Goodwill donations remain low a month after tree damages warehouse, destroys inventory

WOOSTER − Donated goods are in decline at Goodwill of Wayne and Holmes Counties one month after storm damage destroyed many boxes of donations.

The nonprofit, with five stores in the two counties, reported 670 fewer donated goods in March and 114 fewer in April compared to those months in 2022, said Casey McGrady, vice president of donated goods and marketing.

While disheartening, the donation decline is nothing new, he said. The Wooster-based Goodwill has seen a steady decrease in donated goods since 2020.

Storm damage: Goodwill of Holmes, Wayne calls for donations after tree falls on Wooster warehouse

To make up for the loss of goods, Goodwill buys boxes of donated goods from other Goodwill regions, McGrady explained. This means less money is being reinvested in Wayne and Holmes counties.

"This money comes from the bottom line, which then impacts payroll and how many programs can be staffed," he said.

One month after a storm-related damage

Over the weekend of April 1, the weather turned for the worse. Wind gusts blew down trees across the region while rain poured from the skies.

When McGrady left the Wooster warehouse that Friday, he didn't expect to return Monday to come face-to-face with over a foot of water spewing from a broken waterline, but that's exactly what happened.

Over the weekend, a tree crashed through the warehouse roof, landing on boxes and breaking the main waterline for the site, he explained.

With over an estimated 30,000 gallons of water filling the space, dozens of boxes full of home goods, clothes and electronics were destroyed.

Already feeling the donation pinch since 2020, the nonprofit needed to buy more items from regional Goodwill stores following the flood.

In the first four months of 2023, McGrady estimates roughly 1,000 boxes were purchased from other Goodwills.

Feeling the pinch, decline in quality goods

The pinch first stung in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm. Supply chains slowed while many employees were sent home.

One year before, in 2019, sales were at an all-time high. By the end of 2020, those numbers plunged and continued to fall each year.

McGrady hesitates to blame the decline on the pandemic because many factors could be at play, ranging from the popularity of online shopping and surplus stores to online marketplaces like those on Facebook, and the quality of certain manufactured goods.

"Facebook marketplace is a great place for people to connect, make money and buy from people they trust, but it has impacted our business," he said.

Over the last few years, McGrady and his colleagues have noticed the poorer quality of donated goods.

"Fast fashion has led to companies making clothes that don't last as long," he said. "Even furniture has become cheaper."

Because Goodwill often sells second-hand items, McGrady said there is a quality standard they accept. Some items don't make it to the shelves and are often recycled.

If a table has one leg missing, it won't be sold. If a shirt has many holes or is raggedy, it will be recycled.

Fewer local donations mean fewer funds

Goodwill donates 90 cents per dollar back to the community it serves.

In 2022, Goodwill of Wayne and Holmes Counties invested roughly $7.85 million back into the two counties, according to its 2022 annual report.

At 69%, most of that goes toward wages and benefits for Goodwill employees. Fulltime workers earn $16.40 an hour, the report shows.

The remaining $2.4 million funds transportation, Goodwill facilities, equipment and a variety of services.

All of this allows Goodwill to manage different community programs including job training, case managers at area schools for students, computer donations and for those with severe disabilities, McGrady explained.

In need of 30,000 more annual donors

To make up the donation difference and to stop purchasing so many items from other Goodwill locations, Ashly Hart said the nonprofit needs roughly 30,000 new annual donors from the area.

That's about one in five people from the region Goodwill of Wayne and Holmes counties serves, said Hart, of community and donor relations at Goodwill.

There are plenty of opportunities to donate, she said.

The five locations − Wooster, Rittman, Orrville, Millersburg and Loudonville − have drive-thrus for individuals to donate goods, she said.

There are donation pick-ups every second Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Doylestown Village Hall, 24 S. Portage St. The next two pick-up events are Saturdays, May 13 and June 10.

Donation drives also are held at workplaces and schools, she said. To set up a donation event, visit www.goodwillconnect.org/hostadrive.

Goodwill also has an online store. Revenue made from local items sold online goes back to the Wayne and Holmes communities, Hart said. To shop online visit shopgoodwill.com/home.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Donations to Goodwill remain low amid three-year donation decline