Good News

Rochester, NY – Beginning Monday, November 4, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes will pilot the removal of plastic bags at its Macedon and Henrietta, New York stores. Goodwill plans to eliminate plastic bags from all of its Rochester and Syracuse area stores ahead of the state ban that will take effect on March 1, 2020. During the pilot, shoppers at the Macedon and Henrietta Goodwill stores are…

ROCHESTER, NY - Goodwill of the Finger Lakes and the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) CEO Dr. A. Gidget Hopf has been named to the list of finalists for the 2020 ATHENA International Award by the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and its Women’s Council affiliate. According to the Chamber, “The ATHENA International Award is given annually to a professional…

ROCHESTER, NY - According to a recent study, 70 percent of Americans are planning to celebrate Halloween this year. Yet, 75 percent of them do not have a plan for their Halloween costume. This statistical disparity got Goodwill's Halloween Stylists thinking. What their ghoulish design minds came up with is nothing short of spooktacular. "We're excited to announce Goodwill's all-new online…

We’re excited to announce that Newell Brands (DYMO) has been named Larger Supplier of the Year 2019 by the National Association for the Employment of People who are Blind (NAEPB). This award recognizes Newell Brands’ support of the AbilityOne program and dedication to finding new and innovative ways to provide job opportunities for people who are blind through its partnership…

Rochester, NY - Goodwill of the Finger Lakes and its affiliate, The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, (ABVI) announce CEO Dr. Gidget Hopf will retire on June 30, 2020, after nearly 34 years in her role. Through Dr. Hopf’s leadership, this not for profit organization has grown into a $50 million social enterprise with 90 percent of its revenue self-generated by four…

WHAT: National Suicide Prevention Week 2019 is set for Sunday, September 8 through Saturday, September 14. The 17th Annual World Suicide Prevention Day is Tuesday, September 10. WHY: 1 in 5 adults experience a mental illness Nearly 1 in 25 adults live with a serious mental illness One half of all chronic mental illness starts by age 14, ¾ by age 24. 90% of those who die by suicide have an…

As part of our Mission programs, our teams work with youth to help prepare them for the workforce and in development a career path.  Last week, a group of 11 teenagers (ages 13-18) went on a field trip to local places to learn about career paths, employer expectations, job opportunities, and volunteer opportunities.  Some of the youth were enrolled in a week-long pre-vocational course…

The “Book Bus” made its inaugural run on July 15th, bringing the gift of books to a few different neighborhoods within the York School District; the York Fire Hall, where students and families were welcomed to meet the bus; and to the participants in the York-Leicester Recreation Program which is held at the school.  Over 2000 books were collected from the Donated Goods Retail…

The new donation center will begin accepting donations on Saturday, June 1, 2019. 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 it will open a new store and donation center at Eastview Mall with a grand opening weekend celebration on Saturday, June 29 and Sunday,…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes today announced the launch of Everyday Deals pricing throughout all of its retail stores in the Rochester and Syracuse markets beginning on Monday, March 18, 2019. “Many of our Goodwill shoppers have asked us to lower our clothing prices, and we listened! We are excited to announce our new Everyday Deals pricing, which lowers our prices and gives our customers…

Throughout the years, the Joseph and Nancy Briggs Family have made contributions to the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) that have demonstrated a commitment to the organization’s mission and to preserving its ability to serve those in our community who are blind or visually impaired well into the future. As a result of this generosity, ABVI, a mission program of…

The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), a mission program of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, is celebrating 50 years of providing Low Vision Services to the Finger Lakes region at its 2019 Visionary Gala: Hearts of Gold presented by Smola Consulting, taking place on Saturday, March 9, 2019 from 6:00-9:00 pm at the Hyatt Regency Rochester. Fifty years ago, in 1969, low vision,…

There are more than 2,000 local individuals and families impacted by the ongoing partial government shutdown. At 2-1-1/LIFE LINE, a mission program of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, we stand ready 24 hours a day, every day, to support our community, including the government employees affected by the furloughs. Dial 2-1-1 any time to talk to a trained telecounselor who can connect you to resources…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes announces it's store hours in the Rochester and Syracuse areas for the 2018 Holiday Season. The hours are as follows: Christmas Eve, Monday, 12/24 Goodwill Stores and Clearance Center - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Goodwill Outlet - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Attended Donation Centers - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Christmas Day, Tuesday, 12/25 All locations are closed on Christmas Day so…

The holidays are a time for giving.  A time for helping those in need.  A time for ... Goodwill!   And now through December 31st your purchase at this, or any area Goodwill stores will do even more good in the community.   Just spend $20 on great Goodwill finds and Goodwill will donate a $20 gift card to the Good Neighbor Program that supports those in the most need in our…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes and the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABV), a mission program of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, are gearing up to once again ROC the Day and they want to know: Are you ready? This year, on Tuesday, November 27 you can ROC the Day and celebrate #GivingTuesday with an online gift in support of the programs and services Goodwill and ABVI provide to…

ROCHESTER, NY - Americans of all ages are most excited to wear unique, one-of-a-kind costumes this Halloween season, and thrift stores are the number one place where shoppers plan to find materials for their do-it-yourself ensembles, according to the 2018 Goodwill® Halloween Poll. Participants in this year’s survey responded to a series of online questions about Halloween costumes and…

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes announces the addition of Ian Harper, Vice President of Finance at Xerox, as the newest member of the local not-for-profit’s Board of Directors. Ian began his career with Xerox in the UK in 1988. As the VP of Finance, Ian is responsible for financial oversight of the delivery and supply chain operations, Xerox’s shared service center strategy as well as IT,…

During the week of August 20, 2018, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is holding three recruitment fairs to fill 45 full and part-time entry-level positions in stores in our Rochester market. Positions start at $11.15/hour with no experience required. “Working at Goodwill means working on a team that helps people and changes lives. We are looking for new team members who model our values because…

In 2018, Low Vision Center Medical Director Dr. Gwen Sterns celebrated her 40th year of service with the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), a mission program of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes. In recognition of this milestone achievement for Dr. Sterns, ABVI held a celebration highlighted by a tree planting in her honor in the organization's Outdoor Mobility and Training…

Often times, our shoppers think Goodwill is just a retail location.  They're usually not aware it is a local, not-for-profit organization that benefits the community solely through the shopping and donating of our customers.  To bring awareness to this, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes ran a campaign from July 16-20, 2018 to show some of the "Behind the scenes" work that is occurring through…