Goodwill and other charities reopen thrift stores, donation centers

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida has reopened 90% of its retail stores and all Donation Xpress Centers across the region after having to close during the coronavirus stayat-home orders.

By the end of May, the nonprofit will have rehired about 800 of the 1,000 employees who were laid off when the stores and donation centers were forced to shut down in early April.

Other nonprofit thrift stores — including the HOPE Chest in Oviedo and the New Beginnings Thrift Store in Clermont — also have reopened, both with the required social distance regulations and limited hours. Similar to Goodwill’s retail outlets, the sales at these businesses bring in critical revenue for job training, food pantries and rental assistance funds for struggling residents.

“Goodwill’s mission is to ‘build lives that work,’ so we feel fortunate to not only reopen so many of our stores, but also to rehire so many of our employees,” said Kim Praniewicz, the charity’s senior director of marketing and communications. “Donations and store sales are imperative for our job connection services, which are much needed as unemployment rates continue to rise.”

Goodwill’s retail stores are the main source of funding for the organization’s career counseling, vocational training and job placement programs. There are retail locations in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Brevard and Volusia counties.

Donation Xpress Centers