Pasco Goodwill remodeling project complete

Shoppers hunting for a good deal at Pasco Goodwill will find a transformed store.

Goodwill Industries of the Columbia is finishing a $110,000 renovation of its Pasco outlet and is about to begin construction on a $1.6 million warehouse across the street.

The project not only will provide a better experience for Goodwill employees and customers, but it also is expec-ted to allow Goodwill to expand its vocational training services to help more people in the down economy, said Associate Executive Director Scott Shinsato.

The main outlet in downtown Pasco at 307 W. Columbia St. was well overdue for an update.

Goodwill hadn't renovated the 11,500-square-foot Pasco store since it opened in 1961, Shinsato said. The building was built in 1952.

Goodwill wanted to improve the environment for its workers, as well as for customers. The freshly painted walls and a new ceiling and lights brighten up the store. Other renovations included a new roof, a music system, more displays and an updated electrical system, Shinsato said.

Before the remodel, the roof also leaked, said Elena Alexander, store operations manager. "It was terrible. The ceiling was falling down."

Alexander said employees now feel like they are working at Macy's. "We get so many compliments," she said.

Michelle Homewood, an employee in the nonprofit's vocational program for six years, said when she saw the finished store she cried. "It was amazing."

Goodwill still has to finish its processing room, where employees check the quality of donated goods and price them, Shinsato said. That room is expected to be finished next month.

Lately, the focus has been on the 31,600-square-foot warehouse project, he said. Goodwill will use money it has saved from its retail store sales to pay for the project.

The warehouse, which will be built north of Columbia Street between First and Second avenues, will replace two warehouses the nonprofit leases at the Tri-Cities Airport and the Port of Pasco.

Donations that aren't processed immediately are taken to one of the warehouses, Shinsato said. "We just can't keep up with the volume of donations on a daily basis," he said.

It's a good problem to have. Shinsato said the agency is grateful to those who donate.

Goodwill will break ground on the building Wednesday, with construction to start in several weeks.

Shinsato said he sees the project as part of the development of the downtown Pasco corridor. The lot where the building will go is now vacant.

And he said, "It comes down to us being able to handle the goods that people donate to us in the most efficient way."

Also, by cutting costs for rent for other storage buildings Goodwill will be able to put more money back into services such as vocational training.

Last year, the agency helped almost 500 Tri-City welfare clients and people with disabilities, making them more job-ready through case management, classes and teaching job retention skills.

In addition, each day about 80 people work in Goodwill's vocational program at its stores in Pasco, Richland and Kennewick, said Shinsato.

Shirley Kirk, 60, of Kennewick, started working for Goodwill more than a year ago and now works three days a week.

Kirk, who is visually impaired, said the job gives her something to fall back on in case her disability checks are cut.

Homewood, 41, of Kennewick, hopes her experience at Goodwill will help her get a job working a cash register at JCPenney.

The ARC of Tri-Cities, which serves clients with developmental disabilities, connected Homewood with Goodwill, she said.

And Goodwill is considering expanding services to others because of continuing state budget cuts.

Right now, Goodwill receives some state funding to pay for the services it provides to clients. And proceeds from the retail stores are used to make up the difference between state support and actual costs.

Shinsato said the nonprofit may add openings in its programs for people who don't have state funding.

"There is such a huge need here," he said.