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Letter to the Editor: Goodwill CEO says farewell to Front and Oregon location

The store will be relocating to Whitman Plaza.

 

Stock Photo/Pixabay

To the Editor,

After nearly 20 years of serving the South Philadelphia community at the corner of Front and Oregon, Goodwill closed its doors effective March 3.  Our landlord, Aldi, terminated our lease to expand its grocery store. Unfortunately, we are being forced to move before our new space in Whitman Plaza, 330 W. Oregon Ave., is ready for us.

On behalf of Goodwill, I would like to thank our many shoppers and donors for their patronage. Please know that Goodwill is fully vested in the South Philadelphia community and that while our Front Street site is closing, we will be back. We are working diligently to find temporary space to house our store and donation center.

Structural modifications in Whitman Plaza are underway in preparation for Goodwill’s arrival. With 16,000 square feet of space, it is double the size of the Goodwill that opened in 1999 on Front Street. This additional space, combined with a loyal donor base, will give shoppers access to an even greater inventory of bargains. The South Philadelphia Goodwill takes in, on average, 30,000 donations a year.

Goodwill is more than a place for bargain hunters — it is a place for new beginnings.  Proceeds from the sale of donated items in our retail stores fund job-training programs and career services that help individuals with disabilities and disadvantages get to work. For example, Goodwill operates The Helms Academy in West Philadelphia. Here, adults 18 years old and older can earn their high school diploma 100-percent tuition free while simultaneously earning up to 30 college credits. The Helms Academy will soon expand to the campus of Temple University. I encourage anyone who wants to attain their high school diploma to visit helmsacademy.org for more information. As for our store and donation center, we will come back stronger than ever. For the latest updates, please follow us on Facebook.

Mark B. Boyd

President & CEO

Goodwill Industries of Southern NJ & Philadelphia

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