Temple, TX — Heart of Texas Goodwill CEO, Shannon Wittmer has announced the Goodwill retail location on 11 North 4th Street will be closing on December 16, 2019. “The decision to close this location was difficult, but we believe it to be the best move going forward as an organization as a whole,” states Wittmer. “We are grateful for the many years of support the community has given to the retail store in downtown Temple.” Services to the Temple community will not be disrupted and will be continued at the Goodwill location on South 31st Street. The are no future plans of closing any other Goodwill locations. Additionally, nobody will lose their jobs with the closing of this facility. “The employees impacted by the closure are valued members of our team and they have all be offered similar positions at nearby Goodwill facility,” states Wittmer.
Goodwill’s mission is to facilitate change through skills training and work opportunities. “We assist people facing barriers to employment and help and help upgrade their skills so they can succeed in the workforce,” states Wittmer. This is accomplished through a variety of free services offered in Job Connection Centers located in Waco, Killeen, Belton, College Station and in Temple on 31st Street. The sale of donated items in Goodwill retail stores is the primary funding source for the agency’s mission services programs. Goodwill does not receive federal funding to pay for programs offered to the community.
Some of the services provided by the Goodwill Mission Services team includes: Resume writing and job application assistance, Interview skills training, Employment Readiness Workshops, One-on-one computer training, computer classes for Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, typing courses, GED and ESL courses, an adult high school diploma program, an IT Certification, budgeting/personal finance assistance and a Veteran’s employment assistance program. Additionally, Goodwill partners with various school districts and social service agencies to provide employment and training opportunities for people with disabilities.
Heart of Texas Goodwill Industries provided services to over 4,000 Central Texans in 2018 and placed more than 700 people into jobs in the community. To learn more about what Goodwill does in the community, please feel free to call the corporate office at 254-753-7337.