Goodwill Industries of San Diego (GISD) has expanded its charitable mission of helping others by opening up shop in the heart of La Jolla’s retail district on Girard Avenue. The new donation center, which opened June 1, is fully staffed and open seven days a week to accept clean, reusable clothing and household goods. The retail store is not yet open but is expected to open its doors on June 27. “The first step in the La Jolla area is very, very exciting,” said Beth Forsberg, vice president of operations. “We have been hoping to find an appropriate retail space for the last decade and feel very fortunate to have found this site. Until now, our donors had to drive up to our University City Bookstore at Genesee Avenue and Nobel Drive or to our stores in Pacific Beach or Clairemont.” Goodwill’s mission is to provide people with disabilities or other barriers to employment with jobs by developing their skills and work habits through training. The charitable organization accepts clean, reusable clothing, gently used household goods, collectibles and other treasures at the donation center and provides donors with a tax receipt at the time of donation. San Diego Goodwill, which creates nearly 1,300 jobs in San Diego County, uses the revenue gained from selling donated items, including a fee-for-service, reuse, recycling and salvage activities to fund the operation of paid job-training programs and employment services. Goodwill is located at 7631 Girard Ave. The donation center is located behind the future storefront and is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.sdgoodwill.org.