A major windfall of sorts could be on the way for Goodwill Industries and the Salvation Army, in the form of used belongings.
Northsiders are spending more time at home as the result of COVID-related shelter-in-place orders, and many have turned to spring cleaning as a way to pass the time.
With that cleaning, residents likely will be reorganizing closets, garages and sheds, and finding hundreds of items to donate.
Both the Salvation Army and Goodwill are hoping that Northsiders will remember their thrift stores once the stores reopen.
For those organizations, donated items like clothes, electronics, appliances and furniture potentially mean big money to fund operations and pay for programming.
“We sell what is brought in through donations. Everything the store makes over what it takes to keep the store running funds our programs,” said Michelle Hartfield, director of community relations for the Salvation Army Jackson.
The Salvation Army has a thrift shop located on Presto Lane. Between six and eight people work in the store and warehouse.
In 2019, funds from it helped pay for store employees, as well as help the organization provide more than 43,000 meals, provide energy assistance to more than 600 customers, and provide more than 16,000 nights of shelter.
The store closed when the shelter-in-place orders went into effect in early April.
Last week, the group ceased accepting donations. Prior to the outbreak, people were able to drop off items at the store or call the Salvation Army to pick up donations.
The nonprofit continued to provide self-service drop-off bins until April 7. However, for health safety reasons, employees were not permitted to help individuals unload their vehicles.
Hartfield was unsure when the shop would reopen and or when it would again be accepting donations.
“We’ll wait and see what the guidelines are when we get to that date,” she said. “We are going to stay in contact with the CDC, MEMA and the governor’s office.”
The CDC is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MEMA is the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
Goodwill has five “Select Stores” in the tri-county area, including two in Ridgeland and one in Jackson, next to the I-55 North Kroger.
Its stores and drop-off centers were closed April 1.
“I took over the phones and you would not believe how many calls we’ve gotten since we closed,” Goodwill Vice-President of Marketing Janet Spears said. “Many people have told us we’re going to hold onto their items until we open back up.”
Proceeds from select store sales help pay employees’ salaries and client training.
“That’s our whole mission in Mississippi,” she said. “It allows us to pay salaries to people with disabilities and other barriers.
“We’re really in the hurt, because we’ve got to have those donations to keep training going on.”
Goodwill has around 128 employees working in five retail locations.
Many of those individuals are disabled or unable to find jobs elsewhere, Spears said.
While stores are closed, employees will be paid, thanks to a loan Goodwill received through the CARES Act, a federal coronavirus stimulus bill.
The act included loan options for nonprofits, including the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides nonprofits and small businesses with funds to cover employee payroll costs and operating costs for two months, according to the Council of Nonprofits website.
To be eligible, entities must have fewer than 500 employees. Goodwill Industries of Mississippi applied separate from Goodwill Industries International.
“We put in for a loan and we were approved on Saturday night,” she said, referring to Saturday, April 4. “Our employees will receive their employment pay for at least two months. That is going to be a huge help for them.”
In addition to providing employment, the nonprofit offers training opportunities to another 60 or 70 people a month.
Those individuals are referred to the agency by the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services.
“We provide them with training in retail and digital, which allows them to learn how to write resumes and fill out online applications,” she said. “That’s a big program we’ve had going on.”
Prior to the closure, employees were already following CDC guidelines for cleaning and displaying donated merchandise.
“We sprayed them down as they came in and let them sit in the warehouse for 72 hours,” Spears said. “A lot of guys wear gloves anyway, for when they go through bags.”
Residents can take items to any Goodwill store. However, the items dropped off there might be sold at a different location.
“All of our stores vary in what they carry. We have a transportation crew that makes sure our stores have a variety of items to be bought.”
When donations are again accepted, Goodwill is asking that residents be conscientious about what they give.
“If it can be used, that is a benefit. If it’s something we have to put in the trash, it’s something we have to pay to dispose of,” Spears said.
Salvation Army does not accept used mattresses, medical equipment, tires or broken furniture.
“We prefer items to be clean when they are brought in,” Hartfield said. “If you have time, wash it before you bring it in, that would be helpful.”
Both groups say they will continue to clean items and regularly sanitize their stores once they’re back open for business.
“We’re not going to open up until its safe to do so,” said Spears. “We’ve got to know it’s safe.”
