Good News

See 13WHAM News Clip Goodwill of the Finger Lakes cut the ribbon today on its relocated Greece thrift store at The Mall at Greece Ridge. The grand opening follows Goodwill’s announcement from earlier this month that it would move its Greece store at 3654 Dewey Avenue to the larger location at 140 Greece Ridge Center Drive. The 34,000-square-foot store occupies the former Ruby-Gordon retail…

Jennifer Lake, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes President & CEO has been Named to the Rochester Business Journal's Power 100, a list of significant power players who make a big impact in the Rochester region. Read an interview done with Jennifer in the Rochester Business Journal.

2/11 is National 211 day! Today we celebrate the incredible impact of our 211/LIFE LINE program. Whether there's a need to find food, clothing or shelter, 211 is here for our community - 24/7, every day of the year. Our compassionate counselors provide free and confidential support to guide individuals through tough times and connect them with vital community resources.We're proud to serve our…

Deborah Turner, Director of Crisis and Information Services at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes was Featured in Finger Lakes Times to talk about About National 211 Day coming up on February 11th. Deb talked with the Times about herself, her role with 211/LIFE LINE and the importance of the program to the Finger Lakes region. See the Full Article Here

On February 6th, Jennifer Lake, President & CEO of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes (GFL), appeared on the Untangling Circularity Podcast for the episode: Diverse + Successful Circular Partnerships - With Raymond Randall (WM) + Jennifer Lake (Goodwill of the Finger Lakes) + Patrik Frisk ( Reju) She and others spoke about their incredibly dynamic collaboration working to reduce textile waste.…

Jennifer Lake, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes President & CEO, has been selected as a finalist for the 2025 ATHENA International Award®! This recognition honors her remarkable leadership, dedication to community service, and commitment to advancing women in business. Jen’s vision and the collective achievements of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes continue to inspire positive change in our…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is pleased to appoint Sarah M. O’Brien to its leadership team as director of development and marketing. She brings to the position more than 20 years of experience in corporate and nonprofit communications, fundraising and community relations. As director of development and marketing, O’Brien will oversee the planning, execution and evaluation of marketing and…

Jen Lake, President & CEO of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes (GFL), is making a remarkable impact in the realm of sustainability. This year alone, her commitment kept 27.6 million pounds of useful items in circulation, repurposing for a second life. GFL, a nonprofit social enterprise with an annual budget exceeding $57 million, is dedicated to elevating people, community and planet for a good today…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is proud to be certified by Great Place to Work for the first time. This year, 75% of employees said Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is a great place to work, compared to 57% of employees at the average U.S. company. ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is proud to be certified by Great Place to Work for the first time. The prestigious award is based…

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…