Goodwill's Island Park Store Opens a Temporary Location

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Oct. 30, 2017 - PRLog -- Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. announces that its Island Park Retail and Donation Center located at 16523 Island Park Road, which closed for renovations due to flooding after two storms, will reopen on Wednesday, November 1^st at its temporary location across the street, located at 16520 Tamiami Trail in the Island Park Center. Store hours are Mon. – Sat. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For donation drop offs, there is a well-marked attended donation center that is located in the old store parking lot.  Donation hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. This is encouraging news for many as Goodwill stores help generate more than 50 percent of the revenue necessary to provide much-needed programs and services for people with disabilities and disadvantages in the Southwest Florida area.

At the end of August, the Island Park store was subject to major damage caused by heavy flooding in the area. The store had more than 18 inches of standing water causing flooring, fixture, and merchandise damage. In September, just as remodeling efforts were to begin, Hurricane Irma caused additional flooding damage.

"The first flooding was bad enough, but it was even more devastating to be hit back to back and having to keep one of our best and most crucial stores closed during such times of need. People often don't realize that Goodwill stores are a community resource in many ways including helping to generate revenue so that others can be independent and have opportunities that they wouldn't otherwise have," said Vice President of Operations John Nadeau.

Just in time for the busy holiday season, Manager Cindy Scott and her staff will be back in operation at the temporary store ready to serve the public. The Island Park store is one of 29 stores throughout the five county area supporting the mission of Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida.  Last year, Goodwill served more than 30,000 individuals.

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. Its mission is to help people with disabilities and disadvantages by offering life-changing opportunities to achieve independence.

Goodwill's programs in Southwest Florida include Pathways to Opportunity, Job-Link Resource Centers, small business training classes, disability-accessible housing, and more. The retail stores collect and sell donated items and new goods, which help fund the services and programs offered in Southwest Florida. 89 cents of every dollar goes back into supporting Goodwill's programs and services in our Southwest Florida area.  The organization is currently in its 51^st year of operation.

For more information about Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, please visit www.goodwillswfl.org or call (239) 995-2106.