Drizzle and blustery winds couldnt keep a large crowd from turning out for the Thursday morning grand opening of Goodwills first store in Lakewood. About 30 minutes before the scheduled 9 a.m. opening, a line of people started to form by the front entrance. Minutes before people were let in, the line snaked around the corner.
Local government and Goodwill officials – including Lakewood Mayor Doug Richardson, Goodwill Board President Don Anderson and Goodwill CEO Terry Hayes – turned out for the opening of the building located just across from the Bank of America and near the Lakewood Colonial Center.
We are looking forward to being a vital part of the Lakewood retail community, Hayes said in a press statement released earlier. Weve had a lot of requests to be closer to our Lakewood customers.
The 21,000-square-foot building features a new look, with fresh paint, updated signage and tile floors.
Beyond the buildings improved appearance, the store is also designed to process its donations on-site, rather than sending items to Tacomas central processing facility for later redistribution. This decentralization offers a more efficient method of keeping the store stocked and making the best use of donated items.
Donations of clothing, household items and furniture will be accepted on site from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Saleable items in good condition are welcome during the hours that the donation station is open.
Lakewood Goodwill also brings with it up to 25 new jobs to the community.
Lakewood Goodwill is part of Tacoma Goodwill Industries, which currently has 17 stores and is headquartered in Tacoma.
Goodwill uses the revenues from its thrift stores to fund vocational training programs for those who have disabilities or disadvantages. Over 50 percent of the employees at Goodwill have experienced such barriers to employment.
Lakewood Goodwill is located at 6200 Mt. Tacoma Dr. SW. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Their phone number is 253/983-0040. The Lakewood store manager is Selena Walker.
Tacoma Goodwill is growing, and the Lakewood store represents one of two new stores locally that Goodwill will open this year. In September, Goodwill plans to open its 19th store in Puyallup, at South Hill at 129th and Meridian.
