Goodwill to Open Fort Myers Bookstore and Donation Center on McGregor Blvd.

Sept. 28, 2010 - PRLog -- Southwest Florida bibliophiles will soon have a new place to shop for used books.  Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida will cut the ribbon on its new bookstore and donation center on Thursday, October 7.  The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce will assist with the 8:45 a.m. ribbon cutting, and the store will officially open for business at 9:00 a.m.

The new bookstore and donation center will be the first of its kind for Goodwill in Southwest Florida (http://www.goodwillswfl.org).  The store is located at 15165 McGregor Boulevard, near the McGregor Point Shopping Center.  

Goodwill will also accept donations at a drive-thru in the rear of the store. The new location will welcome donations of all items normally accepted at Goodwill donation centers, including household items, clothing, accessories, electronics, and furniture.  Donations are re-sold at Goodwill’s retail stores to provide revenue for mission-related services.

Goodwill hopes the new location will help to stimulate donations from the Iona area and the Gulf Harbor community.

“We’ve been accepting donations in front of the store since June, and we’re already getting about 30 donations a day,” says Jennifer Nelson, Goodwill’s Senior Director of Retail and Donations.  “That’s more than double what we normally anticipate. Once the bookstore opens with the convenience of a drive-thru, we hope it’ll climb to 100 donors a day.”

Goodwill’s new bookstore is the first of two grand openings scheduled for this month.  On October 28, the agency will open the doors to a large retail store near the intersection of Treeline Avenue and Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers.  A complete listing of Goodwill's retail locations is on the agency's website: http://www.goodwillswfl.org.

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. serves, Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties with programs and services for people with disabilities and other disadvantages.  Programs include career training and placement services, transportation assistance, income-sensitive housing, and youth programs.

For more information about Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida's programs and services, visit http://www.goodwillswfl.org.

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About Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida:
Goodwill builds lives, families, and communities-- one job at a time by helping people with disabilities and other disadvantages overcome their barriers to employment and independence. To generate revenue for this mission, Goodwill operates 25 thrift stores in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades, and Hendry counties.