Goodwill's new donation center and Last Chance! outlet in Macon set to open

Goodwill industries of Middle Georgia will celebrate the opening of its new donation drive-thru and adjacent Last Chance! outlet store next week.

The new donation center at 4650 Forsyth Road adjacent to Kroger is planning to open at 10 a.m., March 31, according to a news release from Goodwill.

It will provide attended donation drop-off service 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, and the Last Chance! retail outlet will be open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.

Donations sold in Goodwill retail training stores provide revenue to support Goodwill's job training, education and career development services provided through the Job Connection, Helms College and the Helms Career Center. Goodwill's Last Chance! outlet stores, which first opened in 2015 in Warner Robins, are stocked weekly with goods -- primarily clothing -- previously offered but unsold at other Goodwill retail stores.

Prior to the creation of the Last Chance! outlets, unpurchased Goodwill items were sold to wholesale recyclers. However, as for-profit recycling companies have entered the used-goods market directly by collecting through parking-lot donation bins, the value of recycled clothing has fallen significantly, the release said. Goodwill created the Last Chance! outlet stores to offer bargains to consumers, while gaining another opportunity to earn revenue to support Goodwill's life-changing mission.

To contact writer Linda S. Morris, call 744-4223 or follow her on Twitter@MidGaBiz.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Goodwill's new donation center and Last Chance! outlet in Macon set to open ."