Goodwill North Central Wisconsin (NCW) is marking National Thrift Shop Day on August 17 by extending the celebration throughout the month of August. The organization is encouraging shoppers to visit its stores and look for unique secondhand items, while also supporting job programs that help individuals gain employment skills.
“It’s a day for our donors and shoppers to celebrate the value of donating and up-cycling fashion, while also making a greater impact on our community by helping individuals secure meaningful employment through job skills training,” said Emily Stadtmueller, Director of Retail Operations at Goodwill NCW. “Through our employment programs last year, Goodwill NCW was able to increase the collective annual income of individuals served by more than $4.5 million, enabling them to support their families and to build better lives and stronger communities.”
According to Goodwill NCW, 81% of job seekers who found work through its programs came from disadvantaged backgrounds, including people with refugee status, those without housing, justice-involved individuals, and people with disabilities. The organization also reported that it helped veterans transition into non-military jobs, increasing their median hourly wage by $10.50 and addressing common employment barriers. In addition, program participants with disabilities saw their collective annual income rise by over $1.6 million.
The environmental benefits of shopping secondhand are also significant. Goodwill NCW estimates that donations and purchases at its stores divert an average of 35 million pounds of items from landfills each year.
To encourage participation during “Thrift Month,” all 24 Goodwill NCW stores are offering passport booklets that allow customers to collect stickers at each location they visit in exchange for rewards. Store locations can be found at https://goodwillncw.org/locations/, and more information about Thrift Month activities is available at https://goodwillncw.org/thriftmonth/.
