KINGSVILLE, Tx — Kingsville’s new and improved Goodwill location is opening to the public Thursday, April 18. The new remodel comes with a stronger and more focused mindset, as well.
“We wanted to update our building to provide great job training and placement services to the people in Kingsville while also giving them a great place to shop, so we really felt a new store was the way to go,” Chief Operating Officer Will Lufburrow said.
Most proceeds that Goodwill makes from purchases go directly back to the community through their Job Connections Center.
Stefany Schade is a Goodwill customer and has visited every Goodwill location in the Coastal Bend and further out.
She said she buys from them because she knows where her money is going.
“I love Goodwill because they always do such great things for the community, and they always have really great products too, which you can tell I indulge. They are passionate and great about providing jobs and helping people get back into the workforce, especially those with barriers,” Schade said.
Jose Hernandez is a walking testimony of the help Goodwill offers.
Hernandez is a senior citizen and a retired veteran. He said he did not grow up in the digital age.
“My first language was Spanish, my second language was English, and then to face a third language, which is computer language, was very difficult,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez took advantage of the free program the store offered and was able to make more progress learning technology in three months than he did in years.
“In 40 years, I have not gotten a certificate in computers. In Goodwill, I’ve been there less than three months and I’ve got more than three certificates already. You get into the classroom, they guide you, you don’t waste time, and you work at your own pace,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said with the Job Connections Center; he feels he now has proof to show his future employer that he can adapt to the modern age and be an asset to their team.
“I’m definitely ready. I can tell an employer that I can help even if you put me in front of a computer, and I can send a better email than I could before, and I can fill out the application to get hired,” Hernandez said.
And Hernandez, like many others, is discovering that you can find goodwill through the store.
“A mistake that I made was my conception of the Goodwill that it was for low income people and that their needs were different than mine. I was wrong. I didn’t realize that I had a need, and they had an answer,” Hernandez said.
Goodwill will host their ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. Thursday. There will be workshops throughout the day to follow, including networking through Microsoft Teams and multiple Google certifications.
The new store is filled with donated and new items that come pre-packaged to give a better variety and shopping experience for customers.
There are about 12,000 items on the floor that will be constantly rotated throughout the week to keep things fresh moving forward.
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