Submitted by Kate Quinones
GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA LAUNCHES COMMUNITY INITIATIVES TO CELEBRATE EARTH MONTH
Donation Drives and Pilot Programs Bolster Goodwill’s Sustainability Efforts
ORLANDO, Fla. (April 12, 2023) – The U.S. produces an average of 268 million tons of waste annually – and this year, in honor of Earth Month in April, Goodwill Industries of Central Florida (GICF) is giving Central Floridians opportunities to make a dent in that number by reusing, reducing and recycling.
To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, GICF is hosting a donation drive at all Retail Stores and Donation Xpress Centers across its six-county service area. Residents in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard, Volusia and Lake counties are encouraged to drop off gently used items at their nearest location.
Sustainability has been a GICF priority for more than 60 years, with the organization diverting 20.1M pounds of waste from landfills in 2022 and projecting more than 24M pounds in 2023. In its latest effort to reduce waste, GICF is piloting two initiatives that will make donations more accessible and convenient. The first initiative, launching during Earth Month, will provide donation trailers to local schools and churches so that they can collect household goods while also raising money for their own fundraisers.
For its second pilot program, GICF will place donation bins at convenient locations (e.g., grocery stores) in communities without a local Goodwill Retail Store or Donation Xpress Center, so that residents can donate more easily.
“Goodwill is committed to being both a good steward of the environment, and a valuable partner within the Central Florida community,” said Ed Durkee, president and CEO. “We’re always looking for efficient, sustainable and innovative ways to collect more donations, and in turn, divert more waste from landfills and increase funding for jobs and other vocational services.”
Find your nearest Goodwill location online.
About Goodwill Industries of Central Florida, Inc. (GICF)
For more than 60 years, Goodwill Industries of Central Florida has provided vocational and job placement services to tens of thousands of people living in Central Florida. Through 31 retail/outlet stores and 16 Donation Xpress locations in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Lake and Volusia counties, Goodwill diverted more than 20 million pounds of clothing and household items from landfills in 2022. Goodwill Industries of Central Florida directly channels more than 90 percent of its annual revenue into programs that enable individuals to secure meaningful employment, achieve their personal goals and thrive economically.
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