Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Rockville, MD - Busy families can be earth friendly this Halloween by shopping at Goodwill® stores. Find everything you need at Goodwill to create a unique costume for yourself or your children. All you need is a little imagination to transform your child into a favorite superhero or fairy princess.

By shopping at Goodwill this Halloween, you are purchasing high-quality, affordable items and diverting them from landfills. The nearly 2,600 Goodwill stores in the United States and Canada have items donated by 74 million donors. This vast inventory includes anything you can imagine, from clothing in every color to apparel from different decades and accessories to transform an ordinary look into a fantastic costume.

"Shopping at Goodwill for Halloween is a simple step toward living a more sustainable lifestyle," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Reusing and repurposing items from Goodwill stores are a fun way to make a unique Halloween costume for not a lot of money."

Shopping at Goodwill is not just good for the planet. It also benefits people in local communities. Revenue from Goodwill stores fund job training programs and career and community-based services for people with disabilities, those who lack education or work experience, and others facing challenges to finding employment. Your purchase helps people learn the skills they need to work in Goodwill stores and in growing fields outside of Goodwill such as healthcare, green industries and financial services.

"In 2010, Goodwill Industries® diverted more than 2 billion pounds of used goods from landfills," said Gibbons. "Look no further than your nearest Goodwill store to find what you need to celebrate a green Halloween."

To find your local Goodwill, visit locator.goodwill.org. To learn more about Goodwill Industries International, visit www.goodwill.org.

This year, Goodwill Industries International is partnering with Green Halloween to share our commitment to safe and eco-friendly Halloween celebrations. For more information, visit http://greenhalloween.org/

About Goodwill Industries International:

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with 14 affiliates in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of North America's top five most valuable and recognized nonprofit brands as well as a leading social services enterprise (Source: Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100, 2009). Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in nearly 2,600 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2010, 2.4 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 84 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at www.goodwill.org or call (800) 741-0186. Twitter: @GoodwillIntl Facebook: GoodwillIntl