Students Collect More Than Eleven Tons of Donations for Goodwill

June 24, 2011 - PRLog -- Students at eleven area schools learned the value of charity this spring, as they participated in a “Good to Go” donation drive for Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida.  More than 2,800 students brought donations for the local nonprofit, collecting 23,518 pounds of gently-used goods which will be re-sold to provide revenue for Goodwill’s mission.

“We wanted young people in our area to learn that their items still have value, even after they’ve been outgrown,” says Jennifer Nelson, Goodwill’s Senior Director of Retail Operations.  “Not only are these students helping keep items out of our landfills, they’re also providing funding for needed services in our community.”

Goodwill (http://www.goodwillswfl.org) estimates the total value of the donations at just over $18,800, which the agency says will go a long way in helping local people with disabilities and other disadvantages.  

“A donation of that size can provide paid internships for almost every student at the Goodwill L.I.F.E. Academy, which is a charter school for students with developmental disabilities,” explains Kirsten O’Donnell, Goodwill’s Director of Public Relations.  “It’s really tough for students with special needs to get a job after graduation, so being able to provide those internships is vital to fulfilling our mission.”

The eleven participating schools included seven elementary schools:  Bayshore Elementary, Caloosa Elementary, Colonial Elementary, Manatee Elementary, Gulf Elementary, Harns Marsh Elementary, and Trafalgar Elementary.  In addition, Early Childhood Development Center, Bonita Middle, Fort Myers High, and Mariner High also brought donations.

Of the schools participating in the donation drive, Trafalgar Elementary School collected the most donations: 4,120 pounds.  Colonial Elementary School had the most students participate. Sixty-eight percent of Colonial students provided a donation for Goodwill.

“We’re very pleased with the participation we had from Lee County’s students,” says Nelson, who spearheaded the donation drive.  “We look forward to partnering with even more schools next year.”

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. operates 25 Retail & Donation Centers in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, and Glades counties to provide funding for its mission of helping people with disabilities and other disadvantages become more independent.  Supported programs include Job-Link resource centers, youth mentoring and career guidance, transportation assistance, income-sensitive housing for people with disabilities and senior citizens, and the L.I.F.E. Academy Charter School.

For more information about Goodwill’s programs and services in Southwest Florida, please visit http://www.goodwillswfl.org.

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About Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc:
Goodwill operates 25 thrift stores in SW Florida to support its mission of removing barriers to independence. Programs include income-sensitive housing, career placement assistance, the L.I.F.E. Academy Charter School, Four Wheels for Work, and others.