Two ladies hugging at Goodwill of Orange County

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The Importance of Your Donations

December 11, 2019

Two ladies hugging at Goodwill of Orange County

Purpose. Pride. Dignity.

These three words are the foundation that Goodwill of Orange County’s mission was built on more than 95 years ago. Making a donation to Goodwill helps fuel our mission and change lives in our community.

When an individual with a physical disability is given his or her chance to thrive in the workplace. When a mother earns a paycheck to provide for her family. When veterans seamlessly transition from the military into meaningful employment.

For every piece of clothing, furniture, or home goods collected and purchased, 94 cents of every dollar generated goes directly to dozens of programs and services for people facing barriers to employment, such as veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Last year, Goodwill of Orange County served more than 27,000 people and more than $41 million was earned by individuals employed with Goodwill’s help.

Ethan, posing as he chops vegetables, was selected to be a part of Goodwill of Orange County’s Project SEARCH program

Purpose. We believe the power of work changes lives.

Last year, Ethan was selected to be part of Goodwill of Orange County’s Project SEARCH program, a one-year training and education program in partnership with UCI Medical Center for adults with autism that immerses them in the workplace.

Beyond the meaningful career-building skills Ethan learned, Project SEARCH gave him even greater gifts: confidence and self-esteem.

After graduation, Ethan was offered a part-time position at Bracken’s Kitchen in Irvine, an organization dedicated to providing quality food to individuals in Orange County facing poverty.

As part of the Bracken’s Kitchen team, he’s thriving. For Ethan, the power of work truly changed his life.

Tierney Center for Veteran Services

Pride. Your donations help veterans transition from their military mission to their civilian mission.

The Tierney Center for Veteran Services is a global approach to serving veterans and their families.

The Tierney Center team, many of them veterans themselves, provide not only employment and career counseling resources to assist veterans in finding employment to move towards economic independence and self-sufficiency; they also provide education services, housing assistance, healthcare and benefits resources, legal services and women veteran services.

A smiling lady with label tags in her hand at goodwill donation center

Dignity. Your donations give individuals the opportunity to achieve their highest levels of personal independence.

Goodwill’s Rogers A. Severson Fitness and Technology Center is Orange County’s only facility specially designed for people suffering from chronic illnesses and physical disabilities.

Goodwill’s Assistive Technology Exchange Center (ATEC) provides assistive technology services and solutions, while supplying more than 1,000-state-of-the-art technology devices to individuals with disabilities of all ages, their families and employers.

You can have peace of mind knowing your donations are being used with purpose. Goodwill of Orange County has consecutively earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, for its sound fiscal management practices and commitment to accountability and transparency.

Goodwill of OC also diverts more than 13 million pounds from landfills and its Recycling Center has earned the Responsible Recycling (R2) industry-standard certification for electronic scrap management.

Donating your gently used goods is not the only way to spread the good this holiday season. A financial contribution is critical to fulfilling our mission. Making a financial investment in Goodwill’s mission is making an investment in Orange County.

Used shirts at goodwill donation center

Create goodwill by donating your gently used items to your local Goodwill store and donation center today. To find a location near you, please visit: www.ocgoodwill.org/stores-donation-center/

Give a financial gift this holiday season to support and expand critical programs and services here: https://give.ocgoodwill.org/pages/donate/

To see the impact your donations and financial contributions have on Goodwill of Orange County, please join us for our monthly “See The Good” facility tour.

Email: communitydevelopment@ocgoodwill.orgfor more details.

Thank you for making our mission, your mission.

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