Goodwill of Orange County Opens Westminster Retail Store

WESTMINSTER, CA--(Marketwired - Jun 17, 2014) - Goodwill of Orange County, a social-enterprise organization that helps people facing barriers secure purpose-filling jobs, opened its newest retail location in Westminster on Friday, June 13. A crowd of more than 350 eager Goodwill shoppers lined up anticipating the store opening, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local officials and addresses by Goodwill of Orange County president and CEO, Frank Talarico, Jr. and board member, Tom Salinger.

"An operation that started as a small storefront in Santa Ana in 1924 now includes 21 retail locations, an online store, shopgoodwill.com and the Goodwill Marketplace," said Talarico. "The opening of a new store directly translates to the generation of additional funds we can use to provide more job training, resources and education to members of our community facing barriers to employment. No matter how many stores we open, each one is unique and exciting."

Westminster city leaders including Mayor Tri Ta, Council Member Sergio Contreras, Council Member Diana Lee Carey and Chamber of Commerce President Syed Shaw attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony; as well as Phong Ly, representing United States Congressman Alan Lowenthal, of California's 47^th district. The first 50 shoppers in line on Friday and Saturday received complimentary $10 Goodwill gift cards, and Goodwill gave away two iPads to celebrate the grand opening.

The 8,500-square-foot location features a beautiful glass display, highlighting how donations to Goodwill help generate job placements, supporting the organization's mission. For every dollar that comes into Goodwill of Orange County, 92% goes back to funding Goodwill's job training, placement and education services. In 2013, more than 15,000 Orange County residents living with disabilities and other barriers to employment benefited from the organization's programs. Celebrating its 90^th anniversary this year, Goodwill of Orange County is committed to giving community members a hand up rather than a hand out, allowing them to achieve independence through the power of work.

The Westminster Goodwill is located in the Westminster Center Shopping Center - 6741-B Westminster Blvd., Westminster, Calif. 92683. The location also accepts donations at the back of the store. For more information regarding Goodwill of Orange County's retail stores and donation centers, please visit www.ocgoodwill.org/shop.

About Goodwill of Orange County: Since 1924, Goodwill of Orange County has been in the business of helping people who are facing barriers to enter the workforce in a meaningful, fulfilling manner. Founded on the belief that every person should have the opportunity to achieve the independence that work provides, Goodwill is most recognized for being the conduit where donated goods are sold in America's favorite thrift stores to generate the revenue that provides the services to those who face employment challenges. Celebrating its 90^th year in 2014, Goodwill of Orange County has supported hundreds of thousands of Orange County residents since its inception by creating and providing quality training and employment services to empower its program participants to be productive and independent. The nonprofit organization has dozens of programs that support this effort, including the Goodwill Fitness Center, Orange County's only facility specially designed for people suffering from chronic illnesses and physical disabilities; its veterans' advocacy program, Enduring Independence, which helps veterans and their families transition to civilian life through the power of work; and its Assistive Technology Exchange Center (ATEC), which provides access to more than 1,000 state-of-the-art technology devices for children and adults with disabilities. These are just a few of Goodwill of Orange County's innovative programs that have served those facing barriers in Orange County for the past nine decades. In 2012, Goodwill was named one of Orange County's Most Trusted Brands. To learn more about Goodwill of Orange County, visit ocgoodwill.org.