somerset County Administrator Colleen Mahr; Hillsborough Township: Mayor Shawn Lipani, Deputy Mayor John Ciccarelli, Administrator Anthony Ferrera, Police Officer Carly Dwyer, and Economic & Business Development Director Zuzana Karas; EBDC: Vice-Chairman Jeremy Lees and members Tito Sharma, Abed Medawar, Antoinette Natale, and Mrinalini Ayachit.

In 2022, Goodwill NYNJ helped people in our region to reuse more than 38 million pounds of pre-loved clothing and home goods, successfully diverting them from the landfills, and saving nearly 57k metric tons of CO2 from polluting the atmosphere. Nearly 1 million people dropped their clothing and goods at Goodwill NYNJ sites in 2022.

The Goodwill Donation Center and small store is located at the shopping plaza at 649 US-206, Hillsborough, NJ 08844. It is open every day from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. This is the second Goodwill location in Somerset County. The other, a traditional Goodwill Store and donation center, is located at 509 West Union Avenue, Bound Brook, NJ 08805.

Americans generate 16 million tons of textile waste each year, reports The US Environmental Protection Agency. But according to GlobalData, as traditional retail continues to lose ground, by 2029, resale will surge past $80 billion in value, outpacing fast fashion's estimated $43 billion for the first time.

"We designed this new smaller-format Goodwill location to create a space where Central Jersey residents can give a second life to the clothing and goods they no longer need with convenient donations," said Katy Gaul-Stigge, Goodwill NYNJ President and CEO. "This new idea is a great for donations and doodads."

Revenue generated in Goodwill's retail locations, including stores, outlets, attended donation centers, and the online site ShopGoodwill.com/NYNJ, supports the Goodwill NYNJ's training, job connections, on-the-job coaching, and retention services that support individuals with disabilities and other barriers on their journey to employment and a better life for themselves and their families. Goodwill NYNJ also provides behavioral health services that help individuals with mental health conditions stay healthy, on their jobs, and out of hospitals due to psychiatric crises.

In 2022, Goodwill NYNJ provided services for more than 9,000 people who are under- or unemployed, approximately half of them people with disabilities. In the past year, Goodwill NYNJ placed 1,042 people in new jobs, including 565 individuals with disabilities, a 27% increase from the previous year, outside its stores with employers such as hospitals and health care centers, tech and accounting firms, warehousing and manufacturing sectors, and NYC agencies.

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.

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

SOURCE Goodwill NYNJ