I found out today that Goodwill is reopening their retail stores AND Job Centers starting Friday, May 1st! This is great news for families who are in need of clothing and housewares at deeply discounted prices, and even better news for people who have lost work due to coronavirus. Let Goodwill help you with resume prep, interviews, and connections to companies with current availability. See below for all the details, including info on how they're taking extra steps to keep you safe and healthy:
Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc. is reopening stores and job centers starting May 1 to assist people who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and offer value shopping options for people in West Central Florida.
The reopening dates for Goodwill-Suncoast stores are listed below. For store addresses, visit goodwill-suncoast.org/store-locations/. The stores will be open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday for shoppers and to accept donations.
Opening May 1: Trinity; Spring Hill; Crystal River and Ocala
Opening May 2: Oldsmar; Hwy 301, Tampa; Riverview; Ruskin; Wesley Chapel; Plant City; Lakeland; Winter Haven; Clearwater; Sebring; Oxford (The Villages)
Opening May 3: Brandon
Opening May 4: 34th Street, St. Pete; Gandy Blvd., St. Pete.; Largo
The store on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa will reopen after renovations are complete and outlet stores will reopen at a later date.
Job Connection centers inside the Riverview and St. Pete 34th Street Goodwill stores will reopen the same dates as their host stores. Services at the job centers include help with resume development, connections with companies that are hiring, and access to computers and the internet. Please check goodwill-suncoast.org/job-connection-center/ for hours of operation.
To ensure the safety of our customers and associates, Goodwill is strictly following CDC guidelines for physical distancing and maintaining occupancy of 25% or less in its stores. Goodwill has implemented safety measures including sanitizing frequent touch points throughout the day; frequently sanitizing shopping carts; establishing one-way traffic in store aisles; and providing team members with face masks. Acrylic “sneeze guards” between cashiers and customers are also being installed in all stores. In the job centers, computer stations have been reconfigured to be 6 feet apart and they will be sanitized after each use. The number of job seekers inside the centers at any one time will be limited. For a more complete list of safety measures, visit goodwill-suncoast.org/safety/.
Goodwill depends on the revenue from stores to fund Job Connection centers and other services to the community. As a self-funded social service organization, Goodwill collects donated items and sells them in its stores to people seeking affordable household goods and clothing. In the process, your local Goodwill keeps tons of items out of landfills and employs more than 1,000 people. As families face layoffs and an uncertain future, Goodwill’s job services and the stores that fund them will be more vital than ever in helping people rebuild their lives.