Goodwill Encourages Sustainability with LPS Green Schools Recognition Program

By Alia Hurst

Thanks to Goodwill and LPS, students and staff can earn points for their school while improving the environment and the Lincoln community. 

Hosting a Goodwill donation drive is one of several activities offered through LPS’s Green Schools Recognition Program.  This program engages staff, students and families by encouraging them to accomplish activities that decrease their school’s carbon footprint. When schools complete activities, they earn sustainability points, and the school with the most points at the end of the year receives $500 in sustainability project funding. 

So far this school year, Goodwill has partnered with Calvert, Morley, McPhee, Lux, Mickle, and Lincoln Southeast, collecting over 600 pounds of gently used items.  Some schools host a drive as a competition between classes while others host exclusive staff drives—either way scheduling a drive with Goodwill is a simple way to gain 10 sustainability points. 

Not only do donation drives help the planet and your school, they also benefit the community.  The revenue from your Goodwill donations is put back into the community by funding a variety of local employment services, reinforcing our mission, “Willing workers employed, community resources maximized.”

The donation drives hosted through LPS usually last 10-12 days. Goodwill provides the desired number of barrels for placement of donations, the marketing materials to promote the drive, and drops off/picks up/empties the barrels on request.  Goodwill accepts most clothing, electronics and home goods.  Visit our “What to Donate” page for a more detailed list of the items we accept. 

To learn more about LPS drives or the other donation services Goodwill offers, call 402-742-8456 or email donate@lincolngoodwill.org.