KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - Goodwill Expands, Adding Jobs
Member Center:
For more than 100 years, Goodwill has helped put people to work across northern Nevada.
Despite the tough economy, business at its newest store in South Reno is adding people to the payroll.
Before all the merchandise can get to the Goodwill store's shelves and racks, it has to come from somewhere else; likely, people's homes.
"It's all through donations because we don't buy goods. It's through donations that we sell them and add value to them," says Rob Harden, C.E.O. Goodwill Northern Nevada.
The store on Neil Road and South Virginia Street opened last October. And its popularity recently helped get the doors open at four new drop-off donation sites in Reno, Sparks and Carson City.
And in turn, the store and sites have put 50 people to work.
"It's amazing that we have the opportunity here to create jobs just by donation," says shopper, Anita Bevans.
Her friend, Janet Hedlund adds, "Here's what we do. We come and we donate and then we shop."
"I never thought of getting a job at Goodwill."
But, after almost two years without a job and now, a month of helping sort donations, Gary Ritch loves what he does for Goodwill.
He's not the only one; so does Renee Crisp.
"I love helping people."
She says there's a market for what the non-profit is doing.
"We sell things just as fast as we get them," Crisp adds.
And for every one person who donates, Goodwill figures that adds an hour of work for employees.
Harden says, "50 people that are full time equivalences, they work 2,080 hours a year. That's 100,000 a year. That's 100,000 donors that we open our centers for."
"I think I'm liking what's going on here. It's that the employees like it," says Hedlund.
Bevans adds, "You never know what you're gonna find."
If things continue to stay busy for Goodwill, it might just open another drop off site this summer.
