Being Green This Halloween is Simple at Goodwill

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Busy families can be earth friendly this Halloween by shopping at Goodwill® stores. Find everything you need at Goodwill to create a unique costume for yourself or your children. All you need is a little imagination to transform your child into a favorite superhero or fairy princess. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090716/DC47803LOGO) By shopping at Goodwill this Halloween, you are purchasing high-quality, affordable items and diverting them from landfills. The nearly 2,600 Goodwill stores in the United States and Canada have items donated by 74 million donors. This vast inventory includes anything you can imagine, from clothing in every color to apparel from different decades and accessories to transform an ordinary look into a fantastic costume. "Shopping at Goodwill for Halloween is a simple step toward living a more sustainable lifestyle," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Reusing and repurposing items from Goodwill stores are a fun way to make a unique Halloween costume for not a lot of money." Shopping at Goodwill is not just good for the planet. It also benefits people in local communities. Revenue from Goodwill stores fund job training programs and career and community-based services for people with disabilities, those who lack education or work experience, and others facing challenges to finding employment. Your purchase helps people learn the skills they need to work in Goodwill stores and in growing fields outside of Goodwill such as healthcare, green industries and financial services. "In 2010, Goodwill Industries® diverted more than 2 billion pounds of used goods from landfills," said Gibbons. "Look no further than your nearest Goodwill store to find what you need to celebrate a green Halloween." To find your local Goodwill, visit locator.goodwill.org. To learn more about Goodwill Industries International, visit www.goodwill.org. This year, Goodwill Industries International is partnering with Green Halloween to share our commitment to safe and eco-friendly Halloween celebrations. For more information, visit http://greenhalloween.org/.

Melvin Wylie