After arson, Goodwill might leave South Boulevard

Goodwill is still sorting out the damage and trying to figure out why someone set a fire at their South Boulevard location, and it could be six months or more before the store reopens.

The store might be forced to rebuild or remove. Here's a story about the reported arson that ran on Friday. Although the store was fully insured, the contents were a total loss.

"The fact that someone would purposely set out to harm our organization and its team members who call this their work home is deeply troubling and, quite frankly, hard to comprehend," said Michael Elder, CEO of Goodwill of the Southern Piedmont, in a letter sent out Tuesday morning.

Below is the full text of his letter:

Dear Team Members, Volunteers and Friends of Goodwill,

As you may have already heard, Goodwill suffered a devastating fire at our store and donation center on South Boulevard on Thursday, February 23, resulting in damage to the building and destruction of the contents inside. We remain extremely grateful that the store had closed for the day and no one was inside at the time of the fire.

We have since learned the distressing news that the fire was intentionally set, and the arson task force is actively working to bring the responsible parties to justice. The fact that someone would purposely set out to harm our organization and its team members who call this their work home is deeply troubling and, quite frankly, hard to comprehend. Whatever the motive or intent, we will do what the people of Goodwill always do in the face of life’s challenges: we will press forward and work to overcome these temporary barriers, while continuing to seek the greater good for the people we serve and the community.

I would like to take this opportunity to keep you informed of what we currently know and where we are in our recovery efforts:

• The store and its contents were fully insured and we are working with our insurance carrier to estimate damages and process claims as quickly as possible.
• As part of that process, the building will receive a full inspection to determine the status of the structure and its mechanical and electrical systems. Once we have a clear picture of the extent of the damage, we will determine the viability of remaining at this location and rebuilding, or begin looking for an alternative location.
• We estimate that rebuilding or relocating to an alternative site would take at least six months. In the interim, all the team members at this location have been assigned to other stores to minimize any disruption to their employment. We will meet with these team members later this week to provide additional information and address any concerns.
• We are actively seeking a location on South Boulevard to place a temporary attended donation center and will communicate that location to the public as soon as a site is secured.
• We will continue to encourage the public to support Goodwill by donating to and shopping at our other locations in the region.

I greatly appreciate the outpouring of support and expressions of concern we have received. During a challenging time such as this, it is reassuring to know that we live in a community where so many care about helping others and display the utmost generosity in times of crisis. I am also extraordinarily grateful for the dedicated team of professionals that I have the privilege of working with on a daily basis. Since the first alarm went out, our team members jumped into action and have demonstrated great flexibility and ingenuity in responding to this crisis.

Thank you for your continued support!

Michael Elder

President & CEO

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont (Charlotte)