Good News

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes CEO Jennifer Lake was recently featured in the Rochester Woman Online publication as the highlight for "Women Who Inspire".  For the full article and to read Jen's inspiring journey visit here. Congratulations to Jen on her feature - we are proud to have her leading our great organization!  

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Goodwill of the Finger Lakes has opened the doors of a brand new Clearance Center.  The opening occurred at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 1555 Jefferson Rd. in Henrietta. Clearance Center hours will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. every day. On average, thousands of shoppers visit Goodwill’s Clearance Center each week, with a few hundred shoppers per day. Goodwill’s…

  ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Goodwill of the Finger Lakes will host two “Hiring on the Spot” events for retail and warehouse positions today and tomorrow. Today’s hiring event will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. at 376 Jefferson Road in Henrietta. Tomorrow’s will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 34 Eastview Mall in Victor.    The first 10 people each day…

As NY Schools Reopen, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes Encourages Community Members to Shop at Goodwill for Affordable Back-to-School Attire and Materials Students and educators with valid ID get 15% off their purchase on Tuesdays Organization experienced financial losses during pandemic; needs shoppers and donations   ROCHESTER, N.Y. — As summer comes to an end and New York schools begin…

  Goodwill of the Finger Lakes formally endorses declaration that racism is a public health crisis July 29, 2020 - Today the Board of Directors for Goodwill of the Finger Lakes joins other local organizations to formally endorse the Greater Rochester Black Agenda Group’s Declaration: “Racism is a Public Health Crisis.” The organization acknowledges that racism is a public…

All of our stores are now open.  While we are grateful we can reopen our stores, please understand, safety is our number one priority at Goodwill. We are taking a cautious approach to keep everyone safe, and would appreciate your patience as we navigate the many new safety protocols put in place.  All customers and employees must wear face masks/coverings as mandated by New York…

Stores expected to open in Phase 2, but Goodwill needs donated items in the meantime ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is accepting donations — contactless donations, that is — effective immediately per state and county reopening guidelines. Donation doors are open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 7 days a week at all stores and Donation Centers across the Finger Lakes…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes Appoints Jennifer Lake as CEO The Board of Directors of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes has appointed Jennifer Lake as chief executive officer, effective immediately. She replaces Dr. A. Gidget Hopf, who is retiring after 34 years. Lake joined Goodwill of the Finger Lakes in 2007 and was appointed president in September 2019, when Hopf announced her retirement. Prior, she…

A Message from Our President & CEO, Jennifer Lake:   Right now, the cash registers in our Goodwill stores are silent. But Goodwill of the Finger Lakes has not been quiet during the COVID-19 crisis. We’ve been delivering critically-needed services to our community.   And even though you currently can’t score great deals in the stores, your support can mean a great…

GOODWILL CALLING UPON COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO MAKE FACE MASKS – OVER 50,000 MASKS NEEDED FOR ROCHESTER & FINGER LAKES NONPROFIT STAFF AND CLIENTS Rochester, NY – (April 6, 2020) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Monroe County Department of Health recommend wearing cloth face masks in public settings to slow the spread of COVID-19. Nonprofit organizations…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes CEO Dr. A. Gidget Hopf was honored by Goodwill Industries International (GII) with the prestigious J.D. Robins, Jr. Distinguished Career Award during the GII Annual Meeting of the Conference of Executives event held in Nashville, TN during the last week of February. The award recognizes annually one Goodwill CEO for outstanding career contributions and dedication to…

ROCHESTER, NY – Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, a local not-for-profit providing services and programs that empower people to overcome barriers to independence, today announced the grand opening weekend for it’s first dedicated book store, located at 1250 Creek Street in Webster, NY.   The grand opening takes place on Saturday, February 15, and Sunday, February 16, 2020. The…

ROCHESTER, NY -- The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), a mission of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, has selected Destiny Diaz as its 2020 Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year. As ABVI’s Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year, Diaz will accompany ABVI leadership to the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) National Conference being held in Washington, D.C., and will be…

ROCHESTER, NY – Following a successful pilot in its Henrietta and Macedon, New York stores, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes will remove single-use plastic shopping bags from all of its Rochester and Syracuse area stores on Saturday, February 1. The elimination of these single-use plastic comes one month ahead of the state ban that takes effect on March 1. Goodwill shoppers are encouraged to…

ROCHESTER, NY - The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), a mission of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, joins the global community of individuals who are blind or visually impaired in celebrating World Braille Day on January 4, 2020. According to the United Nations, World Braille Day is celebrated to "raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the…

ROCHESTER, NY – Employees in all three of CooperVision, Inc.’s Rochester-area locations really felt the holiday spirit of giving this year as they donated 1,051 pounds of stuff during the first ever Give to Goodwill corporate donation drive this November. “CooperVision has been a long-time supporter of the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), a mission of…

ROCHESTER, NY - Do not be surprised if one or more of the gifts you give or receive this holiday season is thrifted. According to Accenture’s “13th Annual Holiday Shopping Survey”, almost half of the survey respondents (48 percent) would consider giving a gift of secondhand clothing. In fact, an even greater number (56 percent) said they would be happy to receive a thrifted…

WHAT Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, a local not-for-profit providing services and programs that empower people to overcome barriers to independence, is opening a new donation center in Webster. WHEN Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. WHERE 1250 Creek Street, Webster, NY 14580 WHY “When Goodwill of the Finger Lakes closed the Attended Donation Center (ADC) on Bay Road at the end of…

This year you can celebrate #GivingTuesday and ROC the Day for the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) and Goodwill of the Finger Lakes! Join the Rochester community on 12.3.19 in a day of unprecedented giving. It’s your chance to make a real difference and we’re hoping you’ll make a difference by supporting ABVI and Goodwill of the Finger Lakes. There are…

ROCHESTER, NY – Every so often, an online rumor titled “Think Before You Donate” makes the rounds on social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. This collection of misinformation includes false statements about a number of charitable organizations, including Goodwill, and claims to expose inflated salaries and financial mismanagement. The information included in the viral…