Starting November 1, 2016, Goodwill® NYNJ will test a pilot program to collect donations outside subway stations at Manhattan’s Upper East Side every morning from 6 to 9 a.m. Residents may drop off clothing, shoes, accessories and small household items. They will be given a QR code to get a tax receipt for their donation.
Goodwill NYNJ “brand ambassadors” will be stationed with pop-up tents and bins outside the Lexington Avenue subway stations on 59th, 68th, 77th, 86th and 96th Streets. A GPS-equipped roving van with mobile connection to the ambassadors will pick up donations when bins are full.
Mauricio Hernandez, Goodwill NYNJ Executive Vice President, Business Operations, says: “We want to offer New Yorkers a more convenient way to donate their unwanted goods. Donations support our mission of empowering individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment to gain independence through the power of work.”
Goodwill NYNJ will reach out to schools in the neighborhood to hold donation drives. Local residential buildings with 50 or more apartments and area dry cleaners can host bins. Buildings, schools and dry cleaners can arrange for bins or drives through www.givingsgood.org, by contacting givingsgood@goodwillnynj.org or calling our toll-free number, 844-488-1488.
Next spring, Goodwill NYNJ will add cargo trikes for curbside pickups on request. Location information will be available through www.givingsgood.org
Last year, Goodwill NYNJ helped residents divert more than 117 million pounds of usable goods out of landfills.