Folks wondering about Goodwill store here

It’s been just over two weeks since a Goodwill store opened in Manchester on Nov. 18. Based on the number of phone calls I’ve received, several Warren County residents have patronized that store and are anxious for a Goodwill retail outlet right here.

That is very much a priority, according to Goodwill employees, just don’t expect a store to open in McMinnville right away.

“It takes quite awhile to find the right building,” said Linda Allen, who works at the Goodwill store in Manchester. “And then it takes awhile longer to open. But I know there’s a great interest for one in McMinnville because I get calls all the time asking about it.”

My first reaction is why are folks so excited about a Goodwill store? I’ve reported in this very column what seems like a dozen thrift stores that have opened locally (although several of them have since closed).

But a Goodwill store is no ordinary thrift store. The one in Manchester is 20,000 square feet and it’s located in a building that used to be a Wal-Mart.

“When you walk in, you can’t tell much of a difference between this store and say a Goody’s,” said Linda. “It’s a big store.”

McMinnville has had a Goodwill drop-off trailer for about two years, although none of those donations are sold locally. Melissa Brown is the full-time employee at the drop-off trailer and she described interest in a local Goodwill store as pretty strong.

The timetable I heard several Goodwill employees mention is about a year for a local store to open.