Goodwill Loan Creating 40 New Jobs

A $910,000 low-interest loan is making it possible for Goodwill Industries of Northern Arizona to create 40 new jobs, expanding the number of people the non-profit organization employs from 160 to 200. It also will allow Goodwill to open an additional store, donation centers and Job Connection, which provides job training and workforce development services to the unemployed.
“These positions include retail leadership, retail line level, and workforce development professional positions,” said Goodwill Industries of Northern Arizona President and CEO David Hirsch. “We have helped over 700 of our neighbors throughout Northern Arizona to find jobs on the payrolls of local businesses this year through our workforce development and business engagement focus. The accelerated growth that this loan provides will allow us to help nearly 900 residents of our local communities begin earning a paycheck next year, while at the same time, providing local businesses with pre-screened, job-ready applicants – a real ‘win-win’ for our local communities.”
Goodwill will open a new 25,000-square-foot store, donation center and Job Connection in Lake Havasu next August with four freestanding donation centers scheduled to open next year in Flagstaff, Cottonwood, Kingman and a yet-to-be-determined city.
Earlier this year, Goodwill Industries International launched the Job Creation Loan Fund operated by Goodwill Mission and Job Creation Services, Inc. (GMJCS) to accelerate job creation and workforce training for people with disabilities and economic disadvantages through a $10 million investment from three national foundations.
“A key component of our growth strategy is making it easy and convenient to donate and shop, which will allow us to increase our economic and fiscal impact to nearly $30 million per year throughout the Northern Arizona region,” said Hirsch.
This is the second straight year of significant growth designed to expand the organization’s mission of putting Northern Arizonans to work. The Flagstaff-headquartered non-profit organization expanded to a larger retail store, donation center and Job Connection near the Flagstaff Mall in May.
Goodwill Mission and Job Creation Services, Inc., promotes Goodwill’s mission by providing access to working capital to Goodwill members on terms that are more beneficial than they could obtain from other sources. FBN
For more information, visit www.goodwillna.org.