For the third year in a row, Goodwill Industries International and Family Circle magazine are teaming up for a Back-to-School Clothing Drive at Goodwill stores and donation centers across the country. The drive, which runs July 22nd through August 23rd, aims to encourage families to donate their gently used clothing to fund support services that help them people become financially stable and support themselves and their families.
Expanding the Partnership Online
In conjunction with the Clothing Drive, Goodwill and Family Circle are also hosting a co-branded Facebook photo contest inviting donors to snap and share a creative picture of their family donating to Goodwill. Donors can drop off their clothing items at any one of Goodwill’s more than 2,500 donation centers across the country or plan their own donation drive at schools, businesses, or anywhere friends and neighbors gather. The contest runs July 22nd to August 23rd and the grand prize winner will receive a $5,000 back-to-school shopping spree to send their kids back to school in style. To enter, contestants can visit the Family Circle or Goodwill Facebook page. More information can also be found at http://donate.goodwill.org/familycircle.
“Goodwill and Family Circle’s Back-to-School drive supports Goodwill’s Donate Movement, a public awareness initiative that educates consumers about how donated goods have the power to make a difference in people’s lives, strengthen communities and create a healthier environment,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “Parents can use the clothing drive as a means to teach children that donating positively impacts both people and the planet.”
The drive is an essential part of the Back-to-School signature promotion, which teaches kids to give back. Goodwill and Family Circle have partnered for back-to-school donation drives since 2009. In its first year alone, the partnership has exceeded its 5 million pound goal, giving 11 million pounds of clothing a second life and contributing to the environment by diverting those items from landfills. In total, Family Circle readers contributed to an increase in donations at local Goodwills of approximately 20 million pounds over the past 2 years.
“At Family Circle we encourage our readers and their families to give back”, say Lee Slattery, publisher of Family Circle. “We are thrilled to join forces with Goodwill and reinforce to children and their families that the act of a donation has a tremendous impact on someone’s life.”
Calculate the Impact of a Donation
Visit http://locator.goodwill.org to find a Goodwill store or donation center. After donating items they no longer need, consumers can calculate the impact of their donation through the patent-pending Donation Impact Calculator at http://donate.goodwill.org. The calculator demonstrates how donated goods become jobs. For example:
- One working computer donated to Goodwill provides 8 hours of on-the-job training.
- Two suits, one dress and one jacket donated to Goodwill provide 1 hour of resume preparation.
- Five sweaters, one lamp and two bikes provide 2 hours of career counseling.
