"Earth Day is DONATE Day!"
As the 43rd annual Earth Day approaches on April 22, 2013, the environmental movement has become an increasingly complex world of climate change, carbon offsets, and emissions guidelines. While these big-picture issues can often seem far removed from everyday life, Ohio Valley Goodwill encourages consumers to remember the widespread impact from the simple act of donating goods. For over 96 years, Ohio Valley Goodwill has been an entrepreneurial leader, environmental pioneer and social innovator of the ” reduce, reuse, repurpose” practice. Goodwill diverts more than 42 million pounds of clothing and household goods every year from landfills by recovering the value in people’s unwanted material goods; and in the process, creating job-training opportunities for people in need of work. In addition, Goodwill and Dell’s free computer recycling program, Dell Reconnect, allow people to make a donation knowing it’s good for people and the planet. With more than 2,500 Goodwill locations participating across the U.S. and Canada, the Dell Reconnect program allows people to simply drop off used electronics (any brand, and in any condition) at their local Goodwill. In Cincinnati, thanks to generous community support, more than 1 million pounds of electronic equipment has been recycled responsibly in partnership with Dell in the past year. In 2010, Ohio Valley Goodwill, participated in launching the Donate Movement, a corporate social responsibility platform and public awareness movement that encourages consumers to think of donating used goods as just as essential to environmental responsibility as recycling paper and plastics. Via the Donate Movement microsite (donate.goodwill.org), users can calculate the social impact of their own clothing and household item donations, while a new feature on the site tracks how many pounds of usable goods Goodwill has diverted from landfills since January 2012 ““ currently totaling more than three billion. ” For more than a century, Goodwill has linked protecting the environment to helping people earn paychecks, support their families and strengthen their communities,” said Joseph Byrum, President and CEO of Ohio Valley Goodwill. ” Each individual shopper and donor is an important partner in what we do.” Donations to Ohio Valley Goodwill are sold in local stores and the income generated helps to support services for men and women with disabilities and our nation’s veterans. Each year, the organization serves nearly 3,000 individuals. Goodwill appreciates the support that it receives from the local community and celebrates Earth Day! For a list of convenient donation locations, please visit www.cincinnatigoodwill.org/donate. Also, plan to join us at Northgate Mall this weekend on Friday, April 19th thru Sunday, April 21st, for the “Great Spring Clean-Out Day” in partnership with Clear Channel Media. Stop by from 7am-7pm on 4-18 and 4-19 and 9am-6pm on Sunday, 4-21. Thanks Greater Cincinnati for your support!
