Goodwill Kicks Off Social Enterprise with Invitation-Only “Dumpster Dive”

November 11, 2015, Press Release

JOHNSTOWN, PA, November 11, 2015—As good stewards of every item donated to Goodwill of the Southern Alleghenies, the agency recently formed the Creative Upcycle Exchange (CUE), a social enterprise that will extend the lifecycle of unsold goods and industrial byproducts by redirecting materials into the hands of artists, crafters, do-it-yourselfers, makers, and educators that would otherwise end up in landfills and the waste streams.

The first in a series of activities and events for the Creative Upcycle Exchange is the Waste Art Dumpster Dive. While not actually a dumpster dive in the true sense, it will be a unique opportunity for artists to sort through volumes of preselected materials at Goodwill’s Centre for Social Enterprises in Windber on Saturday, November 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thirty-six prequalified artists from six surrounding counties will choose their salvage materials and will have the next four months to create artwork comprised of at least 50 percent of the materials. Their works will then be displayed at the Waste Art Exhibit, a public event planned for Spring 2016 in conjunction with Goodwill’s Annual Report to the Community.

The Waste Art Exhibit is being presented in partnership with three local arts organizations — Bottleworks in Johnstown, Laurel Arts in Somerset, and Locality in Bedford. In addition to the entries receiving public exposure at the Waste Art Exhibit, the pieces will be divided into smaller collections and be displayed at each of the three partner galleries. All entries will then travel to the 2nd Annual Makers Premier, part of PITTchFest at Pitt-Johnstown for final presentation.

For more information on the Creative Upcycle Echange, please contact Diana Shark, Goodwill’s Social Enterprise Business Developer at (814) 525-2146 or dshark@goodwilljohnstown.org.

Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley (GICV), Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1962 to empower individuals and families with employment barriers to achieve their fullest potential in the community through work services. Headquartered in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, GICV serves individuals with disabilities and disadvantages, dislocated workers, youth, and other job seekers throughout south central Pennsylvania in the counties of Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Indiana, Somerset and a portion of Westmoreland by providing education and career services as well as job placement and postemployment supports. GICV is a community-based member organization of Goodwill Industries International, a 179-member network in the U.S., Canada, and 13 other countries. Learn more at www.gicv.org.
Online Shopping at Goodwill

Through the Shopgoodwill online auction site, you can experience a fun and exciting way to shop for specialty items such as one-of-a-kinds, collectibles, antiques, estate pieces, jewelry, nostalgic items, and more!

At Goodwill of the Southern Alleghenies, we know that our donors value their donations to Goodwill and want us to get the maximum value possible to support our mission. Listing these items on Shopgoodwill allows us to generate more revenue because these items go to the highest bidders who know the values of the items.

Donors can be sure that the revenue generated from the sale of their donated items on Shopgoodwill.com will support job training and employment services for people in their community – just as it does through purchases made in our 10 Goodwill Retail Stores.