Residents can empty their closets and toy boxes for a good cause and meet the faces behind community-service organizations at a resource fair and donation drive from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec.7, at the Liberty County Division of Family and Children Services office on West Oglethorpe Highway in Hinesville.
“It’s a good time for people to come to one distinct location and get a receipt for their donations, in addition to getting information about other services offered in Liberty County,” said Shauntia Lewis, community relations manager for Goodwill of the Coastal Empire.  
Goodwill’s stated mission is to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to live independently and become employed. Lewis said Goodwill tries to provide employment to anyone who needs employment, if they have job vacancies.
The DFCS is responsible for welfare and employment support, protecting children, foster care and other services, according to the agency’s website.
DFCS assists with such programs as commodity food assistance, food stamps, Medicaid, energy assistance and subsidized childcare.
Lewis said when people donate to Goodwill, their donations help create jobs. When donations are down, Goodwill cannot create jobs.
The donations also assist other organizations, like DFCS, that partner with Goodwill, she said.
“DFCS is one of our partners for the voucher initiative,” Lewis said.  “It helps support their program for children who may come in for foster care. These kids may need coats and shoes.”
The Goodwill manager said donations have been down and suggested that, with the upcoming holidays, people consider donating items that others can use.
“We need people to donate,” she said. “We are severely down in donations in clothing. We need people to donate clothing.”
Goodwill also accepts furniture and other household items.
Lewis described the resource fair as a “one-stop shop” where people can receive all kinds of information from agencies like Helen’s Haven, Diversity Health and the United Way.
Any agency interested in setting up a table at the fair can email slewis@goodwillsavannah.org.
The Goodwill Store in Hinesville is in the Liberty Square shopping center, 115 E. Hendry St. For more information, call 876-7473.