Calling all bargain hunters...
Credit: Goodwill South Florida
Broward’s thrift-shopping has another stop. Goodwill South Florida opened its newest retail store and donation center Wednesday, October 28, at 919 W. State Road 84 in Fort Lauderdale, bringing its Broward County store count to 18.
The opening follows a new Tamarac location this spring, and the nonprofit says its Broward expansion has a purpose that extends beyond the checkout counter.
“After opening our first new Broward store in years in Tamarac this spring, Fort Lauderdale marks the next step in our commitment to Broward County,” Mauricio Hernandez, chief operating officer for Goodwill South Florida tells Browardist. “The State Road 84 location puts Goodwill right where families live, work and shop every day, and it reflects how much we believe in Broward’s future. When residents shop and donate here, they do more than find great deals. They help create jobs for people with disabilities and other barriers to work, and they support Fort Lauderdale’s sustainability efforts by keeping usable items out of the landfill.”
Ready to investigate the racks? Goodwill lists the new store’s hours as 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The address doubles as a donation destination.
Wednesday’s opening celebration was scheduled around a 9:30 a.m. ribbon cutting, with live music, spin-the-wheel giveaways, hourly raffles and special gifts for the first 100 guests. With opening day behind us, the ongoing draw is affordable secondhand shopping that helps fund employment services.
And the operation behind those donated goods is substantial. Serving Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, Goodwill South Florida says its social enterprise model funds mission services and employment for over 3,000 people. The organization also reports that 95 percent of its budget goes directly to programs for people with disabilities and other barriers to work.
