Wilmington, DE, March 15, 2023 – Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington and Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware County announced today an operational collaboration benefitting people served by both non-profit organizations.

As part of the new collaboration parishes in the Wilmington Diocese will host donation drives in partnership with Goodwill. Donated items will be sold in Goodwill stores across Delaware, generating revenue for Goodwill’s non-profit mission. Goodwill, in-turn, will provide compensation to Catholic Charities for the donations collected, helping Catholic Charities to continue its mission services in the same communities it serves today.

“With the closing of our Catholic Charities thrift shops in Delaware we were looking for ways to continue generating revenue for our mission services,” shared Catholic Charities Executive Director Fritz Jones. “Partnering with Goodwill to accept donations that would have come to our former thrift shops seemed a natural progression, in alignment with the missions of both organizations.”

“Goodwill is humbled to partner with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington – the city where we were founded more than 100 years ago – to help this highly-regarded non-profit organization continue to meet the needs of some of Delaware’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware County CEO, Colleen Morrone. “Much like the work we do at Goodwill, Catholic Charities connects people with vital human services and supports the development of every human to their full potential. We are happy to be partnering and helping Catholic Charities continue to serve people in our communities.”

Individual parishes in the Wilmington Diocese will determine whether and when to host donation drives. Compensation for items donated during each drive will go back to the local host parish to support their programs. Outside of donation drives, donors wishing to give items to Catholic Charities will be directed to a nearby Goodwill location.

About Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington is a faith-based, social services organization, delivering critical direct care human services to over 83,000 individuals and families residing in Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It is the mission of Catholic Charities to address human suffering and to promote and restore the well-being of people and society. To learn more visit www.CCWilm.org.

About Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware County

For more than 100 years, the mission of Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County has been to improve the quality of life for individuals with barriers to self-sufficiency through the Power of Work! This mission is supported by proceeds from donations to our retail and e-commerce operations, and revenue generated through our Industrial Services and Staffing Services programs. Goodwill endeavors to make the most of every item we receive and minimize what we send to landfills. We’re working to identify ways to operate more sustainably by transforming unsaleable donations into usable materials. Expansion of our sustainability initiatives will benefit communities environmentally and through creation of new entry-level and middle skills jobs. For information on our stores, donation locations, or services, visit: www.GoodwillDE.org.