‘Urgent need’ for donations, Goodwill says

Network sees increase in demand, decrease in supply

Nate Hulings

of the Gateway

The seven large cardboard boxes that sit in the back of Gig Harbor’s Goodwill warehouse aren’t as full as they were last year.

The recession has hit the donation-based store hard. Donation amounts are down 7 percent, or nearly 150,000 pounds compared with last year at this time.

Donor visits also are down by about 800.

Add those numbers to a 20 percent jump in people using Goodwill’s services across the Tacoma Goodwill network, and that makes for an urgent situation, public relations manager Matthew Erlich said.

The mission of Goodwill is simple, Erlich said. People donate items, Goodwill sells the products and the money goes to job training and placement.

“We understand that we work for the mission — providing jobs and opportunities,” Gig Harbor Goodwill Store Manager Nina Clark said.

But with the recession clamping down on consumer spending, people are holding onto clothing and products.

Clark echoed those sentiments, saying clothing donations remain about the same compared with last year. She added that people are holding onto hard-line items, such as furniture and appliances.

Goodwill-provided job training, which includes office training and financial planning, helps a variety of the population, including the disabled, low income and senior citizens. Nearly 92 percent of Goodwill’s profits go to those programs and services.

However, retail sales isn’t the only avenue for service funding, Erlich said. Many programs are government-funded, including a $660,000 grant from the Department of Labor for a youth program.

“We’re not solely reliant on what’s happening in our stores,” Erlich said.

And while donation levels aren’t at an “emergency” level, Tacoma Goodwill said forward-thinking and preparedness is the best remedy to hang on during tough times.

“If we don’t act now, there will come a time when we really need them (donations),” Erlich said.

Despite the dangerous mix of downturn in donations and increase in need, Erlich said services won’t be eliminated.

Clark, who has managed the Gig Harbor store for more than a year, has seen a change in clientele.

“There’s a wider range of people shopping here,” Clark said. “It’s amazing to see the need.”

The Tacoma Goodwill has more than 40 donation drop-off sites in the region, including a new partnership with Wal-Mart.

“If it’s good enough to give to a friend, it’s good enough to give to Goodwill,” Erlich said.

For more information on how or where to donate gently used household items, visit tacomagoodwill.org.

Reach Reporter Nate Hulings at 253-853-9243 or by e-mail at nate.hulings@gateline.com.