Two Donation Drives Offer Incentives for Goodwill Giving

May 20, 2011 - PRLog -- In the coming week, Southwest Floridians will have the opportunity to collect rewards for making donations to Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida (http://www.goodwillswfl.org).  Clothing retailer Gap and the Fort Myers Miracle are both offering incentives to donors.

Through Sunday, May 29, Gap stores at Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers, Waterside Shops in Naples, and Coastland Center, also in Naples, will accept clothing donations for Goodwill.  To thank customers for their generous donations, donors will receive 30 percent off their entire Gap purchase, including regularly priced and sale items.  

The donation drive is part of a nationwide partnership between Gap stores and Goodwill Industries International.

“Giving our customers and employees opportunities to donate clothing in support of Goodwill’s job training programs is a great fit with our community efforts,” said Bobbi Silten, head of global responsibility and president of Gap Foundation.  

Thursday through Saturday, May 26-28, the Fort Myers Miracle will also collect donations for Goodwill.  Baseball fans who bring clothing, household items, or small electronics one of the three weekend games will receive a free ticket to a future Miracle home game.

“Miracle Baseball has been a great community partner,” explains Kirsten O’Donnell, Goodwill’s director of public relations.  “This is the third straight year that they’ve partnered with us for a donation drive.  We really appreciate their support.”

Donations received at Gap stores and at the Miracle games will support Goodwill’s mission of providing programs and services for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment.  Goodwill re-sells donated goods in its 25 stores and online at http://www.shopgoodwill.com in order to generate revenue for this mission.  

Donating to Goodwill also has a positive impact on the planet. Goodwill helps communities extend the life of usable items in environmentally sound ways, and diverts clothing items from local landfills. Locally, Goodwill collected more than 22 million pounds of donations in Southwest Florida alone last year.

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. builds lives, families, and communities one job at a time by helping people with disabilities and other barriers to employment develop and discover their full potential through work and career development services.  Supported programs include Job-Link services, income-sensitive housing, the Four Wheels For Work vehicle assistance program, and the L.I.F.E. Academy charter school for students with developmental disabilities.

More information about Goodwill’s programs and services is available at http://www.goodwillswfl.org.

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Goodwill operates 25 thrift stores in SW Florida to support its mission of removing barriers to independence. Programs include income-sensitive housing, career placement assistance, the L.I.F.E. Academy Charter School, Four Wheels for Work, and others.