Complaint Review: Goodwill - Holland Michigan

So guess what I did? I let her and her granddaughter pick out 5 outfits each, shoes, & undergarments and I paid out of my own pocket $0.39(even though there clothes didn't weigh anywhere near a ton!) I did something similar to this when I worked for the money grubbing fool. I helped out quite a few single moms and those less fortunate. Good for you!

I had the same problem at the Goodwill in Delavan Wisconsin. Some employees would take stuff b4 it made it to the floor, but i never did. The thing that i dnt get is why do we sell used undergarments? Thats gross. Who wants a used bra or underwear ne ways? Also with the goodwill i worked at the sheleves were always over stocked and messy. Our store was never organized. It always looked messy. I saved the store i worked at. Some customer left a walfel iron on and i heard this beeping if i had taken any longer a fire would have broken out. They need no remove outlets for testing appliances. One last thing plz becareful of what u donate. I was taking donations once and i didnt know but someone had pepper spray in a box of stuff, i itched my eye after rummaging in the box to put things in certain spots and had to b rushed to the break room to wash my eye out. so be careful when donating.

I only worked for a few weeks as a volunteer, but this is what I learned. As stated by another respondent,.. yes, Goodwill Industries of West Michigan does send items from stores that typically receive a better quality of goods (like Holland) to stores in less affulent cities that have fewer quality items (such as Muskegon). And in response to the Asst. Manager who claims that one particular level of Goodwill did not assist a displaced family (who should seek assistance at the Salvation Army, church groups, etc),...that is not the overall purpose of Goodwill Industries. In some areas, these types of services may be offered on the side, however, the main goal of Goodwill is to provide job training to help individuals to be self-sufficient. The following was copied from the Goodwill of West Michigan Website,... "Goodwill's goal is to expand occupational opportunities for individuals who face a variety of obstacles to becoming a productive member of the workforce. Training and support play a critical role in Goodwill's philosophy of empowering individuals with the skills needed to find meaningful employment from persons transitioning off welfare, to displaced workers in need of new skills to re-enter the workplace, to persons with physical or cognitive disabilities." The finances for this training comes from , in a large part, the sale of the merchandise in the stores. Yes, the stores have a basic "operations" quota to meet, but sales over and above that are what help fund that occupational training. However, like any non-profit organization, it is unfortunate that there may be people working for Goodwill that are less than honest. These few people can cause a bad image for an otherwise good organization.

I use to work for good a good will store here in Michigan. I have many facts for you that will make your heads spin! First of all, depending on the store sorters, 50% of the time they throw away the good stuff and sell the CRAP! Clothes are DONATED to a SO CALL, "NON-PROFIT ORG" Little did you know each store has a monthly quota sheet that states how much you HAVE to clear each day in order to break even on your bills(which is understandable) but then there's the figures of what your suppose to make ABOVE that! Also, clothes are rotated and only in the stores 6 weeks, then there binned, and did you know that YOUR DONATED CLOTHES are then sold to foreign countries for $0.39 per ton??? But yet our Goverment doesn't wanna help OUR own country when we have homeless people here!!! Here's something that made me really sick and turned my stomach to the point I QUIT!!! There was a woman(grandmother) & her 8yr old granddaughter(whom she was raising), were both badly abused by the grandfather and when they left there home in the middle of the night to get away from the abuse, they were placed in a local temporary shelter which sent her and her granddaughter to US "GoodWill" because GoodWill advertised that they helped people in times of need!!! Well they came in and asked me for the phone number to our Local Corporate Office, so not hesitating I gave it and let her call from my desk. Of course she only got there voicemail but she left a message to please call her at the shelter and that all her and her granddaughter needed was the bare necessities. That poor woman checked back everyday for a week plus called everyday to Corporate Office and Never got any response! So guess what I did? I let her and her granddaughter pick out 5 outfits each, shoes, & undergarments and I paid out of my own pocket $0.39(even though there clothes didn't weigh anywhere near a ton!) Good Will, just like anything else offiliate by the Goverment is Crooked & has there priorities ARSE backwards!!! Everyone I know, I tell them if you really wanna help some people out your better off contacting local churchs, outreach programs, etc so you can give DIRECTLY to those in need!!! I could write you paragraphs a mile long on bad experiences I've seen like the one stated above...Good Will is a fraud & those jokers need to live a day in the life of the homeless and less fortunate people... PLEASE think twice before handing over your stuff to the Goverment! Ask yourself this question first "What does the goverment do/ever done for me besides take!!!???

I too shop Goodwill, and have found out that items donated at stores do not stay at that particular store. All items go to a central location, are sorted, and then re-distributed to give all stores a good selection. Yes, I'm sure some things are thrown in the garbage (though judging from some of the junk in the stores, they should double the amount), and some items of clothing are turned into rags and sold privately. Personally, I do not donate to Goodwill because I think that they WAY overcharge on alot of items, so much so that I figure the people who really need the items can't afford them. I donate items to several local charities that GIVE them to people in need.