Good News

Proceeds directly support Goodwill’s community programs: 211/ LIFE LINE, Good Neighbor and Goodwill Vision Services  ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Goodwill of the Finger Lakes and Smola Consulting hosted the 2024 Goodwill Gala on Saturday, March 9 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Rochester. The event, themed “Elevating Community. Empowering Connections,” raised more than $225,435 to…

On Saturday, February 24th, a panel of impressive young adults who are legally blind, and three valuable community partners, came together at Goodwill Vision Enterprises (GVE) to talk about experiencing high school, preparing for college, and going to work. The five young adults on the panel, Abbie, Aidan, Braiden, Brenna, and Jade discussed their experiences along with two consultants from the…

We are thrilled to announce that Kevin Lynch, President & CEO of National Industries for the Blind (NIB), will be receiving the prestigious Dr. Gwen Sterns Visionary Award at this year's Goodwill Gala! Kevin Lynch is president and chief executive officer of National Industries for the Blind (NIB), the nation’s leading employment resource for people who are blind. Since joining NIB in…

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. April Aycock, the Monroe County Office of Mental Health Director and President/CEO of Awareness Counseling Services, will be the distinguished recipient of the Good Neighbor Award at our 2024 Goodwill Gala. Dr. April Aycock is the Monroe County Office of Mental Health Director and president/ CEO of Awareness Counseling Services with over 10 years of combined…

This past Monday, November 6th, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes held a luncheon to celebrate Emily Mitchell as the New York State Preferred Source Program (NYSPSP) for People Who Are Blind Employee of the Year Nominee. The luncheon also honored National Industries for the Blind (NIB) Peter J. Salmon Nominee Jose Rodriguez and NIB Milton J. Samuelson Nominee Terry Tracy. Jose Rodriguez was nominated…

Holland joined the organization last month with 20+ years of experience. Goodwill of the Finger Lakes has welcomed Janice M. Holland to its leadership team as Chief People Officer. Holland will provide strategic human capital vision, leadership and change management that aligns with the organization’s strategic business and people operations. She will oversee all areas of the human resources…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes hosted our annual event, Sustainability Under the Stars, at the Rochester Museum and Science Center Strasenburgh Planetarium on September 15. The community raised over $13,000 at this event that will support our community programs: 211/LIFE LINE, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Goodwill Vision Enterprises, and Good Neighbor. In addition to a Sustainable Fashion Show…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes hosted its first-ever Block Party on Saturday, Aug. 26, right on its main campus, located at 500 South Clinton Ave. Throughout the event, 250 students took home a free backpack and school supplies, which were donated by local businesses and community members, and over 50 vision screenings were performed on-site through Flaum Eye Institute. 12 children were prescribed…

In collaboration with New York's 7th Judicial District, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes has set up an on-site referral service at the Monroe County Hall of Justice. The Community Connections Desk, or the CCD, is located in the back corner of the main lobby area on the first floor. The CCD is staffed by a Goodwill Community Navigator and volunteers from other human service organizations. “Often,…

This summer marks one-year since 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline joined forces with Goodwill of the Finger Lakes to serve the community! In the past year, Goodwill's tele-counselors have taken thousands of calls for 988. Today, Goodwill employees came together to celebrate all the good work that the 988 employees do! George, a tele-counselor for 211/LIFE LINE and 988, shared what he enjoys most…

Goodwill blends innovative, project-based curriculum and our retail services to directly support our community. We were so excited to begin our new collaboration with the Horizons Program. RefashionED is a collaborative program that allows students to collect, price donations and then sell the clothes at a local Goodwill store to fund a school or community project. On Friday, July 21st, Horizons…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes Opens Thrift Store in Canandaigua  Newest Goodwill store is located in former Bed, Bath and Beyond retail space   We opened our 11th thrift store in the Finger Lakes region, this time in Canandaigua, New York. The new location is at 328 Eastern Blvd. in the former Bed, Bath and Beyond retail space. This is the first Goodwill store in Canandaigua and second…

What is 211 Day?  211 Day is a day of awareness of the 211 hotline that supports our local community. During this day, 211 chapters across the country work together to spread awareness of the 211 hotlines that link people in need to agencies that can support them in their community.  What is 211?   211 is a 24/7 free and confidential service with an easy to remember phone number that…

  Goodwill Vision Enterprises (formerly ABVI) and the Flaum Eye Institute are collaborating to improve access to vision care in the City of Rochester! Goodwill Vision Enterprises will be expanding their vision services in the Sterns Center for Low Vision, and Flaum Eye Institute will be opening a comprehensive eye care center in this space on Feb. 13th.   The newly renovated…

This year has been exciting for us at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes. We’ve seen a significant trajectory of growth in our social enterprises and community impact programs all year long. Most importantly, we launched the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in our region in July, helping us be there for people in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calls to 988 are up 86% since its launch,…

Industrial Cutting Equipment Arrives at Goodwill On Friday August 12, 2022, we received new Industrial Cutting Equipment from Eastman Machine Company located in Buffalo, NY. This new technology will help us expand our Sewing Department by giving us the opportunity to increase production, introduce new products to our repertoire, and hire at least 12 new employees. Along with other products, our…

Thank You to Bank of America! Bank of America recently gave a grant of $7,500 supporting 211/LIFE LINE, which has been expanding in preparation for taking 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline calls. They also donated boxes of Personal Protective Equipment to our organization, including 8,000 gloves, 6,000 masks, and 2 cases of hand sanitizer. “On behalf of our entire Goodwill team, I would like to say…

Grand Opening of Goodwill's Contact Center Expansion Project was Held on Tuesday, June 21st 2022 On Tuesday, June 21st 2022, we held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for our newly-expanded call center on S Clinton Avenue, which houses the Lead Poisoning and Toxic Substance hotline, Growing Up Healthy hotline, the Monroe County COVID Hotline, and more. The new expansion provides new job opportunities in…

Goodwill's Vision Services staff participated in the International CRF Conference that was held in Rochester on June 15 - 18 at Woodcliff Hotel & Spa This past week, Rochester hosted the International Choroideremia Research Foundation (CRF) Conference - CRF members and those affected by Choroideremia came from all over the world to attend.  The Choroideremia Research Foundation (CRF) was…

Good Neighbor Hubs Open on June 7th, 2022 Our Good Neighbor Hubs are up and running! The grand opening of two new Good Neighbor Hubs was held on Tuesday, June 7th at 10 AM. Good Neighbor Hubs will be the touchpoints for our Good Neighbor Program, which partners with local schools, churches, and organizations to provide attire, books, household items, and more to community members in need. Our Good…

Every year, our Good Neighbor program works to provide items to individuals and organizations in need in our community – made possible by your generous donations.  Presently we are running a winter coat drive; through your support we are able to ensure adults and children are kept warm during the chilly winter months.  Given the high demand, we are collecting coats specifically for…