Participant Spotlight: Garrett Vidrine
Meet Goodwill participant Garrett Vidrine, who started his journey with FedEx Ground in Baton Rouge as a Package Handler in August 2024 and has already been recognized as Employee of the Month for November 2024! Before finding Goodwill, Garrett faced the challenges of job searching on his own. To keep himself busy, he generously assisted an elderly neighbor with yard work and home repairs. His journey took a positive turn when the Louisiana Workforce Agency referred him to Goodwill.With the support of Laurence Williams, Goodwill's Workforce Readiness Manager in Baton Rouge, Garrett's resume was polished and connections were made that aligned him with a role at FedEx Ground. Garrett described the experience as transformative, sharing, "Once Laurence Williams came on board to help me find a job that I was interested in and I spoke to the manager at FedEx, it gave me a feeling of being valued." Garret is now thriving [...]
Participant Spotlight: Anthony Simmons
Meet 25-year-old Anthony Simmons. He used to find himself in trouble often and struggled to keep a steady job. That all changed when his father brought him here to Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana, hoping it would be the fresh start he needed to get on the right track. Once connecting with Goodwill, Anthony began working with out custodial team at the courthouse. He then transferred to our RTA team and began working for supervisors Harold Scott and Michael Stewart. Under their guidance, Anthony has made a positive change already in just his first two months. Not only is Anthony helping keep RTA's facilities clean, he's pushing forward into a brighter, more positive future for himself. Keep up the great work, Anthony!
Celebrate Earth Day at Goodwill’s E-Waste Drive!
Last year, donations to Goodwill helped divert more than 24 million pounds of goods from local landfills. This Earth Day, do something good for our community by donating your e-waste at Goodwill! If you can plug it in, we'll take it off your hands. Stop by for pictures with a Saints player, mascot and cheer krewe. Shop our Goodwill East store and/or our brand new outlet store. Check out the digital literacy lab in our Opportunity Center. Your donation will also get you a chance to win a signed Saints jersey.
Goodwill to Host Second Chance Month Career & Resource Fair April 17
Join Goodwill and our community partners for a Career & Resource Fair this Second Chance Month!
Join Goodwill on March 12 For a Northshore Community Career Fair
Join Goodwill and our Northshore partners for a Community Career Fair on March 12!
Happy 25th Goodwill-versary, Mrs. Iris!
Celebrating 25 Years of Dedication: Mrs. Iris Brown’s Incredible Journey with Goodwill For a quarter of a century, Mrs. Iris Brown has been the warm and welcoming face of Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana. As our Administrative Assistant and Receptionist, she has been much more than just the first point of contact—she has been a guiding hand, a listening ear and a source of kindness and encouragement for countless individuals who have walked through Goodwill’s doors. Mrs. Iris’ journey with Goodwill began with a twist of fate. After 18 years as an administrative assistant at Tulane University, she wanted a position that allowed her to spend more time with her family. She started applying for jobs, spotting a listing in the newspaper and mailing her application to a P.O. Box. At the time, she had no idea she was applying to Goodwill. When she received a callback, she was surprised—like [...]
Please Note Our Mardi Gras Closures
Multiple Goodwill locations are located on or near Mardi Gras parade routes and will operate under amended hours on various parade days. Please take note of the changes below. Friday, February 21 Metairie store and ADC will both close at 5PM. Mandeville store will close at 5PM. Saturday, February 22 Metairie store and ADC will both close at 3PM. Sunday, February 23 Metairie store and ADC will close at 2PM Thursday, February 27 Metairie store and ADC will close at 4PM. Saturday, March 1 Kenner store will close at 4PM. Sunday, March 2 LaPlace store will be closed all day. Metairie store and ADC will close at 3PM. Monday, March 3 Metairie store and ADC will close at 4PM. Tuesday, March 4 Metairie store and ADC will be closed all day.
Goodwill Honored as New Orleans Saints 50/50 Beneficiary
A big thank you to the New Orleans Saints for choosing Goodwill as a beneficiary of the 50/50 raffle at one of this year's home games, and another thank you to all of you who purchased tickets for a chance to win. Splitting the pot with the lucky winner, we were honored to receive $51,987.63! All of these funds will support our programs and services designed to put members of our community to work - veterans experiencing homelessness, individuals returning to their community after incarceration, young adults aging out of the foster care system, individuals with physical or mental disabilities and more.
Save the Date for Good Turn Day 2025!
Save the Date for Good Turn Day 2025: Saturday, March 22, from 9AM to 8PM at all 23 Goodwill SELA retail locations and all 4 Attended Donation Centers! The tradition continues! Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana and Girl Scouts Louisiana East are partnering together again this year for our annual Good Turn Day. How it works: Girl Scouts do a Good Turn by collecting gently used items (see our donation guidelines here) to bring to their local Goodwill (find a store here) and are honored with a “Good Turn” patch for participating. Your participation also helps make the general public aware of Goodwill’s mission and need for donations of quality gently used goods. Once items are received, they are processed and sold in Goodwill SELA’s 23 retail stores, followed by our brand new outlet if still unsold, to support our mission of helping people with disabilities and other employment disadvantages prepare [...]
GWSELA Announces Temporary Closure Due to Severe Weather
Due to the anticipated freezing temperatures and frozen precipitation in the area, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana will close all retail stores, attended donation centers, opportunity centers and Goodwill Technical College on Tuesday, January 21; Wednesday, January 22; and Thursday, January 23, 2025. Our top priority is the safety of our team members, donors, shoppers and community members. This decision has been made to ensure everyone remains safe during these hazardous weather conditions. We plan to resume normal operations as soon as conditions improve and it is safe. Our website and social media channels will share updates regarding store and donation center re-openings. We appreciate your understanding and encourage everyone to stay safe and take necessary precautions during this severe weather. Please note that our retail stores and attended donation centers will be open and operating with their normal hours Saturday, January 18, Sunday, January 19 and Monday, January 20. [...]