Community Corner

Goodwill Brings Jobs and Green Building to Forsyth County

Goodwill opens its first environmentally friendly store on April 19 and is now hiring for 40 positions at the new south Forsyth location.

Next month Goodwill of North Georgia will open its first environmentally friendly store at 375 McFarland Parkway in south Forsyth County.

"We are building this store from the ground up," said Elaine Armstrong of Goodwill of North Georgia. "It will be our first environmentally-friendly store and we expect it to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

The internationally recognized designation will require the new store to be designed and built using methods to lower energy and water usage and reduce CO2 emissions. Inside the building shoppers, donors and employees will also benefit from the improved air quality LEED Certified buildings produce.

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“Stewardship is important to Goodwill. Whether that means being good stewards of the donations we receive, adopting programs to cut waste, or lessening our impact on the environment,” said Goodwill President Raymond Bishop.

The new Goodwill facility, scheduled to open on April 19, will be about 29,000 square feet with nearly half of that being sales floor space. The building will also include a large production area and a convenient drive-up donation center.

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Goodwill expects shoppers to find it to be a great place for people looking to save money on clothes, books and other household items. Moreover, they will have the opportunity to help thousands of other North Georgians find work.

The non-profit organization is currently looking for candidates to fill 40 open positions at the new location.

“As an organization whose mission is centered around employment, we understand the importance employment and earning a living has on individuals, their families and their community,” said Armstrong. “Each new Goodwill store provides an opportunity for us to impact the local economy by adding jobs where they did not previously exist.”

Apply in person during a hiring event that continues on March 20 and 21 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the located at 4025 Windward Plaza Drive in nearby Alpharetta.

“Our mission is to put people to work. We do this through a variety of job training programs and employment services. We use the sale of donated goods to fund those activities,” Armstrong explains.

will remain open. Armstrong said the new location is an addition not a replacement.

About Goodwill

The mission of Goodwill of North Georgia is to put people to work. We have been providing services in the region for more than 80 years. In fiscal year 2011, we provided job training and employment services to more than 30,165 people and helped 8,572 people find jobs or start new businesses. Our organization currently operates 39 stores and more than 60 attended donation centers. Revenues generated from Goodwill’s retail program help fund our job training and placement programs. Last year, we processed nearly 1.7 million donations.


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