Goodwill recommends 10 items to donate before end of the year - WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader

Goodwill recommends 10 items to donate before the end of the year

Many people take the time to donate to those less fortunate this time of year, and Goodwill is encouraging donors to give certain items to help the organization give back to the community year round.

"In a season when many of us are focused on gift buying, many Americans are also just as interested in giving back," Shannon Halverson of Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois said. "Even if funds are tight, people can give back by donating gently used items to Goodwill. We take everything from unwanted holiday sweaters to computers and laptops—even gift cards. At Goodwill, we turn these items into something very real: job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for people who have disabilities, those who lack education or job experience, and others who face challengers to finding employment."

Goodwill is asking for the following items:

• Computers: At the end of their useful life, computers can be donated to Goodwill and recycled for free. Donors should delete personal data before donating.
• Kitchenware
• Video Games: 10 video games can provide 47 minutes of on-the-job training for someone in need.
• Books: 15 books can provide 26 minutes of career counseling for a veteran.
• CDs
• Cell phones: Goodwill has partnered with Cell Phones for Soldiers, which uses old cell phones to help soldiers call home for free. Each phone gives 2.5 hours of free talk time. Personal data should be deleted prior to donation.
• Household items
• Bikes
• Gift cards: Unwanted gift cards, with any amount on it, can be donated to Goodwill.
• Clothes: Clothing donations provide funding for job training programs, but also provide new outfits for job seekers served by Goodwill.

To find a donation center near you, visit www.goodwillni.org.