WASHOUGAL — Washougal’s newest business is bringing a bit of goodwill — figuratively and literally — to east Clark County.
Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette opened its Washougal store Oct. 3.
As a long line of people snaked around the building in anticipation of the store’s 8 a.m. opening, shoppers were treated to a performance from the Washougal High School cheerleading squad, remarks from Washougal Mayor David Stuebe and a ribbon-cutting by store manager Rita Gardner.
“This was, by far, was one of my favorite grand openings,” said Goodwill Industries spokesperson Hayley Platt. “It’s very exciting to be in Washougal. We’ve wanted to be here for a long time.
“And then to have the kind of celebration that we had this morning with the cheer team and the mayor and everybody coming out, it really feels like we’re in a special community here.”
If You Go
What: Goodwill superstore
Where: 365 N. Second St., Washougal
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
Phone: 360-448-2017
On the web:meetgoodwill.org
Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette operates 51 retail stores, as well as outlet locations, two online shopping sites and several donation centers in the Vancouver-Portland metro area. The nonprofit operated a small donation center in Washougal until it closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am so proud of this city because there’s so many good people, and they do such great things for our community, and you guys fit right in,” Stuebe said.
In late 2022, Goodwill said it planned to build a 23,351-square-foot superstore in Washougal.
“We were just waiting for the right opportunity and for more development in the area to take shape,” Jon Hannam, the company’s director of retail and marketing services, told The Post-Record in 2022.
The new store, 365 N. Second St., employs about 40 people and includes 10,000 square feet of retail space and a drop-off donation center.
“A superstore just means you can find pretty much anything in here,” Platt said. “We have anything from clothing and household goods to electronics to furniture, new merchandise — really, anything that you can think of. That’s why it’s a superstore.”
The building also includes a Job Connection office, where residents can build personal and professional skills, according to a news release.
Goodwill instructors provided nearly 27,000 hours of free skills training and educational services to employees and community members throughout Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon in 2023.
“That’s our mission. It’s the whole point,” Platt said. “A lot of people don’t know that you can walk into a Goodwill and get somebody to help you find a job (or update a) resume.”
The store also offers a variety of free classes in Excel, English as a second language and citizenship, among others.
“It is so rewarding. There are countless stories of people who were struggling in their life and then found Goodwill and completely turned their life around,” Platt said. “For us, it’s about community outreach. It’s about wanting to give back to the community and partner with the community members, helping people find jobs, getting them back to work, really just trying to make a positive impact in and around Washougal. We’re super-excited to be here.”
