Special to the
Opelika Observer

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers, Inc. (GoodwillSR) has partnered with American Red Cross chapters in East Alabama and West Georgia in order to aid the ongoing tornado relief efforts.
Many communities in our area were ravaged by a string of devastating tornadoes on March 3.
Last week, GoodwillSR announced that it has donated a total of $15,000 in gift cards to the East Alabama and West Georgia chapters of the American Red Cross, as well as to Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones and his agency to aid those individuals who were affected by Sunday’s catastrophic storms. The gift cards are valid at any GoodwillSR location.
“The families who have lost their homes as a result of these storms have no place to store house-hold items and clothes right now,” said GoodwillSR director of communications Julie Bennett. “So, we donated the gift cards to the Red Cross to make the right resources available at the right time to those storm victims who are in need.
Once they have relocated into temporary housing and identified their needs, they can use the Goodwill gift cards to begin the rebuilding process.”
As disaster relief experts, the American Red Cross will assist any storm victim in need of aid. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please refer to the following information:
• Storm victims in Alabama please call the American Red Cross of East Alabama at 334-749-9981.
• Storm victims in Georgia please call the American Red Cross chapters in Columbus at 706-323-5614 or Albany at 229-436-4845.
• Storm victims are also urged to dial 211 to contact the United Way for help finding other local resources.
The American Red Cross has stated that the most urgent need is for monetary donations. Through those monetary donations they are able to provide shelter, food and emotional support to individuals affected by disasters.
About Goodwill Southern Rivers:
Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers (GoodwillSR) is one of 162 independent, community-based Goodwill nonprofits across the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Columbus, GoodwillSR serves 50 counties throughout East Alabama and West Georgia. They provide employment readiness training, computer access, educational assistance, skills workshops and more to spur job placement and economic stability in the communities they serve.
GoodwillSR can provide these and other programs thanks to the continued donations of giving patrons. They use the revenue generated in GoodwillSR stores to fund the majority of our community services.
For more information, visit www.goodwillsr.org.