One thing a person can never have too much of is opportunity and that is exactly what Goodwill Industries of Mississippi is going to provide with the opening of its newest location right in the heart of Greenville.
Formerly the site of Office Depot, the Greenville Career Center, Retail Store, and Donation Center is located at 1662 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd S. and will officially be open to the public Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023.
Store hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Goodwill Industries of Mississippi anticipates this new addition to the Delta region will bring Goodwill's mission services, which include job training, virtual reality career exploration, virtual reality job interviewing, digital skills classes and a nationally recognized customer service certification class.
According to Goodwill Industries of Mississippi’s press release, this particular location is designed to provide a comprehensive and supportive environment for individuals seeking job training or employment.
“The retail store will sell a variety of gently used clothing, household items, and furniture, with proceeds from the sales supporting Goodwill's mission services. Along with donated goods, Goodwill will also offer new merchandise for sale including socks, reading glasses, and seasonal items,” the press release stated further.
"We are thrilled to bring Goodwill's services to the Mississippi Delta, and to be a part of the community's efforts to support individuals seeking career development and employment," said Brad Steffani, CEO of Goodwill Industries of Mississippi. "We believe that the Greenville location will provide valuable resources and support to the local community, and we look forward to serving the residents of the Delta and its surrounding areas."
Roy Johns, vice president of Marketing and Donated Goods Retail for Goodwill of Mississippi, reiterated how very high the excitement level is for the opening of its newest location, especially considering some of the challenges that had to be overcome in the process.
It was Goodwill of Mississippi’s hope to have the store open three months earlier than Feb. 23, but key stakeholders are elated as ever about the endeavor.
Johns pointed out that Goodwill’s identity is not just that of a retail store or for profit organization.
“We do everything that we do in the communities we serve with the people we serve at the forefront of our minds. So, we have a variety of training opportunities for people that we employ and also the community that we serve,” he highlighted. “That includes a lot of training as far as getting people prepared to go back to work and getting their skills up so that they can take on better opportunities.”
The high-tech means of training such as the virtual reality job interview training is one Johns and others are especially excited about as it will go a long way in assisting those trying to break into the workforce.
Johns said on the virtual career training, “That lets that person experience a variety of technical jobs which vary from culinary (to industrial), so they’d be in an atmosphere surrounded by virtual reality working in a kitchen, learning to make different kinds of sauces and how to create different kinds of food.”
The scope of virtual reality simulations that allows someone to get a sense of a certain work atmosphere is quite broad, according to Johns.
“That gives that person a better understanding of where their passion lies and then we equip them with what can be done or what we can do to help them along their paths,” he said further, noting the offering of a national customer service certification at the Greenville location.
Whether it be providing tuition assistance to its employees or giving employment aid to those with prior convictions on their records, Goodwill’s mission to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to obtain employment is one the Mississippi Delta community is sure to support.
About Goodwill of Mississippi
Since its origination in 1957, Goodwill of Mississippi has been committed to providing meaningful opportunities for people with disabilities and other barriers to obtain employment to achieve their full potential. The social enterprise’s mission services have helped thousands of individuals in Mississippi to build better lives for themselves and their families through training and employment.
