Goodwill and Family Circle Team Up
for Back-To-School Clothing Drive
Goal is Set at Collecting Five Million Pounds of Clothes
Astoria, NY — To ensure that every child goes back to school in style this year, Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey and Family Circle have teamed up to launch a five million pound clothing drive which will run from Saturday, August 1 through Wednesday, September 30, 2009. The partnership will be featured in the September issue of Family Circle, the magazine’s first ever issue dedicated to Back-To-School, as well as www.shopfamilycircle.com, the brand’s new e-commerce destination.
Family Circle and Goodwill Industries invite moms and dads to put their gently-used adult and kids’ clothes to work by donating them so that another child can have a “new to them” outfit for their first day of school. The donated items will be sold at more than 2,300 Goodwill® retail stores nationally, making affordable, contemporary clothing available to families on budgets. The program will also generate revenue that funds Goodwill’s job training programs and career services to help families achieve economic success.
“Not only is donating to Goodwill a great way to clean out closets and teach your children about gratitude, responsibility and the opportunity to help others, but your donation will help fund support services such as youth programs and adult education so that people can stabilize their families while finding good jobs,” says William J. Forrester, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey.
Readers can help the NY-NJ Goodwill and Family Circle reach their five million pound goal by attaching the printable coupon from the magazine’s September issue with their clothing contribution. The coupon can be downloaded from www.shopfamilycircle.com/goodwill, where readers can also find helpful information about organizing their own Back-to-School Clothing Drives.
“The Family Circle community is always looking for ways to give back and get involved,” said Carey Witmer, Publisher of Family Circle. “Partnering with Goodwill – both in the magazine and on our new e-commerce destination – is a great way to give our readers the tools to help families in need.”
ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES
Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, provides educational and vocational services, job opportunities and post-employment support for people facing economic challenges, including children and youth, and people with disabilities and other disadvantages. Headquartered in Astoria, Queens, the community-based agency serves more than 136,000 persons a year. In 2008, Goodwill placed close to 13,000 individuals in jobs.
Goodwill is one of New York’s original recyclers since its founding in 1915. Today, the nonprofit corporation recycles computer equipment, clothing and household goods. Unwanted items may be dropped in any of its 37 Goodwill stores. Locate the closest Goodwill store at www.goodwillny.org/findgoodwill.aspx.
ABOUT FAMILY CIRCLE
Published 15 times a year by Meredith Corporation, with a circulation of 3.8 million and 21 million readers, Family Circle is one of the most widely read monthly magazines in the world. Family Circle provides smart relevant advice, sensible solutions, and inspiration in a voice that encourages and celebrates success in its pages and online at www.familycircle.com. Family Circle has always been committed to women’s issues and in 1973 became the first women’s magazine to fully underwrite a professional women’s sporting event, the Family Circle Cup, an annual women’s tennis tournament held in April in Charleston, S.C., at Family Circle Magazine Stadium.
Press Contact for Goodwill:
Mauricio Hernandez, senior vice president of Retail Sales
718-777-6392
mhernandez@goodwillny.org
Press Contact for Family Circle:
Colleen Schwartz
(212) 551-7033
Colleen.Schwartz@meredith.com