Goodwill Industries of Southern NJ & Philadelphia announced today that a suspicious fire broke out in its Egg Harbor Township, NJ store (6701 Black Horse Pike) yesterday closing the store indefinitely. Fortunately, no one was injured. The fire remains under investigation. All merchandise in the store was destroyed.
The nonprofit organization is now making an appeal to the local community for help in rebuilding its inventory. Donations of clothing, accessories, toys, housewares and other items are encouraged. Goodwill’s Egg Harbor Township donation center in the rear of the building will continue to operate under normal business hours. Goodwill also accepts donations at 30+ locations throughout Southern/Central New Jersey and the City of Philadelphia. To find a convenient location, please visit https://goodwillnj.org/store-locator/.
According to Goodwill President & CEO Mark B. Boyd, everything in the store suffered smoke and water damage and is in the process of being discarded. “To lose 100% of our merchandise so generously donated to us is devastating.”
The site employs 30 individuals who have been reassigned to other nearby Goodwill locations or to working the on-site donation center.
To rebuild its inventory, Goodwill’s Egg Harbor Township Donation Center will operate under normal business hours Monday – Saturday from 9 am – 7 pm and Sunday from 10 am – 6 pm. A Goodwill donation attendant will be on-site to help unload donations and to issue receipts for tax purposes. The Goodwill Store will remain closed until further notice. Shoppers are encouraged to visit Goodwill’s other nearby stores in Millville (1418 High St.) and Hammonton (240 S. White Horse Pike).
The 20,000 square foot Egg Harbor Township Goodwill Store & Donation Center first opened its doors in March of 1997. As a nonprofit, community-based organization, Goodwill collects gently-used donated items and sells them to fund job training programs and career services that help local residents with disabilities and disadvantages get to work. For example, at Goodwill’s Helms Academy, one can earn their high school diploma and up to 30 college credits 100% tuition free.
“Goodwill operates as an entrepreneurial minded nonprofit,” said Boyd. “We collect, recycle, and sell donated items in our retail stores to fund mission-based programs that are available free of charge to the local community. I encourage the Egg Harbor Township community and beyond to open their hearts and closets to Goodwill to assist us in rebuilding store inventory,” he added.
For more information on Goodwill, please call 856/439-0200 or visit www.goodwillnj.org.
