There will also be  Harley Davidson Accessories Silent Auction the same day.

By Lorie Marrero
CPO®, Creator of the Clutter Diet®, Spokesperson for Goodwill Industries International

February is a time for focusing on LOVE! Beyond whom you love, let’s talk for a moment about WHAT you love.

When I work with clients, so often we are going through items and they happily exclaim, “Oh, I LOVE this!” They get to say this a few times (and I do say this myself), but if I hear this sentence used too much as a rationalization for keeping things that are not needed, we have to discuss that. The stuff does not love you back! What is at the root of this love for inanimate objects?

Loved items from the PAST

We form attachments to objects because we love the memories that those objects represent. A model car might represent that car you drove in high school, with the attached memories of the fun you had with your friends driving around. Baby clothes represent the sweet memories of your children’s cuteness (before they became teenagers). It’s great to keep some mementos, but only if they are not overpowering your ability to function in your current time and space and blocking what you can do in the present and future.

Loved items for the FUTURE

We also might love objects because of what we hope they represent for ourselves later. You may prize an exquisite tablecloth you never use, because you envision using it at a fancy dinner party for your friends in the future. You may hold on to an antique easel because someday you envision yourself taking up painting. Keeping a few items like these is a great idea for reminding you of your goals. But if those goals have become unrealistic and are now just nagging you and reminding you about stale aspirations, they need to go and make room for other more relevant items.

Loved items that are BEAUTIFUL

We may love objects because they bring beauty and enjoyment into our lives. Art and other creative items like books are very important to inspire us and make us feel good in our spaces. The famous quote by William Morris says, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” So, if it’s beautiful to you, are you displaying it? If not, why? Again, if you have so much that it’s affecting your ability to function, you need to pare it down. Remember, form follows function!

What objects do you love? Are they getting in your way? If you’ve been inspired to pare it down, remember that donating to Goodwill® is the best way to provide a good home to your loved items while helping others in your own community to find a good job. Find your nearest Goodwill donation center at www.goodwilleasttexas.com

Goodwill Industries of East Texas had a record breaking sales day on the first day of their Grand Re Opening Festivities.  Opening at 8 AM on this first day, the loyal Tyler customers lined up with their carts ready to fill.  The shelves were full and the values were there as in all Goodwill stores, but this time customers enjoyed brand new decor with freshly painted walls, shiny floors and the mission statement proudly displayed throughout the store.  While yesterday was “re purpose” day featuring local artist David Wallace, Friday is “Mind your Business Day” and Saturday has events especially for the children on KIDS DAY.

Goodwill Industries of East Texas is proud to show off its newly remodeled Downtown retail store tomorrow at 8 AM.  Thursday has been deemed “Re-Purpose” Day and there will be local artists demonstrating how to choose every day items from the store and create beautiful art from them.  David Wallace will begin his demonstrations from 10:00 AM to 2 PM.  One of his creations will be given away through a door prize drawing.  . Velma Owens will be using “junk jewelry” to create home decor such as crosses.  Shannon Carter will show how to take an oversized T shirt and make it fashionable.

“The store has been packed with donated goods and new items to give our loyal and new customers an opportunity to find just what they were looking for.  We are so excited to show off our updated store and now have our mission statement on all the walls to remind our customers about the cause their shopping dollars supports.” stated Darlene Rawlinson, Area Manager for the downtown store.

The Tyler Chamber of Commerce will be present at 11:00 AM for a Ribbon Cutting and Media ceremony.

We will also be giving out information on how to recycle with Goodwill.  Goodwill Industries of East Texas has diverted over 1,000,000 pounds of e waste from our landfills in 2010 alone! That same year over  3.5 million pounds of salvage from donated goods was processed, making Goodwill Industries of East Texas possibly the largest recycler in East Texas!  We will be accepting recycling at all of our donation sites.

We also want to remind our shoppers that the Tyler Super Store on Loop 323 will close on February 4, 2012 for its “facelift”.  We hope to re-open that store on March 5, 2012.  Keep in touch through this website or our Facebook page for further updates.

“To whom it may concern,

I Brittani Brice had a very good experience working with the Goodwill counselors.  They worked very hard to help me find a job that I could possibly have a career at.  They taught me things about job interviews and training on the cash register.  They helped me get my job at Walgreens after I went through the training program that Walgreens and Goodwill have going on.  I would like to thank everyone that worked with me and helped me with my accomplishments.”

Sincerely,

Brittani Brice

1/25/2012

The floors are shining, the walls are bright, the racks are full,the Mission is strong and the Goodwill Downtown store is ready for its Grand Opening Celebration!

Mark your calendars for February 2, 3 and 4th to join all the festivities of  Goodwill Industries of East Texas downtown store Grand Re-Opening!

Located at 407 West Locust Street, Thursday, February 2 brings an early opening time of 8 AM and then Tyler Chamber Ribbon Cutting ceremonies at 11:00 AM.  There will be door prize drawings all day but the special events are themed around “repurposing” items found at Goodwill.  Local artist David Wallace will choose items from the store to create beautiful art pieces and decor.  Models will be strolling throughout the store showing off the latest fashions for a fraction of the cost of traditional retail pricing.

Friday, February 3 will be themed “Mind your Business” day!  Door prizes will compliment the theme and the Fashion Show will highlight high end business attire at budget friendly pricing.  We will also offer the services of the Goodwill Career and Counseling Services Division who will be available to discuss resume’ tips, interviewing skills and answer any other questions related to job search opportunities.  One of the many  door prizes will be a Kindle E-Reader.

Saturday, February 4 will be “Kid’s Day”.  Willie the Clown will visit with the children, offer goodies and fun.  Popcorn will be available and a special “tiny tot” children’s fashion show is sure to entertain.

Door prizes for Saturday will all be geared for Children and a nice sized toy play area will be available.

Be sure to click on the link above to download your super saving coupons for the entire 3 days!

Don’t worry about the Groundhog shadow… come on out and join the fun!

http://www.kltv.com/story/16435072/community-spotlight-goodwill-industries

http://www.kltv.com/story/16435072/2012/01/03/community-spotlight-goodwill-industries

Click on the above link to hear KLTV’s Pat Stacey’s summary of Goodwill Industries of East Texas mission.

We will continue to post updates on our Facebook page     and will be sharing Grand RE-Opening information at the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Goodwill does have a second Tyler location at 1817 Loop 323 WSW.

We thank you for your patience!

Goodwill Industries of East Texas Staff

 There is Still Time to Make a Material Donation to Goodwill for Tax Purposes

 Goodwill stores and Attended Donation Centers are open this week and ready to accept your donations.  During regular hours you will receive a donation receipt to use for tax purposes.

Goodwill accepts donations of gently used:

• clothing
• household goods
• books
• toys
• furniture
• electronics
• computers
• even those holiday gifts that weren’t quite right.

Goodwill also welcomes the donation of:

• used cars

Vehicles are sold at auction to generate additional financial support for Goodwill’s mission.  The revenue from the sale of donations is used to fund training and employment programs for people in our community that need assistance getting back to work.

Donations are accepted at the 15 Goodwill retail stores throughout East Texas, as well as at the Attended Donation Centers conveniently located throughout these communities. For the retail or donation center location nearest you visit Goodwill East Texas Attended Donation Centers

Your Last Minute Tax Deduction is Only a Click Away!    Goodwill also accepts monetary donations for even easier last minute tax deductions.  Through Goodwill’s secure PayPal account you can make your monetary donation using a credit card by visiting Donate Now to Goodwill Industries of East Texas  You can also mail monetary donations to:                                                                                                                                   Goodwill Industries of East Texas 409 West Locust Tyler, TX 75702 If you choose to mail your donation make sure it is post marked by December 31, 2011 to receive a tax receipt for this year.

1.  How do I determine the value of my donation for tax purposes?  Donors interested in claiming tax deductions should keep itemized lists of their donations. Goodwill provides receipts to donors at its drop-off sites, and attendants can validate itemized lists when they are presented. The Internal Revenue Service allows a deduction for each item “in good used condition or better” that is donated. Generally, an item’s value should be based on fair market value.  It is important to remember that Goodwill is prohibited by law from putting a dollar value on your receipt.The IRS defines “fair market value” as the price an item would sell for in a thrift store.  For more information see IRS Publication 561, as well as the Valuation Guide available at the IRS Valuation Guideon their website .3.  If I lose my donation receipt can Goodwill give me a new one?Unfortunately Goodwill is unable to give duplicate copies of donation receipts.4.  How do I know if I am eligible to for a tax deduction using my donation receipt from Goodwill?Please consult your tax advisor if you are unsure if you are able to use your Goodwill donation as a tax deduction.   Each time you donate or shop at Goodwill you are helping people and families in our community achieve a better life through work and independence.

Goodwill Industries of East Texas employees and all whom we serve  thank you for your support in 2011 and look forward to helping more people get back to work in 2012!