Goodwill of Southern Arizona, a nonprofit organization that operates five youth programs, five adult programs and supports over 500 jobs in southern Arizona, is on a mission to provide jobs, training and services to people with barriers to employment. Goodwill is able to support its mission through the resale of donated goods.

Goodwill’s Youth Restoration Project will be featured at the SAHBA Home & Patio Show, April 8 to 10, at the Tucson Convention Center, where they will be showcasing and selling upcycled, repurposed and restored furniture pieces. Youth enrolled in the Youth Restoration Project program learn basic carpentry and bike repair while receiving support services to reach their educational and career goals.

In addition, the program diverts approximately 4,000 pounds of material out of the landfill each month by giving donated furniture a makeover and selling the pieces in Goodwill stores. Restoration pieces can also be found at Goodwill’s GoodThreads Boutique located on 7366 North Oracle Road, in Tucson.

“Our Youth Restoration Project combines both our mission and our commitment to sustainability,” explains Judith Simmons, Director of Marketing for Goodwill of Southern Arizona. “The showcase at SAHBA will allow us to show Goodwill’s mission in action and to find homes for our upcycled-recycled pieces.”

On April 5, Simmons will be a guest on Mrs. Green’s World Down to Earth radio show, discussing the topic of “Why Thrifting Matters”. Simmons will talk about the green and sustainable aspects of shopping secondhand, including keeping items out of the landfill, as well as the community benefits of donating clothing to support our local economy. The show can be heard on MrsGreensWorld.com.

For more information, call 520-623-5174, email [email protected] or visit GoodwillSouthernAZ.org. See ad, page 24.