LOUISVILLE, KY. – Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is asking Kentucky communities for their support on Tuesday, October 1 as it holds its second annual “Goodwill Giving Day,” a day dedicated to fostering charitable donations to the nonprofit’s mission. Goodwill Giving Day gives existing Goodwill supporters and those new to Goodwill’s mission an opportunity to learn more about its impact and donate monetarily to support its many life-changing initiatives.
On Goodwill Giving Day, Goodwill employees, spearheaded by the nonprofit’s development team, will hold phone-a-thons across the commonwealth to generate support, in addition to external requests by way of social media and other channels. Goodwill’s inaugural giving day, which only took place in Louisville, yielded 293 unique donations totaling more than $23,000.
“Goodwill Industries of Kentucky continues to move the needle for folks across the state who need it the most,” said Goodwill Director of Development Andrew Gillette. “We are making a difference in countless communities – and people are noticing. Today, people are donating dollars to continue to see change.”
Each year, Goodwill and its partners positively affect more than 20,000 individuals with a combination of employment and self-sufficiency resources, which include but are not limited to job-readiness training, second-chance employment, addiction treatment, behavioral and mental health support, reentry and expungement services, housing and transportation assistance and adult education resources, including the commonwealth’s only tuition-free high school for adults, The Excel Center®.
The nonprofit’s mission is as relevant as ever thanks to the establishment of its 12 Opportunity Centers in nine different communities across the commonwealth: Bowling Green, Corbin, Elizabethtown, Lexington, Louisville, Morehead, Paducah, Pikeville and Somerset. At Goodwill’s Opportunity Centers, individuals’ barriers to employment and self-sufficiency are addressed, and a comprehensive career path is mapped out for them, which may include many of the programs and services offered at the Centers.
Each year, by way of its Opportunity Centers, Goodwill:
- Matches more than 3,000 Kentuckians with employment
- Places participants with employer partners with an average wage of more than $14 per hour
- Awards more than 4,500 soft skills certificates
- Provides more than 5,500 job-preparation services
- Provides more than 5,000 expungements
- Matches more than 300 individuals with transportation
- And much more!
None of these initiatives would be possible without Goodwill’s supporters. To help Goodwill help others during Goodwill Giving Day, visit GoodwillKY.org/GivingDay.
About Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 100-year-old nonprofit organization that operates in 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The organization is committed to using resources from its 67 retail stores to help build pathways out of poverty for individuals who need a hand up in life. In 2023, Goodwill helped place 3,185 Kentuckians into jobs with its 1,330 employer partners and inside its own retail stores. Goodwill uses approximately 90 cents from every dollar generated in its retail stores to operate programs and services that help Kentucky’s hardest-to-serve job seekers build the life they desire.