Good News

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…

Award-Winning Financial Leader with Drive for Advocacy Starts Nov. 9 ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Goodwill of the Finger Lakes will welcome Carolina Cordero Dyer as the organization’s new chief financial officer on Nov. 9. President and CEO Jennifer Lake announced the new leadership hire to Goodwill’s team of 600+ this morning. Most recently, Cordero Dyer served as deputy director and CFO…

Office products now available online to support Goodwill’s mission Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, a leading not-for-profit organization based in Rochester with operations throughout the Finger Lakes region, is excited to launch its easy-to-use e-commerce site gflsolutions.org. The site is part of Goodwill’s social enterprise model, and the goal is additional revenue to support its…

No Tricks, All Treats: Great Halloween Finds Available at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes  Although Halloween may feel different again this year, the haunting traditions will continue for many households. Goodwill Industries International released findings from its annual Halloween Survey. The survey found that three in four Americans (74%) plan to celebrate Halloween this year. The most…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes will be closing early on October 7 for an employee recognition event to thank our team for all they do. Our Rochester locations will be closing at 3:00pm and our Syracuse at 2:00pm. All will resume normal operating hours on October 8.Thank you for your support!

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) raises awareness about disability employment and celebrates the many contributions Americans with disabilities make in the workplace.   At Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, we are proud to support and employ those with barriers to employment, and to especially raise awareness of the workforce capabilities of those who are blind -…

On June 29th, 2021 News10NBC's Patrick Moussignac reached out to the Goodwill of The Finger Lakes to see how our organization was doing on donations. In that same conversation, he informed our President and CEO Jennifer Lake about the need over at the House of Mercy. Our team immediately packed up several bins into a truck filled with donated clothes and hit the road. "We also brought a bunch…

Community Leader Starts at Not-for-Profit Organization on June 7 ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Goodwill of the Finger Lakes has appointed Jennifer L. Boutte as vice president of community engagement, a new position for the organization. President and CEO Jennifer Lake announced the new leadership hire to Goodwill’s team of 600+ this morning. Boutte will join the organization on June 7. “This…

  Last week the CDC announced new masking and physical distancing guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated. As of Wednesday, May 19, 2021, New York State is adopting that guidance, see this link for more information: NYSUpdatedGuidance. We have followed the science from the beginning of the pandemic and we will continue to do so. As of Wednesday (5/19/2021), employees, customers,…

Goodwill Celebrates Goodwill WeekMay 3 - 9, 2021   Happy Goodwill Week! Every year, the Goodwill network celebrates the impact stories of transformation and success made possible by shopping and donating with our organization.  The Goodwill enterprise is a network of 156 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 12 other countries. To…

Over the past year, our organization has continued to serve our community during these difficult times and our social enterprises have diligently continued their operations safely. While our main campus remained closed to the public, our mission programs and community-based relationships remained intact. As progress continues to be made, we have formed a plan that will allow us to open our…

Nominate an Amazing Woman to Win a $100 Shopping Spree at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes *Nomination process now closed* It's National Women's History Month, and here at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes we celebrate the contributions amazing women have made to our nation and community, and recognize (and appreciate!) their achievements that have made the rest of our lives better. As a not-for-profit…

A message from Goodwill of the Finger Lakes CEO Jennifer Lake  We are absolutely thrilled — and humbled — to share that our organization has received a $10 million gift from Ms. Scott. The gift is the result of our mission, our work, our team, our impact and our potential. It is by far the largest single donation in our 100+ year history.  Goodwill’s humble roots date back to 1902. Our…