Donating a Lifetime to Goodwill

Article submitted by your Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc. For more information on the Estate Pick Up program, contact Natisha Moultry at 615-742-4151 Ext. 1307 or via their website at www.goodwillmidten.org.

Over time, we accumulate so much - a lifetime of special memories and mementoes. From the dinner table where your family grew up and shared their day, to the blankets that once kept them warm, it all tells the story of a life.

Wouldn't it be nice if the spirit behind those items could continue to do good for the community? Consider donating to Goodwill. The Estate Pickup Program is a special service designed to help senior citizens and their caregivers during difficult times.

Goodwill can pickup items directly from nursing homes, assisted living and retirement facilities. Normally, Goodwill does not offer residential pickups, but will pick up from residential areas under certain circumstances:

• Seniors downsizing to a smaller home
• Seniors moving to a retirement facility or with a family member
• After the death of loved one
• After an estate sale

All donations support Goodwill's mission of helping people with disabilities or other challenges prepare for and find work in the community. Through Goodwill's Career Solutions program, counselors help people with resume writing, interview skills, job searches and job maintenance skills. All of Goodwill's employment and training services are free to clients.

"It's a sensitive subject," said Natisha Moultry, special projects manager for Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc. "Knowing that their donation, which can be so personal, is supporting our mission gives people a little peace."

Donations are sold at the Goodwill stores and online at ShopGoodwill.com.

Roughly 87 cents of every dollar earned through the sale of donated items goes back into Goodwill's program services.

It helps people like James G. James, who lost his eyesight as a young child, couldn't find work until he came to Goodwill. He now hangs clothes at one of the stores and is grateful for the opportunity to work and support himself.

In fact, through November 2006, Goodwill served 4811 people like James and helped 1485 find jobs. The generosity of donors made it possible.

Not only does each donation help someone experience the joy and satisfaction of earning a paycheck, but now another family can create memories over that dinner table or keep warm with the same blanket.
For more information on the Estate Pick Up program, contact Natisha Moultry at 615-742-4151 Ext. 1307 or via email at natisham@goodwillmidten.org.