New retail locations will foster deeper connections between Goodwill and the Southwest Ohio community
Deerfield Township, Ohio – August 29, 2024 – Today Ohio Valley Goodwill, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals and families celebrated the grand opening of its brand-new Deerfield Township Goodwill store. This is the 20th Goodwill retail location in Southwest Ohio and it’s the cornerstone of the organization’s effort to expand and have at least 30 stores in operation by 2030.
“This growth speaks directly to our organization’s mission of helping people with disabilities, military veterans, individuals challenged with homelessness and others get the chance they deserve,” President and CEO Mark Hiemstra told the crowd gathered at Thursday’s opening. “It represents our commitment to the entire Ohio Valley, and this is just the beginning.”
Hiemstra announced another new retail opening will take place in a few weeks – an expansive new outlet in Woodlawn, where the organization is headquartered. Goodwill will announce more information about what shoppers can find in the outlet, and an exact grand opening date, soon.
Today’s Deerfield grand opening was celebrated with complimentary coffee, doughnuts, shave ice, a live broadcast with Q102’s Jenn Jordan, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring local dignitaries, local leaders and representatives from Ohio Valley Goodwill. It was a morning of fun, shopping and community spirit in Deerfield Township.
Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries also took applications for various roles being filled across its 20 stores. The organization is hiring for various entry level and leadership roles, including store manager and assistant store manager positions throughout Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana.
Why Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries is “Choosing Deerfield”
For decades, the township has encouraged people to “Choose Deerfield” and citizens of Southwest Ohio have done so in droves. The area has developed a reputation through strategic partnerships as one of the best places in Ohio to start a business and raise a family.
Hiemstra shared that’s a major part of the reason the location on Montgomery Road was selected. Deerfield Township’s rapid growth mirrors Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries’ own trajectory.
Mason-Deerfield Township Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Cathy Harbison agrees Goodwill and Deerfield’s futures are aligned.
“Goodwill’s big plans exemplify our chamber’s dedication to helping businesses thrive and communities prosper,” Harbison said Thursday. “A major part of our mission is educating and investing in our local talent. Through its job training and employment opportunities, I know this organization will play a major part in doing just that.”
Harbison, who also owns a local business, says the organization’s mission will help drive its success.
“I know the importance of recruiting and retaining good people. It’s a value I know Goodwill not only shares, but lives by,” she said.
Megan Manuel, Superintendent of the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities, has worked with Goodwill for years. The board provides services and support to over 2,400 people in Warren County with developmental disabilities, including employment opportunities at Goodwill.
“We are here today because we share Goodwill’s commitment to supporting people with disabilities and their families to achieve what is important to them,” she said.
Last year, Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries served over 2,100 individuals with disabilities, our nation’s veterans and others with barriers to employment and placed over 400 people into competitive community jobs.
A Better Goodwill, a Mightier Mission
Hiemstra says the new Deerfield Township store is a modern take on the conventional thrift store, one that will offer the same great deals communities rely on in a brighter, cleaner space. This approach is geared toward improving the shopping experience and the design throughout the stores will serve as a visual reminder of Goodwill’s mission. The recently remodeled Fairfield location and all future storefronts also reflect this vision.
Hiemstra explains this approach is intrinsic to expanding job opportunities. “The sales and donations from our stores – and now we proudly add Deerfield to that list – directly fund services and programs for individuals with disabilities and others facing barriers to employment,” Hiemstra said. “We help guide people through the job process – from the beginning stages of choosing the right vocational direction to finding the right employment opportunity and support while in that role. Goodwill is working to change lives throughout the region, and the generosity of the growing communities we serve makes that mission possible.”
“We look forward to remaining in Deerfield Township – a community that, like our organization – is growing and was designed to succeed,” Hiemstra added.
New and Improved features
Retail Store: The brand-new Deerfield Township store offers a clean, organized, and welcoming environment where shoppers can enjoy the thrill of discovering unique and valuable items. Our store features a wide selection of gently used clothing, household items, electronics, and more.
Donation Center: The on-site donation center provides a convenient and efficient drop-off location for community members to donate their gently used items, supporting Goodwill’s mission and contributing to sustainable practices.
About Ohio Valley Goodwill
Ohio Valley Goodwill is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, empowering individuals, and elevating the human potential through the power of work. Goodwill, a valuable community partner for more than 100 years, envisions the Ohio Valley region as a vibrant, sustainable community, rich with opportunities for individuals to live dignified and purposeful lives.
The organization also has a long-standing commitment to the environment to reuse, renew, and recycle. Through its network of donation centers and retail stores that fuel Goodwill’s mission, the organization diverts more than 44 million pounds of donated products from area landfills each year.
For more information, visit https://www.cincinnatigoodwill.org/.
