News

When Linda Hopkins received a phone call from Goodwill of Central Arizona letting her know that she was the August Evening of Goodwill Raffle Winner, it was like sweet music to her ears.

A native of the Fort McDowell community, Hopkins said she has been shopping at Goodwill’s Fountain Hills store, 16716 E Palisades Blvd., for many years. Hopkins said she relies on the weekly store specials to buy the things that she needs.

Welcome to GoodStuff - a Quarterly Newsletter for Friends, Partners and Clients of Goodwill of Central Arizona!

We publish GoodStuff so you can keep up with the latest and greatest stories about Goodwill and how we are impacting Arizona’s communities.

Goodwill of Central Arizona is set to open our newest store in Mesa at 9 AM on September 3.

The new store and donation center is located at 106 E. McKellips Road, on the northeast corner of McKellips Road and Center Street.

We will serve donuts, coffee and refreshments to our shoppers! In addition, the first 150 people in line outside the store will receive $5 gift cards from Goodwill of Central Arizona!

Roxanne Saldana is confident that great things are in store for her and her family thanks in part to the assistance she received from Goodwill of Central Arizona’s Career Centers.

Saldana said when she initially visited the Peoria Career Center in early 2009, she was at one of the lowest points of her young life.

Goodwill of Central Arizona is excited to announce that Linda Hopkins is the lucky winner of our first Evening of Goodwill Raffle on August 17! Hopkins won an Apple iPod Touch Combo Package!

Since July 19, all Goodwill of Central Arizona stores have hosted the Evening of Goodwill Raffle in an effort to raise $100,000 by October 11 to benefit our only annual fundraiser for post-secondary education. There are four prizes available and tickets are only 1 for $2 or 3 for $5.

Please View an Urgent Video Appeal for Donations from President and CEO Jim Teter

On July 31, an early morning fire broke out at Goodwill of Central Arizona’s Main Campus, burning down the Clearance Center and Salvage Operations, co-located at 16th Street and Van Buren.

Fortunately no one was injured, but that portion of the 16th Street facility was totally destroyed. At this point in time we don’t have a final verdict on the cause of the fire, but authorities are investigating.

Message from the Goodwill of Central Arizona Board Chair and President/CEO:

Although our nation’s economy went through one of its most difficult periods in history, 2009 turned out to be the best year in Goodwill of Central Arizona’s 63-year existence.

The economic downturn sparked a huge demand for our 36 human service programs and our team did an outstanding job in responding to the needs of Arizona residents.

We invite you to save the date on Saturday, Oct. 16 from 5-9 PM for the 10th Annual Evening of Goodwill which will be held at Desert Foothills in North Scottsdale.

For just $100 per ticket, you will enjoy a night to remember beneath a canopy of twinkling stars in the middle of the majestic Sonoran Desert.

The theme of this year’s event is Denim and Diamonds. Since we will be mingling and socializing in a panoramic natural desert setting, with blooming cacti and blazing campfires, we encourage you and your guests to dress in your favorite western wear.

The Buckhorn store welcomed 3,552 customers and a total of 874 donations on July 23-25 – making it the best grand opening weekend for any Goodwill of Central Arizona store in 2010. The new store and donation center is located near the intersection of Main and Recker at 6120 E. Main Street in Mesa.

As Goodwill continues to help record numbers of central Arizona youth and adults find work and receive employment services, the support and outreach of local businesses and corporations supports our long-term success. The partnership of community organizations helps Goodwill’s strengthen its ability to uplift more disadvantaged communities through additional funding and material donations that we can sell in our stores.

Lovitt & Touche, one of the largest insurance agencies in the United States, aims to lead by example.