Teacher

Goodwill welcomes Snedden as vice president of donated goods retail. by Staff Saturday, October 17, 2026 YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries recently welcomed Wesley "Wes" Snedden as its new vice president of donated goods retail. Snedden joined the organization Sept. 21 and will work with the retail leadership team to support continued growth and strengthen operations across Goodwill's donated goods retail division. Snedden brings more than 11 years of retail operations and leadership experience, including extensive service within the Goodwill network. Most recently, he served in a retail leadership role with Goodwill Industries of Northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, supporting operations across multiple locations. His Goodwill career began in 2014 as an assistant manager in Sarasota, Fla., and has included a progression of leadership positions in donated goods retail. Throughout his career, Snedden has focused on strengthening retail operations, developing employees, improving processes and implementing systems that enhance store performance and customer experience. "We are excited to welcome Wes to Youngstown Area Goodwill," said Shelley Murray, CEO of Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries. "He brings valuable experience from within the Goodwill network, along with a deep appreciation for the connection between strong retail operations and community impact. The success of our stores creates opportunities for people to build skills, find employment and achieve greater independence. We look forward to the experience and perspective Wes will bring as we continue building on the strong foundation our retail teams have created and expanding our impact throughout the region." The vice president of donated goods retail position was created to support Youngstown Area Goodwill's continued growth and strengthen leadership across its retail operations, helping ensure the organization can continue expanding its community impact throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. "I started my journey with Goodwill more than a decade ago, knowing very little about the organization beyond retail stores," Snedden said. "Over the years, I have seen countless lives changed through the passion of Goodwill teams and the impact of mission services in their communities. The team at Youngstown Area Goodwill demonstrates those same values through its commitment to supporting the community and reinvesting in the people it serves. I am excited to work alongside Shelley Murray and the entire Youngstown Goodwill team as we continue building strong retail operations, developing leaders and creating great experiences for our team and customers while supporting the mission that strengthens our communities."

Goodwill rolls out four new thrift stores in Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and South Carolina. October 16, 2026 Goodwill is opening four new thrift stores across Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and South Carolina, giving deal-hunting families fresh places to shop and donate. The Sun reported that the nonprofit thrift chain is adding locations in Cedar Falls, Iowa; Woodstock, Illinois; Clio, Michigan; and near Clemson University in South Carolina, with openings staggered through October. For households stretching every dollar, more Goodwill shelves mean more low-cost clothes, furniture and household goods, and, in most cases, another spot to drop off usable castoffs instead of sending them to the landfill. The first of the four is already open. The Cedar Falls store at 618 Brandilynn Boulevard began serving shoppers on October 6. It stocks clothing, household goods, books, electronics, furniture and one-of-a-kind finds. It does not take donations. That no-donation policy matches a pattern readers have seen before at the new Cedar Falls Goodwill, where staffing and logistics can limit what a brand-new site accepts on day one. Illinois and Michigan sites open the same day. Two more stores were set to open on Thursday, October 22. In Woodstock, Illinois, Goodwill is moving into 2050 S. Eastwood Drive. The building runs about 21,000 square feet and once housed a Harley-Davidson outpost. This location includes a donation center, so shoppers can buy and drop off in one trip. In Clio, Michigan, Goodwill Industries of Mid-Michigan is opening a new retail store and donation center at 4112 West Vienna Road. Local organizers describe it as the first Goodwill built from the ground up in the region in decades, a ground-up build rather than a retrofit of an older retail box. Expansion like this only works if donation rules stay clear. Shoppers who show up with the wrong items often leave frustrated, which is why coverage of cases where Goodwill blocks liquid donations keeps resonating with people who haul boxes to the dock. South Carolina boutique targets Clemson traffic. The fourth opening lands in South Carolina on October 27. Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina is launching a 4,000-square-foot thrift store and donation center at 1051 Tiger Blvd, just 2.2 miles from Clemson University. Grand opening is set for 9 a.m. Pat Michaels, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina, cast the smaller footprint as a feature, not a bug. "The more intimate boutique layout makes it easy for customers to stop into the store, find great deals, or drop off gently used items they no longer need." A compact store near a major campus is a bet on quick visits, students, staff and local residents grabbing bargains or clearing closets between classes and errands. What happens after those donations hit the sorting room still matters to anyone who gives. Unsold goods do not vanish; the pipeline that decides where Goodwill donations end up is part of how the model funds job training and keeps shelves turning. Donation standards also shift by drive and by market. Some campaigns even welcome worn clothing that other sites reject, as with a Hawaii Goodwill Christmas drive that took torn and stained clothes for a seasonal push. New-store openings often come with their own intake quirks. In other markets, Goodwill has sought fresh inventory for a launch while still turning away specific categories at the door, a tension familiar from coverage of how Meridian donations met limits at another new site. Four states, one simple pitch. Put together, the October slate is straightforward: one Iowa store already open without a donation dock, two Midwest openings on the same Thursday with donation centers, and a smaller South Carolina boutique aimed at Clemson-area traffic days later. Street addresses are set. Square footage is public. The regional operators, including Goodwill Industries of Mid-Michigan and Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina, are on the record. The calendar runs from October 6 through a 9 a.m. grand opening on October 27. Working families do not need a lecture on thrift. They need clean stores, honest prices and donation rules that do not waste a Saturday morning. Four new doors in four states are a practical answer to that demand. When budgets tighten, the outfits that help people buy smart and give usable goods a second life still beat empty slogans, every single time.