Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee is now offering volunteers the chance to help further its mission of providing education, training and employment opportunities.

Volunteer opportunities, including production hanger, production sorter, book scanner, shipping assistant and processing assistant, are available in Goodwill’s downtown Nashville production and e-commerce departments. The not-for-profit’s leaders hope eventually to expand the volunteer program into Goodwill’s retail stores and other facilities across middle and west Tennessee.

Goodwill sells donated items in its retail stores to fund its mission. In 2015, Goodwill assisted more than 36,000 people and placed 15,000 into jobs.

“Volunteering at Goodwill is a terrific way to give back to your community by helping us change lives through the power of work,” Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee President and CEO Matthew Bourlakas said. “Our volunteers will be inspired by what they see and learn at Goodwill, and through their support, we will be inspired and enabled to help even more people.”

Though Goodwill has enjoyed support from volunteers in the past, it has not previously offered a formal volunteer program to the public. Patty Sullivant, a Talent professional for Deloitte Services LP, says she believes the program is a wonderful idea.

For the past four years, Sullivant and many of her co-workers at Deloitte have volunteered at Goodwill several days per year, conducting practice job interviews with clients of Goodwill Career Solutions and participants in Goodwill’s Summer Youth program.

“Our volunteers absolutely love it,” she said. “I can tell you jaws drop when they tour the (Goodwill) facility and see everything that goes on there and what good stewards of all the donations Goodwill is. Our employees come out of there fired up.”

By committing to work as little as two hours per week, volunteers can significantly enhance Goodwill’s operations.

While all individuals are welcome to volunteer, Goodwill is also reaching out to local businesses and corporations, school and college groups, scouting programs, senior citizen organizations, churches and others to consider organizing volunteer groups.

Goodwill also welcomes those seeking to fulfill court-ordered community service, though currently only at its Nashville headquarters.

BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING
Q&A with Hands On Nashville about volunteering. READ STORY

For more information on how Goodwill is impacting the lives of others read our 2014 Annual Report.

About Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

For nearly 60 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 2015, Goodwill served 36,081 people in Middle and West Tennessee and placed 15,412 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.