When you hear “Goodwill” this time of year, you think ✔️ dropping off donations to help declutter the house before the holidays, ✔️ where you’re going to buy your tacky Christmas sweater next month + ✔️ probably where you got the goods for last weekend’s Halloween costume.

But DYK all the good Goodwill does for our community? Hint: it’s so much more than just a drop-bin for last season’s shoes + a goldmine of Gamecock t-shirts for your DIY project. Here are 5 reasons why Goodwill of the Midlands is actually the coolest:

1️⃣ They’re local. | All donations given in S.C. stay in S.C (16 counties in the Upstate + Midlands).

2️⃣ Donations = jobs. | Profits from sales of donated items go to support job training + placement programs. Last year, Goodwill helped 11,786 people find jobs.

3️⃣ It’s all for the community. | Over 92 cents of every dollar spent goes toward Goodwill’s mission of helping people find their place in their local community via job training + placement services.

4️⃣ They have benefits. | All 800+ Goodwill S.C. employees are paid above minimum wage and are eligible for healthcare coverage, paid vacation, paid sick time + retirement savings.

5️⃣ No one “owns” Goodwill. | Rumors were swirling around the Internet about “Owner Mark Curran” profiting $2.3M per year; but no one by that name works (or has ever worked) for any Goodwill organization. Goodwill of S.C. is a registered nonprofit organization, and its CEOs report to volunteer Boards of Directors.

3 min read / Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina