Midland Goodwill Workers Allegedly Throw Away Donations

MIDLAND, TX – For decades Goodwill has been the charity communities turn to when they choose to donate clothes and items they have outgrown or simply don’t want with the belief they will be provided to people who need it the most. Unfortunately for the Midland community some of their donations never make it to the shelves.

According to CBS7, a woman posted a picture that she claimed showed donated items thrown into a dumpster. Per Goodwill policies, all donated items undergo a processing period before being brought to the front of the store. In Midland, employees seem to forgo the processing period and simply throw away the items. Items have a minimum six-week shelf life before they consider throwing them away but now the store is partnering with other organizations to find somewhere else to send them. Elevate Church is going to help the Midland store find homes for unsold items going forward. 

During a store visit this week West Texas Goodwill CEO Rick Waldraff said they would be addressing the issue. It appears the employees chose to throw away the items because they were overwhelmed with the number of items and the small number of employees available.

“Midland-Odessa hiring is always a challenge,” said Waldraff. “We’ve got a sign out in front. We’re still looking for employees, we’re always looking for employees. So, they’re processing as fast as they can. If it stacks up and if it doesn’t get to the shelves, it’s a problem.”