This highly anticipated store features a 17,500-square-foot sales floor within a 36,000-square-foot total footprint, providing ample room for a spacious shopping experience as well as efficient donation processing and warehousing operations. The new Moon Township location will bring substantial economic benefits to the local community—creating over 50 new jobs, which represents more than $600,000 in annual payroll reinvested into Moon Township and generating an estimated $7.5 million in total economic impact. These new jobs also directly support Goodwill’s mission to provide workforce development opportunities and create pathways to economic mobility for local residents.

The store also includes a convenient drive-through donation door at the front of the building. Donors can simply pull up without leaving their vehicle and will be greeted by a friendly Goodwill team member ready to assist with unloading donations.

The Moon Township Goodwill reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to sustainability by utilizing a third-generation building—formerly a Kuhn’s Market and later a Big Lots. Repurposing and revitalizing this existing space reduces environmental impact while bringing new life to a key property within the community.

As the most innovative Goodwill location in the Southwestern Pennsylvania region to date, the store incorporates AI-assisted technology to help process donations more effectively and efficiently, allowing Goodwill to refresh the sales floor faster and better than ever before. Shoppers can expect 5,000 new items added daily, including both donated goods and brand-new overstock merchandise from major retailers.

Customers will enjoy a modern, updated shopping environment, designed to elevate the thrifting experience. The store also features a community room available for neighborhood meetings, gatherings, and Goodwill programs and services.

“We are thrilled to bring our largest Goodwill store yet to Moon Township,” said Monique McIntosh, President & CEO of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania. “This new location represents the future of Goodwill—where innovation, sustainability, and community impact come together. With the support of this generous community, we can strengthen our mission and expand economic mobility for people in need across our region with our workforce development efforts. We look forward to welcoming shoppers to our newest Goodwill store and donation center.”

Grand opening festivities will run from 10:00 a.m. to noon and include photos with Santa from 10:30 to 11:30, holiday music from a local DJ, Goodwill freebies, and the first 100 shoppers will receive a FREE Goodwill tote bag. Shoppers will discover an incredible selection of pre-loved treasures as well as brand-new overstock items from big box retailers—perfect for holiday shopping.

Regular operating hours for the Moon Township Goodwill store will be: Monday–Thursday: 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Friday–Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

For a full listing of Goodwill SWPA stores, visit goodwillswpa.org/goodwill-stores.

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The event brought together community leaders, elected officials, and residents to mark the opening of the new center, which will serve as a hub for career services, workforce training, and essential community resources.

Speakers included:

• Sarah Innamorato, Allegheny County Executive
• Senator Wayne D. Fontana, Pennsylvania State Senate
• Monique McIntosh, President & CEO, Goodwill of Southwestern PA
• Richard Stephenson, Executive Director, Allegheny County Housing Authority
• Dr. Beverly Moore, Deputy Executive Director, Allegheny County Housing Authority
• Dontez Ford, community member and program participant, who shared his personal success story about overcoming barriers and building a better future

“The McKees Rocks Opportunity Center is a powerful example of Goodwill’s mission in action, creating pathways to opportunity, dignity, and hope,” said Monique McIntosh, President & CEO of Goodwill SWPA. “By meeting people where they are and working alongside partners like the Allegheny County Housing Authority, we are removing barriers to employment, education, and essential services. Together, we are helping more families thrive and building stronger, more resilient neighborhoods.”

The McKees Rocks Opportunity Center connects residents to:

• Career coaching and job placement support
• Skills training and workforce development programs
• Access to education, housing, and family support services

The new center is part of Goodwill’s growing network of community-based service hubs, joining locations in Lawrenceville, the Southside, Northside, and a soon-to-open center in Morgantown, WV.

The grand opening event highlighted the impact of local collaboration and the role that Opportunity Centers play in helping individuals achieve economic mobility and long-term stability. In 2024, Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania served over 21,556 individuals through their life-changing services.

For more information about the services being offered at the McKees Rocks Opportunity Center, visit goodwillswpa.org/adult-career-services.

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The winners will be celebrated during the Annual Power of Work Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at the Carnegie Science Center.

This year’s awardees are:

• Champion Award – Kristin Ioannou, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Women Work
  Honoring C-suite leaders who champion workforce inclusion, Ioannou has expanded Pennsylvania Women Work’s programs by 40% and built partnerships with 200+ employers, helping women overcome barriers such as incarceration, recovery, and immigration challenges.
• Innovation Award – Sims School of Construction (Mr. Brian M. Sims, Sr.)
  Recognizing organizations driving new solutions, the Beaver County–based nonprofit equips underserved youth and returning citizens with trade skills, mentorship, and workforce readiness to build stable careers.
• Trailblazer Award – WIN-Spirations, Inc. (Dawn Pomaybo)
  Celebrating those pushing systemic change, WIN’s workforce programs bring digital literacy labs to underserved communities, train employers in inclusive hiring, and embed career services within Westmoreland County Drug Court—the only program of its kind in the region.

“We are thrilled to honor this year’s awardees, each of whom embodies the spirit of Goodwill’s mission,” said Monique McIntosh, President & CEO of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania. “Kristin Ioannou, Brian M Sims, Sr., and Dawn Pomaybo are not only removing barriers but also building pathways that transform lives and communities. Their leadership shows what is possible when compassion, innovation, and equity are at the center of workforce development. It is a privilege to celebrate their work and the hope they bring to others.”

About the Power of Work Awards

This year’s Power of Work Awards ceremony marks the 28^th anniversary of the recognition program. Goodwill created the Power of Work Awards program in 1997 to honor individuals, organizations, and companies that are changing lives through opportunity and inclusion in the workforce. Awards are presented in three categories: Champion, Innovation, and Trailblazer.

The 2025 Power of Work Awards Ceremony will take place on October 22, 2025, at the Carnegie Science Center. Tickets, sponsorship opportunities and event details are available at:
https://goodwillsp.givecloud.co/2025powerofworkawards

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PITTSBURGH – April 11, 2024 – Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania (Goodwill SWPA) has announced that applications are open for its Give Back Program. The Give Back Program is a transformative partnership that provides retail vouchers to help meet the needs of individuals and families across Southwestern Pennsylvania and parts of West Virginia. Applications must be submitted by May 15.

Since the program’s launch in July 2021, Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania and regional nonprofits in SWPA and West Virginia have worked together to eliminate barriers to opportunities and strengthen their communities. To date, the program has allocated $785,000 to 114 organizations, resulting in a direct benefit to 25,706 individuals. The Give Back program’s goal is to assist participants’ journey toward self-reliance and empowerment.

The Give Back Program connects Goodwill SWPA with other nonprofits, providing their participants with Goodwill retail vouchers to support those in need. These vouchers, redeemable at any Goodwill store within the Southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia service territory, can assist individuals and families in accessing a wide range of products from clothing to household items.

“The Give Back Program fosters community support through Goodwill vouchers, enabling recipients to embrace new beginnings,” said Monique McIntosh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania.  “The vouchers can be used for things like outfitting a child for school, dressing for success in job interviews, or creating a new living space after homelessness.  “By offering these vouchers, we bolster our nonprofit partners, enabling them to address the urgent needs of the people they serve. Together, we’re dismantling barriers and fostering a more resilient, interconnected community.”

FOR NONPROFITS: HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Nonprofit organizations interested in partnering with Goodwill through the Give Back Program are encouraged to apply by visiting this link and submitting their application by 5pm on Wednesday, May 15. The selected organizations will then be given Give Back Cards, pre-loaded with $25, to be distributed to individuals and families they serve. Each household can be awarded up to $100 in gift cards that can be redeemed at a Goodwill thrift store in the following nine counties in North Central West Virginia: Barbour, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, and Upshur.

Existing partners must submit a new application for the current program year to continue participation and further support their communities. For more information on the Give Back Program and to apply, visit www.goodwillswpa.org/give-back.

ABOUT GOODWILL OF SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA 

Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania is a nonprofit organization that operates a network of donation centers and thrift stores to fund vocational rehabilitation and job placement services for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania offers life and work skills to help individuals develop the abilities they need to obtain and maintain jobs in the community.

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The new mission statement was created as part of the organization’s most recent strategic planning process and included input from the community and Goodwill Team and Board members.

The mission statement is supported by the eight key values which are the foundation of Goodwill SWPA – Belonging, Community, Excellence, Honesty, Caring, Responsibility, Connection, and Potential.

“Our new mission statement clearly defines our purpose to create positive social and environmental impact and will allow us to focus the efforts and resources of the organization,” said Monique McIntosh, President & CEO.  “It will inform our work as a leader in equitable workforce development and further align Goodwill SWPA’s mission impact work, including services and programs, as well as advocacy and public policy.”

Along with the new mission statement, the organization also rolled out a strategic rebrand of the organization. The focus of the strategic rebrand is to create a more unified message that creates greater awareness of Goodwill SWPA’s human services mission supported by the organization’s thrift stores.

Highlights of the rebrand include a new headline for the organization: “Where there’s a Goodwill, there’s a Way!,” and a new tagline, “Job Training, Life Changing.”

The rebranding messages will be reflected in the organization’s new website, visuals and collaterals throughout the organization, and at Goodwill SWPA’s 34 thrift stores.

To learn more about Goodwill SWPA, visit www.goodwillncwv.org.

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HIRE Category Winners

LaRosa Youth Club – LaRosa Youth Club (LYC) invests their time, treasure, and talent to provide first class enrichment opportunities to the youth of McKeesport, setting them on a successful path to adulthood. As an employer, LYC makes a conscience effort to recruit staff from the surrounding McKeesport community that is well diversified and is representative of their youth club membership. Responding to the McKeesport citizens who have fallen on hard times and are struggling financially, LYC has hired several single parents, providing training and career development while accommodating their work/life balance. The organization has created an environment that is productive and nurturing by enabling staff to bring their children to work and participate in the after-school program while they are working.

Sigal Development Services LLC – Sigal Development Services provides a range of consulting services focused on commercial development with a goal of providing a level of service and quality work product that results in efficient and attentive processes for every project they manage. Owner Jason Sigal of Sigal Development Services has worked with Goodwill staff to create a new paid work experience for an EARN program participant as they successfully transitioned into competitive employment. As the participant worked to secure housing and transportation, Sigal Development Services created a reliable and fluid schedule that consistently met the participant’s needs. When transportation was a major barrier, Sigal Development Services addressed the need by allowing the independence to work from home with employer-supplied technology and paying for Uber transportation to the office as needed. By supporting the participant and steadily increasing their scheduled hours to allow for her increasing responsibilities, Sigal Development Services has committed to providing a work environment that embraces participants with barriers and working with them as they navigate the challenges.

HELP Category Winner

Children and Adults Developmental Agency Programs, Inc. (CADAprograms) — The mission of CADAprograms is to provide meaningful educational, environmental, family sustainability, and food security opportunities to children, adults and families in a safe environment while revitalizing the community. The nonprofit works with the Office for Vocational Rehabilitation to recruit potential staff members and offer a supportive environment for all those with disabilities. All potential staff members with disabilities are given a support person, ongoing training to enhance comprehension, and competitive pay. They provide training and instruction that is repetitive to retain information and skills as needed and competitive pay is offered as well. Upon completing the 90-day program, eligible individuals are brought on as official staff members. CADAprograms is a safe haven for people of all abilities, identities and cultural backgrounds.

The winners of the 2023 Power of Work Awards will be honored at luncheon ceremony on April 21, 2023 at 12:00 pm. at the Sheraton Station Square hotel. Participating in the event, along with Goodwill clients and representatives of the winning organizations, will be honorary chairperson of the 2023 Power of Work Awards Kelly McCormick, Vice President, Global Talent Curation & Community Partnerships, Giant Eagle, Inc, and, and master of ceremonies Bill Flanagan, Special Advisor for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and host of “Our Region’s Business.”

This year’s Power of Work Awards ceremony marks the 26^th anniversary of the recognition program. Goodwill created the Power of Work Awards program in 1997 to acknowledge employers and organizations that make a major, positive impact on the lives of people with barriers to employment by providing employment opportunities and support programs. Over 60 different employers and organizations have won the award throughout its history.

Those interested sponsoring or attending the event can visit www.goodwillncwv.org/powerofwork. Sponsors are also welcome through March 31. For questions about the Power of Work Awards contact Elaine Malcolm at 412-632-1931 or powerofwork@goodwillswpa.org.

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With this new location, Goodwill provides a convenient option for area residents to donate gently-used goods to support the organization’s mission. This is the second Donation Express Center in the greater Pittsburgh region after the Donation Express Center in Wexford opened in 2019. Additionally, Community members can drop off donations at any one of Goodwill’s 34 thrift stores.

Donations play a crucial role in supporting Goodwill’s mission of changing lives and strengthening communities. Each donation of gently-used goods dropped off at a Goodwill store and donation center is sold in one of its thrift stores. The money from those sales funds jobs training and education programs that help people with barriers to employment achieve competitive employment and independence.

“The community’s support is critical to the work we do: 1,361,017 people donated to Goodwill in 2022, which helped us serve 15,248 through our programs,” said Andrew Marano, Vice President of Donated Goods Retail. “We hope that our Donation Express Centers provide a pleasant and convenient experience for donors and that our West Liberty Donation Express becomes a regular stop for community members looking to support a great cause while saving items from the landfill.”

In 2022, Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania kept over 56 million pounds of household donations out of landfills through its thrift stores and recycling efforts.

For more information – including a listing of all retail locations and donation centers – visit www.goodwillncwv.org/goodwill-stores

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“There is always high demand for flaggers in the construction field,” said Tiffanee Heywood, Director of YouthWorks at Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania. “This training is an excellent pathway for young people who are looking to get their first foot in the door to the construction field and acquire a really good job.”

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a monetary stipend and a certification that will last four years. The training will cover:

• How to be a safe and effective flagger
• Understanding why proper flagger operations are important
• Learning the standard skillset of a good flagger
• Applying standard flagger control references
• Identifying proper flagging signals and procedures
• Learning standard flagger practices for various situations

All participants in the training will receive additional training support and incentives including transportation assistance, financial literacy, interviewing skills, employment services, follow up, mentoring and leadership skill building.

Participants must be out-of-school (GED or high school diploma not required), ages 18-24, and live in Allegheny County.

To enroll in training, contact Morgan Matthews at 412-632-1742 or morgan.matthews@goodwillswpa.org.

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By going plastic bag free, Goodwill SWPA expects to reduce the waste of over 300,000 plastic bags per year. This represents an important step Goodwill SWPA is taking to reduce waste and furthering its organizational commitment to promoting environmental sustainability. As a pioneer in the concepts of reuse and repurposing for over 100 years, Goodwill thrift stores provide low cost gently-used items for sale to the public. In 2022, 56 million pounds of household donations were thrifted, repurposed, recycled, or reused by Goodwill SWPA.

“One of our core values at Goodwill is responsibility,” said Andrew Marano, Vice President of Donated Goods Retail at Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania. “We strive to minimize our environmental impact and maximize the value of each donation to support Goodwill’s mission services. This enables us to help thousands of people we help annually through job training and education programs.”

Experts have indicated that Americans use 100 billion plastic bags per year, which requires 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture. Besides the impacts of the pollution from the manufacturing process on the environment and public health, single-use plastic bags also contribute to litter in communities, collect in waterways, and clog storm drains, which can increase flooding in neighborhoods during wet weather events. In 2021, PennEnvironment released a report that found microplastics in 100 percent of tested Pennsylvania waterways. Single-use plastic bags also obstruct recycling machines and take a minimum of 500 years to decompose in a landfill.

Goodwill plans to be completely plastic bag free in all of its thrift stores by March 15, 2023. For a list of Goodwill SWPA stores and donation centers, visit www.goodwillncwv.org/goodwill-stores.

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“I am excited for this tremendous opportunity to lead Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania,” said McIntosh. “It’s an amazing organization with a long, storied history of providing valuable services to improve the quality of life for people in our region. I am incredibly impressed with Goodwill’s well-known social enterprise model using revenue from retail stores to fund job training, address workforce access barriers, and increase family economic stability. I want the public to understand better that when they donate and shop at Goodwill SWPA, they are impacting thousands of individuals through our mission-critical services.”

Joining Goodwill SWPA from her most recent position as the Chief Program Officer of YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, McIntosh also served in various leadership capacities at the organization, including Co-Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Administrative Officer.  Previous to her leadership at the YWCA, she served as Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh’s Vice President of Programs and Services. In each of these roles, she expanded the reach and effectiveness of the organization.

McIntosh is a member of The Forbes Fund Advisory Council and United Way of Southwestern PA Women’s Leadership Council Diversity Work Group. She serves on the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation Board, where she chairs the Development Committee, and the Sixth Economic Empowerment Development Corporation Board. She also serves as an Advisory Committee member for the Homewood Community Development Collaborative and a Core Team member for the

Homewood Comprehensive Community Plan, formally adopted into the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Additionally, McIntosh is an Advisory Committee member for the University of Pittsburgh Community Engagement Center. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Education from Penn West California.

“We are thrilled to have Monique as the new leader of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania,” said Marijane Treacy, Chairperson of Goodwill SWPA’s Board of Directors. “For over 100 years, Goodwill has been a pillar of our community, and we look forward to her commitment to continuing Goodwill’s success, while forging new ways Goodwill can help our community in our next century of service.”

Succeeding Michael Smith, who retired last fall after serving as Goodwill SWPA’s President/CEO for 20 years, McIntosh will officially begin in her new role on March 1, 2023. She represents a considerable step forward for Goodwill SWPA as the first woman and person of color to lead the organization. Intentional diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts at Goodwill SWPA over the past three years have led to stronger employee awareness and understanding, new community partner relationships, and elevating equity through the lens in which organizational decisions are made. Creating a culture of belonging where everyone is valued for who they are is the foundation of Goodwill SWPA’s DEIB strategy.

For more information about Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, visit www.goodwillncwv.org.

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