November 6, 2025; Bob Warren
The Goodwill store in Slidell has moved to a new location, opening Thursday in the space formerly occupied by the Joann Fabric and Crafts store at Gause and Northshore boulevards.
Goodwill’s move to the Village of North Shore Mall shopping area fills a spot that came open when three Joann stores across metro New Orleans closed earlier this year, after the chain filed for bankruptcy.
Goodwill had a grand opening celebration at its new Slidell location Thursday morning.
“This new store isn’t just a bigger building — it’s a bigger opportunity,” Jodee Daroca, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana, said in a statement. “Every donation and every purchase helps fund programs that give people a second chance.”
The Slidell location is one of 23 Goodwill stores across southeast Louisiana. Around 25 people work there, said Ken Jones, Goodwill’s vice president of community relations and public affairs.
Goodwill had worked out of a store at 184 Gause Blvd. until making its move to the new spot. The new locations offers more retail space, Jones said.
“It’s bigger and has easier access,” he said.
The larger store will drive higher revenue, Jones said.
Goodwill, a nonprofit founded in Boston more than a century ago, sells used, donated goods, ranging from clothes to furniture to appliances. The company uses the proceeds to offer job training, education and other programs through four “Opportunity Centers,” including one in St. Tammany, the company said.
Goodwill offers support services to people who age out of foster care, along with military veterans and people leaving incarceration. Goodwill said formerly incarcerated people who complete its reentry program suffer a 4% recidivism rate, much less than Louisiana’s 20% general rate.
“We’re not just a thrift store,” Jones said. “In fact, the thrift store is only a small part of what we do.”