The Habersham County Board of Commissioners has proclaimed Sept. 26 as Goodwill of North Georgia Day in honor of the nonprofit’s 100th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of its Cornelia store and career center.

The proclamation, read during the commission’s Sept. 15 meeting, recognizes Goodwill’s contributions to workforce development and its role in helping thousands of Georgians find jobs. It notes Goodwill of North Georgia was founded in 1925 and “has grown to serve a 45-county territory with stores, donation centers and career centers that provide free job training and placement services.”

It further highlights that the Cornelia Career Center, opened in 2015, “has served more than 13,000 people and connected more than 6,500 Habersham County residents to employment opportunities.”

Mindy Coleman-Pryor, executive director for mission strategies at Goodwill of North Georgia and a Habersham resident, thanked commissioners for the recognition.

“I’m so delighted to be here and very thankful for this recognition,” Coleman-Pryor said. “You’re helping us celebrate two really important milestones for us this year, one being our 100-year anniversary since Goodwill of North Georgia was founded in Atlanta in 1925 … and 10 years ago, we opened our Cornelia Goodwill store and career center, which we’re also celebrating.”

Coleman-Pryor credited local managers Sarah Thompson and Sherry Burns for leading efforts to provide training in welding, phlebotomy and forklift operation, among other fields.

“We’re able to serve people with disabilities, our youth, people who are justice involved,” she said. “We have a really close relationship with the accountability courts … to help people who have maybe made some bad decisions and are ready to get their life back on track.”

Commissioner Bruce Harkness said honoring Goodwill was an easy decision because of its impact on local families.

“Goodwill has been an important partner in Habersham County,” Harkness said. “They’ve helped our citizens get training, find jobs and overcome barriers, and that makes our entire community stronger.”

The proclamation also praised Goodwill’s role in reducing barriers to employment and promoting economic growth, concluding that “the Board of Commissioners hereby recognizes Sept. 26, 2025, as Goodwill of North Georgia Day in Habersham County.”

The recognition coincides with a community event planned for Sept. 28 at the Cornelia Career Center.

For more information about Goodwill of North Georgia and its centennial celebrations, please visit www.goodwillng.org.

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