Retail Overstock Meets Family Needs
On “Good360 Marketplace” days, Fostering Hope Initiative staff can find just about anything for their families, from brand new bedding, to pots and pans, to a plush elephant rocking horse among the piles of donations covering the tables at United Way’s Salem office.
Good360 is a national retail goods redistribution program coordinated locally by the United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley. Good360 works with major retailers such as Pottery Barn, Home Depot and Tuesday Morning to secure overstock retail donations. It then enlists coordinating entities like United Way, who pay an annual fee to be part of the network that creates various opportunities for local non-profits to access the overstock goods for free.
One of the most popular ways that FHI and other local non-profit programs take advantage of Good360 is by coming to the free-for-all marketplace events to claim items that will fulfill the needs of the families they serve.
Fostering Hope Initiative’s Teri Alexander and Esme Rios have taken advantage of Good360 events. “The program has helped us to furnish La Placita, FHI’s family gathering place in the Swegle neighborhood which services hundreds of our neighbors each year through parenting, health and fitness activities, book fairs and more,” said Neighbor Connector Esme Rios. “United Way’s support in making this program possible has put a lot of joy on the faces of the moms and children from the Swegle Neighborhood who benefit from the new items donated. It makes them feel valued and gives a home-like environment to our community gathering place.”
Good360 also offers an online catalogue offering a wide array of retail items for registered non-profits.