More GOOD work being done … Recognizing Goodwill’s Donations Attendants
Recently, when a unique donation arrived at Goodwill of South Central Wisconsin’s Middleton store, attentive team members quickly realized it might have deeper significance.
Goodwill’s donations attendants are trained to spot donations that might be designer pieces, antiques, collectables, artifacts, and more. This is important so that Goodwill can make the most of the donations contributing to the organization’s mission to help people with disabilities and other barriers to housing and employment to live, work and thrive in our community.
When donations such as the one that came into the Middleton Goodwill store are found to have cultural significance, Goodwill takes steps to repatriate these donations–return them to their rightful owners or community of origin.
Upon finding a ceremonial beaded piece, the donation attendant quickly determined this might have special meaning and turned the donated items over to the store manager, who called in our donated goods experts. Through Goodwill’s vast resources, they connected the items with an individual involved with the Native American community.
The donated items were part of a Ceremonial costume from 2014. Photos of the items were shared on a social media group and the original owners were then found and the items returned to Johnnie Bigmedicine in El Reno, Oklahoma; and Mary Archie, who resides in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada.
“This means a lot to me and my family as well. It’s been almost 12 years since I’ve had them,” said Bigmedicine. “We’re just really blessed to have them back. Thank you again and your organization for everything you do.”
We are proud of all the GOOD work we do, driven by the success of our mission programs, commitment to sustainability, and the sense of community we foster. This story is just one example of how our dedication to careful donation processing makes a meaningful impact not just in our stores, but also in the communities we serve.
