MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Judy Bond has donated her gently used clothing and small household items to Goodwill for decades, because she believes in the not-for-profit’s mission of helping people find work.

But since her husband died, whenever the diminutive Murfreesboro widow had large items she wanted to donate — such as furniture, she had to find another taker because she couldn’t get them to a Goodwill Donation Express Center. Then recently, while shopping in her local Goodwill retail store, she noticed a sign advertising a new Home Pickup program for donations.

“Right there in the store, I said, ‘Hot diggety-dog!’” she recalls. “The (cashier) looked up at me, and I said, ‘Pickup service! It’s about time. I’ll be calling you.’”

Bond did call. And on July 21, two Goodwill Home Pickup program employees arrived in a box truck at her residence. They carefully gathered up and removed a collection of items filling nearly half of her living room, including a large upholstered chair, some bookshelves and lamps, an antique sewing machine and a 7-foot-tall, solid-wood armoire.

The items will be sold in Goodwill’s retail stores, and the proceeds will be used to provide job training and employment opportunities for people in Murfreesboro and communities across Middle and West Tennessee.

For Bond, the service is a godsend — and one she said she plans to use again. Before her husband died in 2005, they downsized from a large house to a much smaller one. She said she is still working to weed out unneeded furniture and household items.

Another reason Bond chooses to give to Goodwill is her son, who was born with cerebral palsy and other health issues. She was his caregiver throughout his life until he died in 2009 at age 36. She said the experience left her with a deep appreciation for Goodwill’s long tradition of helping people with disabilities.

“Goodwill is very good about giving disabled people a job and giving them a chance in life,” she explained.

One further reason Bond supports Goodwill was sitting beside her on the couch as her home pickup took place. Kim Warren, Bond’s niece, worked for Chattanooga Goodwill Industries for 15 years, founding and promoting a program that provides free medical equipment to those in need. The two now share Bond’s home.

“She has drummed it into my head: ‘Don’t throw that away — Goodwill wants that. Give it to Goodwill!’” Bond explained.

Her niece laughed.

“We know the mission of Goodwill, and that’s what’s important to us,” Warren said.

Read this summers edition of The Ambassador – Goodwill’s quarterly magazine which provides readers with stories of events, activities and the inspiring changes Goodwill is making in the lives of others.

About Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

For more than 55 years Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee has provided job training and job placement free of charge to people with disabilities or other barriers to employment through the sale of donated items. In 2014, Goodwill served 28,159 people in Middle and West Tennessee and placed 9.558 people in jobs. More information about Goodwill’s Career Solutions, retail stores and donation centers can be obtained online at  www.giveit2goodwill.org or by calling 1-800-545-9231

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