Goodwill Industries of Arkansas will open a new retail, donation and career services center in Fayetteville on Thursday, September 13. Located at 703 E. Appleby Rd., Goodwill, along with the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, will cut the ribbon at 8:45 a.m. Additionally, Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan and area city council members are expected to attend.

The new 14,600 sq. foot retail center is located in the former ALDI’s Grocery Store building, next to the Fiesta Square Shopping Center and just a few miles from the University of Arkansas campus. It will be Goodwill’s sixth location in the northwest Arkansas area, and will become the 31st location in the state. With the Fayetteville addition, Goodwill has added over 120 jobs in less than three years to the northwest Arkansas economy, and over 350 jobs statewide during the same timeframe.

“Goodwill continues to expand in Northwest Arkansas because people are utilizing and benefiting from our career services, Attended Donation Centers and retail stores,” said Goodwill’s President and CEO, Brian Itzkowitz. He also touts the location of the new store on Appleby Road because of its centralized location and its close proximity to the university. “We want to make it as convenient as possible for people in Fayetteville to be able to shop and donate with us.”

Donations are the lifeblood of the organization, because the funds generated through the sale of goods go right back into the community to help people who need job readiness resources and education. Goodwill believes in the Power of Work and is able to fulfill our mission when people donate to or shop at our stores.

The job center located inside the Fayetteville store will be the third center in the northwest Arkansas region. Due to the tough economy, Goodwill has seen a surge in the use of our job training and career counseling services. In the last fiscal year which ended in June, 2,480 people sought services from Goodwill’s career centers in Springdale and Fayetteville, and Goodwill was able to place 479 people into employment in the area. Compared to last year, there has been a 285% increase in the people served in the northwest region.

Grand opening festivities, planned through Sunday, Sept. 16, will feature light refreshments, as well as great giveaways including the chance to win a 42” HD TV. Store employees will be on hand to assist shoppers and accept donations from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Information and coupons can be found at the company’s website www.GoodwillAR.org.