This time of year we all try to do a little extra. Give a little more, smile a little more, care a little bit more. If only we could keep that generosity and mindset year round. Luckily, there are local organizations that do keep that kind of generosity going year round, Goodwill. That’s right, Goodwill. They do so much to help the community, last year alone, nearly 2 million people engaged in face-to-face Goodwill services to advance in their careers, and more than 35 million people accessed Goodwill’s virtual education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills and gain industry-recognized credentials. That is some pretty incredible generosity.

Give Good Cheer by Giving to Goodwill

As you preparing for holiday parties, cleaning out your closet for the new year, or looking for a way to help others, consider donating to Goodwill. but you can also make a difference in the lives of people in your community by donating to Goodwill. Goodwill sells donated goods through more than 3,200 stores across the United States and Canada, and channels more than 85 percent of sales revenue to provide those services to people who are unemployed or underemployed. You can donate your stuff and help your community. So you’re literally donating your stuff AND helping to create jobs. Plus, you can do this year round! What a great way to stay in the holiday spirit year-round.Goodwill isn’t just a place to take your donations. While you are there, take a look around. You might be surprised at what you might find. Need some extra chairs for family guests or maybe more dishes? Maybe you want to start or add to our game selection for family game night. They even have great books and movies. The options are truly endless. Knowing that anything you buy will go back to helping your community is something you can feel good about.Today, 8.9 million Americans are out of work, and nearly 15 percent of the workforce is underemployed, which includes part-time workers who would prefer full-time employment. The 164 local and independent Goodwill nonprofit organizations provided job placement services, career counseling, onsite and virtual skills training, and other community-based services (such as financial education, youth mentoring and access to transportation and child care) to millions of people last year. And to think we can help make a difference simply by donating our stuff that we no longer use!

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Job

Thanks to the job training programs made possible by donations of clothes and household items, Goodwill helped place more than 312,000 in jobs in the United States and Canada in 2015 — that’s one person finding a job every 23 seconds of every business day. You can even calculate how much your donation helps your local community by using Goodwill’s donation impact calculator, a feature available within the Goodwill Locator App  and at Goodwill.org (click “Explore Our Map” on the homepage to access the calculator). Simply input the items you’re donating to calculate the number of hours of career counseling, on-the-job training, résumé preparation, financial planning classes, and other services you’ve helped provide people facing challenges finding employment.Happy Donating and Happy Holidays! I can’t wait to see what a difference we can make this year!