This National Thrift Shop Day, August 17, Goodwill of Middle Georgia & the CSRA is inviting shoppers to celebrate the kind of thrifting that changes lives.

As part of a nonprofit mission that provides education, skills training, and career services to more than 4,000 CSRA residents each year, Goodwill transforms donated goods into opportunities for neighbors facing barriers to employment.

To mark the occasion, Goodwill is hosting a special one-week Thrift Week Passport Challenge, running Sunday, August 16 through Sunday, August 23, encouraging shoppers to explore multiple Goodwill retail training stores, collect stickers, and enter to win a $100 Goodwill gift card.

For Derrick, Goodwill became a place to find more than employment. As a single parent and only child caring for his mother, he needed stability, encouragement, and an opportunity to build a better future for himself and his family. Through Goodwill, Derrick is gaining valuable skills through Helms College’s HVAC/R program and working toward a career that can provide greater stability for his family. “Goodwill gave me a new outlook on life, and I’m gaining skills at Helms College through the HVAC/R program to better myself and my family,” he said. His story is one of many made possible by Goodwill shoppers, whose purchases help create opportunities for people to gain skills, build confidence, and change their lives one career at a time.

How the Thrift Week Passport Challenge Works

• Pick up your passport at any Goodwill store in Middle Georgia and the CSRA.
• Make a purchase at multiple stores to collect stickers for your passport.
• Collect at least 8 stickers and submit your completed passport by August 23 for a chance to win a $100 Goodwill gift card.

Over the past five years, Goodwill of Middle Georgia has kept more than 14 million pounds of reusable goods in circulation locally, part of 4.4 billion pounds recovered across the Goodwill network. That means fewer items in landfills, more resources conserved, and more funding for the education, skills training, and career services that help neighbors build better lives.

Participating store locations and mission details can be found at www.goodwillworks.org.