MOUNT POCONO, Pa. — Clothes, shoes, accessories for the home, and more can all be found inside the new Goodwill Store in Mount Pocono.
After the ribbon was cut, people were more than ready to start shopping.
"Oh, we have some winter coats. He got a lot of Christmas items, brand new in the box, Nerf stuff, brand new," said Kristal Gavidia, Cresco.
This is the first Goodwill store in the Pocono region and brings 20 full-time and part-time positions.
The store opened about two months ago, but the grand opening celebration had to be postponed because of the pandemic.
"We have been doing some employment services up here for a while, but we never had a store. We had been looking, probably for about two years to find the right location, and this came available early last winter, so we started the process rolling. We are thrilled to be in Monroe County again," said Kate Dempsey-Jones, Goodwill CEO.
Shoppers we spoke with are very appreciative of this business, especially throughout the pandemic, when so many people are strapped for cash.
"It's a great find and a place where you can go shopping and still get the name brands at a lower price," said Gavidia.
All proceeds from the sales of donated goods help fund programs that help individuals with disabilities live a more independent life.
"One of the main things is that through our stores, most people only think about Goodwill is retail, and lots of people wonder, what do they do with the stuff they are selling? Why should I give my stuff to Goodwill if they are just going to turn around a sell it? Well, the reason we turn around and sell it is because we operate numerous programs that benefit people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. So our stores are really our fundraising arm," said Dempsey-Jones.
If you can't make it to a store location, you can also shop Goodwill online.