JAMES CITY COUNTY — James City County residents can now take part in sustainable shopping and donating at the county’s first Goodwill location open on News Road.
Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia renovated the former Rite Aid location at 4501 News Road, opening its doors to its first customers on Thursday, Nov. 14, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The new 13,818-square-foot store includes more than 9,200 square feet of sales floor space.
To make donating more accessible, the location features a covered drive-thru donation door. Goodwill notes donations support keeping items out of local landfills, with more than 40 million pounds of materials recycled in 2023 alone.
The expansion benefits the community by providing affordable shopping options and creating local employment opportunities, it said, adding that revenue from sales supports Goodwill’s mission to offer job training and career services, further contributing to the area’s economic development.
After store employees gave a rousing “Go Goodwill” cheer, members of the community joined Mark Barth, President and CEO of Goodwill Central and Coastal Virginia, along with James City County Board of Supervisors Ruth Larson and Jim Icenhour, in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“We have created 24 jobs here at this store, and we are very grateful for that and the reason we do this is because we hire and train those with barriers to employment. Those that may have difficultly getting a job somewhere other than Goodwill. Your purchases and donations help support and fund that, so we thank you for that,” Barth stated.
Customers, who had been in line since earlier in the morning, were invited in to be the first to shop the new location.
The new Goodwill store is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. While the store is closed on Sundays, donations can be dropped off between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
