About Us

THE MISSION of Goodwill Industries of Central Florida is to provide vocational and job placement services to people with disabilities and other barriers to employment so that they may gain long-term employment, improve their lives, and become full participating members of our community.

SINCE 1959, Goodwill Industries of Central Florida has been forging what is truly a community partnership to provide services to people with disabilities and special needs in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Lake and Volusia counties. The process is simple: you donate unneeded goods, we sell those goods in our stores, and we use the income to pay for employability programs and services, which we provide free to the people who need them most.

"Together, We're Building Lives that Work"

 

 

DID YOU KNOW . . .?
- The Activity of Building Lives in 2007
       
In 2007...

• Over 400,000 donors contributed to Goodwill's mission.
• For every ten donations Goodwill receives, one person with a disability or disadvantaging condition is placed into permanent employment, enabling them to become self sufficient.
• Of Goodwill's store sales, over 44% was clothing and textiles, and 33% was household merchandise.
• There were over 1.4 million customer transactions in our retail stores.

Goodwill Industries Had Major Impact in the Central Florida area:

• Approximately 26,000 Central Floridians received Employment & Training services.
• About 4,800 Central Floridians were placed in competitive jobs right here in our community.
• The economic impact of Goodwill's placement totaled over $78 million, strengthening the workforce of the Central Florida community.

OTHER 2007 HIGHLIGHTS:

• Two new stores were opened, in Fern Park and in Port Orange.
• Goodwill's sixth Self-Sufficiency Job Center was opened in Lake County.
• Goodwill provided 1,365 "Good Health Screenings" to the indigent population of Central Florida, funded by a generous grant from Aetna.
• Goodwill received its eighth consecutive three-year CARF accreditation.
• Goodwill worked with several community partners to host corporate donation drives, generating over thousands of pounds of gently used items.
• Several of Goodwill's stores reached over a million dollars in sales.
• Multiple job fairs were held throughout the year, bringing employers and job seekers together, and opening new doors for those searching for employment.

 

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What Does Goodwill Do With My Donations?

Are your closets bulging, full of clothing you or your family has outgrown? Are your kitchen cabinets a war zone of small appliances and gadgets you just had to have, but realize you never use? Now is the best time to organize and dispose of those items which are taking up space in your house!  Donate those gently used items you no longer use to Goodwill. Through our comprehensive recycling process, we transform your donation into jobs for people with disabilities and disadvantaging conditions. We do this by selling the items you donate in Goodwill's retail stores and donation centers throughout Central Florida. The monies earned from selling donated goods is funneled into unique employment and training programs for people with disabilities and disadvantaging conditions such as illiteracy, welfare dependency, homelessness, language barriers, and lack of social and work skills.

Here's how YOU can make a difference in someone’s life and help to improve your local economy by providing items you no longer need.

Give to Goodwill - We accept just about everything!  Clothing, shoes, books, furniture, small electrical items, and even household knick-knacks, which you no longer need, can become someone else’s treasure.  Our courteous Goodwill associates will assist you with your donations and offer you a receipt that may be used as a future tax deduction.  And by recycling used goods in the community, you’re helping to keep useable items out of our landfills.

Donated clothing and other needed items are processed by Goodwill employees for resale.  Replenishing stores with new merchandise daily is key to keeping shoppers coming back for more.

Goodwill accepts and sells donated goods at each of its twenty-three locations throughout six counties which include:  Brevard, Osceola, Lake, Orange, Volusia, and Seminole.  We rely on community donations to fund employment services that prepare local residents with disabilities and disadvantages for competitive employment.

 

Over ninety cents of every dollar Goodwill spends is channeled directly into employment and training programs for the disabled and disadvantaged.

 

Through Goodwill’s vocational programs, graduates secure competitive employment in our community.  Businesses hire our graduates and they become proud, tax-paying members of the local workforce.  Employers benefit by getting trained, reliable and ambitious workers.

With your help, Goodwill is able to provide services to those in need. In 2007, Goodwill Industries provided over 26,000 people with free supportive employment training to change their lives. People who have been reliant on government assistance (your tax dollars) are now taxpayers and contributing to the economic vitality of the local community.

So when you’re ready to clean out your closet, or rid yourself of those items which you no longer need, feel confident in knowing your contribution will change lives for the better!  And although Goodwill does not offer a pick-up service, donations can be dropped off at any of our 25 stores or 3 donation centers. For these locations as well as a comprehensive list of items Goodwill accepts, click on Retail and Donation Sites, or call us at (407) 235-1547. Community & Goodwill, Together, "We’re Building Lives That Work!”

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Take a Goodwill Field Trip

"What exactly does Goodwill do?" If you've ever asked yourself this question, maybe it's time you come see for yourself how Goodwill turns donations into jobs. We invite your service club, church group, class or even your family and friends to take a tour of our large new corporate and vocational center, which includes vocational services and classrooms, a modern central processing center, and our largest store in Central Florida, located at 7531 South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando.  Call (407) 235-1563 or email the Marketing and Development Department to include your group on our tour calendar. If you are unable to come to us, let one of our representatives come to you.  We are available for speaking engagements by calling (407) 235-1563 or just email the Marketing and Development Department.

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POST YOUR COMPANY'S JOB OPENINGS

Is your company in need of good, hard-working employees? Post your job openings free of charge at our Self-Sufficiency Job Centers located in Orlando, Melbourne, Sanford, Kissimmee, Daytona Beach, and Leesburg. All six centers assist, on average, between 50-100 job seekers daily, and offer complete job search, placement and employability coaching on a walk-in basis. Our staff will also work with you personally to help you find the right employees for your needs. Click on Self-Sufficiency Job Centers for more information, or call (407) 872-0770 in Orlando, (407) 936-0469 in Sanford, (407) 654-1243 in Kissimmee, (321) 953-8188 in Melbourne, (386) 258-8585 in Daytona Beach or (352) 326-8919 in Leesburg.

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