Goodwill Celebrates "Spirited" Grand Opening

Approximately 300 people were waiting in line as the doors to Goodwill's newest retail store and donation center opened on Oct. 16. Employees got into the Halloween spirit by dressing up in costumes and the store was adorned with spooky decorations.

Not only did the nonprofit celebrate the grand opening of our 42nd store in central Arizona, Goodwill also kicked off our Haunted Hunt weekend promotion. Shoppers were able to get a head start on their treasure map at the new store only which is located at 575 W. Warner Road in Tempe.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Goodwill Haunted Treasure Hunt will continue in all stores and all jeans and sweaters are just 99 cents! Regular store hours are 9 AM to 9 PM Monday through Saturday; 10 AM to 6 PM on Sunday.

Deborah Stanford of Mesa said she was looking forward to the grand opening because she "shops at thrift stores every day."

"It's fun and relaxing to shop at Goodwill," said Stanford. "I can take my time and find the items I need for gifts and my crafts."

But did you know that Goodwill is more than a thrift store?

Goodwill of Central Arizona is one of Arizona's oldest and largest nonprofit organizations and one of Arizona's largest recyclers. Through our retail stores, Goodwill earns the revenue needed to operate our 36 programs which help teach individuals hard and soft job skills so they can become self-sufficient and support their families. Our stores also keep 135 million pounds of goods out of Arizona's landfills.

Jackie Halleen, Vice President of Retail Operations, believes the future is looking bright for our Tempe store.

"All of our neighboring retailers have been very friendly and accommodating and we believe this is an excellent spot to capture generous donations from the community," said Halleen.

• View Photos from our Tempe Grand Opening!