Goodwill® Sponsors Thrift Store Project: Documenting America's Consumption Patterns

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Apr 10, 2013, 08:00 ET

All Thrifty States Documents Positive Aspects of Secondhand Shopping

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries® is proud to serve as an educational partner and sponsor of All Thrifty States: A Visual Journey through America's Collective Closets, a documentary photo project and upcoming book that will focus on how consumers' purchases of previously used items are not only healthy for the planet, but they are an answer to the consumerism that has pushed Americans' spending habits to the max.

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The project is run by Jenna Isaacson, a Washington, DC-based independent visual journalist and lover of all things thrift. She will travel the country to document consumerism in the country and the toll it has taken on valuable resources and financial stability. Isaacson, who grew up thrifting with her grandfather in Illinois and Florida, will travel cross-country and search for treasures at Goodwill stores in Albany, NY; Baltimore, MD; Burlington, VT; Charlotte, NC; Charleston, WV; Cleveland, OH; Columbia, SC; Columbus, OH; Concord, NH; Detroit, MI; Morgantown, WV; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, ME; Richmond, VA; Savannah, GA; Scranton, PA; and Stratford, NJ, photographically documenting the goods that can be found at Goodwill stores. When not visiting a Goodwill store, Isaacson will visit thrift stores that support local community efforts, including animal shelters, domestic violence shelters, hospices, hospitals, and services for people who are homeless. In the process, she will be encouraging a more 'second-hand' consumer lifestyle. Goodwill is sponsoring Isaacson's transportation, a fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle. BALCON Enterprises, a Gaylord box and bulk bag manufacturer, and supplier of packaging supplies used by various Goodwill agencies throughout the United States, is also sponsoring the project due to its commitment to environmental sustainability and Goodwill's mission of providing job training for people with disabilities and disadvantages through the revenue from the sale of donated goods.

"With the economic paradigm shifting rapidly towards reuse and repurpose, showcasing America's thrift stores, particularly Goodwill stores, is a great way to engage Americans' creativity," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Jenna is taking her passion for donated goods and educating the public on the tie-in between donations and environmental sustainability. She's also disproving negative stereotypes about thrift stores and bringing light to the Goodwill mission and sharing her knowledge of the benefits of second-hand living."

Isaacson, who departed from Washington, DC, on her thrifting expedition, intends to raise awareness about the positive aspects of second-hand shopping in local communities while also demonstrating the benefits of donating, including shrinking landfills, reducing clutter, saving money for municipalities and boosting the economy. Isaacson's trip will complete 48 of her 50 "thrifty" states. Her first trip was in June 2011, and she crisscrossed the country visiting more than 60 thrift stores, including 32 Goodwill stores in 30 states and traveling 10,200 miles.

"With All Thrifty States, my goal is to not only make an impact on the environment but to provide a window on the story of America's communities through the observation of things they once owned," said Isaacson, founder of All Thrifty States. "Goodwill stores are one example. The stores contain a distinct variety of items that are reasonably priced, stylish, fun and say a lot about the communities that surround them."

For more information, visit http://allthriftystates.com or Twitter: @AllThriftyState and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/All-Thrifty-States/112781348732621.

ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based, independent agencies in the United States and Canada with 14 affiliates in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of America's 25 most inspiring companies (Forbes, 2012). Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 2,700 stores and online at www.shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation and document imaging and shredding. In 2012, more than 4 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 82 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at locator.goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl or @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International