Fun Fact: The Life of a Goodwill Donation - From Donation Bin to New Beginnings

Donating is the easiest first step to making an impact in your community. At Goodwill Acadiana, we depend on our community's generosity to declutter and donate their unused items, while we give them a new purpose to empower our neighbors in Acadiana!

Step 1: Donation Drop-Off

All you have to do is bring them to one of our donation centers. Simple as that! Not only will you have finally cleaned out the clutter in your closet, but you'll also have that feel-good sensation for playing an important role in your community. Every donation counts!

Check out our hours of operation!

Step 2: Sorting

After you drop off your donations at one of our locations, our employees go through your items! Your gently used items are processed and hung on racks that go into our local stores, and for any damaged items, they're recycled to become new, useable goods again (like rags made from torn clothes).

Step 3: Goodwill Acadiana Retail Stores

Once all of your items have been processed, you may find your previously owned items on a rack in your local Goodwill Retail Store! Not only will your items have a new home, but they will also serve a new purpose - providing affordable items to our community and keeping waste out of landfills. Donating is just the first step though, as purchases are what fund our services and provide us the ability to make a true difference in our community.

Step 4: Funding Community Services

Goodwill Acadiana is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, meaning we work to help people and make a positive impact on our community instead of making money for owners or shareholders. The money we make from selling donated items is put back into our mission and local community services. Simply put: our goal is to make a difference, not a profit.

Step 5: Community Impact

Now we made it to the fun part! Goodwill Acadiana offers many opportunities to help our neighbors in need to get back on their feet. Just walk into our Mission Services Center, and we'll provide you with the free services and resources you need to start your next chapter.

Services we provide include:

• Adult (HiSET) Preparation

• Employment Services

• Community Service

• Crisis Assistance

• Supported Employment Program

• Pre-vocational Habilitation

• Affordable Housing

Learn more about our Services here!

Donate to your local Goodwill today and be apart of our mission to Reduce poverty, Restore Independence, and Transform Lives in Acadiana 🫶

Emotional Story: Overcoming Self Doubt

Amber holding the Goodwill Acadiana HiSET Graduate sign

🎉 Join us in celebrating Amber - a loving mom who overcame self doubt!

When she found out she was pregnant her senior year of high school, Amber dropped out to take care of her soon-to-be baby girl. She'd go on to have two more children and put all of her time and energy into being the best mom she could be.

When she found out about Goodwill Acadiana's HiSET program through social media, she immediately reached out and enrolled! Then self doubt crept in, as she worked on the packet a bit, but then put it down for months.

That packet was always there, waiting for her to pick it up, and after about 8 months, she did just that. After picking up where she left off, she passed the practice test and all five HiSET tests on her FIRST try 💙

She's now looking into Phlebotomy programs (as well as possibly expanding into EKG Technician training), and she's excited to cross the stage in December with South Louisiana Community College!

Amber, your compassion and perseverance are inspiring. You can do anything you set your mind to, and we're so excited to see what you do next!

To our community: YOU made this possible. Your donations are so much more than items. They are second chances, and Amber is proof 🫶

To register for Goodwill Acadiana's HiSET program, visit our Services page for more info!

Everyone Deserves Recognition

Emma holding the Goodwill Acadiana HiSET Graduate sign

🎉 Join us in congratulating Emma - our newest HiSET graduate!

While Emma prefers to keep her story private, we want to highlight her hard work and amazing accomplishment! Life gets hard for all of us, and we all deserve a second chance and to be celebrated when we achieve something great 💙

Emma, we're so proud of you! You deserve this, and we can't wait to see what you accomplish next. We're here for you the whole way!

To our community: YOU made this possible. Your donations are so much more than items. They are second chances, and Emma is proof 🫶

To register for Goodwill Acadiana's HiSET program, visit our Services page for more info!