Goodwill of South MS celebrates grand opening of new Hardy Court location

GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV)- Bargain hunters and thrift shoppers had plenty to celebrate Thursday as Goodwill of South Mississippi cut the ribbon on its newly expanded Hardy Court location in Gulfport.

The new store opened its doors to a line of eager shoppers.

With the snip of a ribbon, Goodwill’s Hardy Court grand opening celebration brought the community together with a long line of shoppers ready to step inside and explore the new store. Shopper Kim Crawford said, “I was raised by my family with Goodwill. They helped my mom raise us and give us everything we needed at a price you could afford. So, our family has always come to Goodwill. The representatives that work here, the people that they hire, and the way they treat their customers is what made us keep coming back. I believe this store is the best profiting store in the area.”

The new Hardy Court location is an expanded version of Goodwill’s former store, giving shoppers more space to browse while creating new opportunities for community growth. Goodwill CEO and President Vicki Burton said, “We use all of this to give back to our community through workforce training and we included a training room at this facility where we can bring in individuals with disabilities, students with diverse learning needs, and individuals impacted by the criminal justice system. We can offer them digital skills classes, virtual reality career exploration, a national certification in customer service skills, and a whole lot more that gets them ready to be a valued employee for this community as well.”

The grand opening featured a DJ, local vendors and prizes, including TVs, an iPad, earphones, multiple Goodwill gift cards and more as a thank you to the community for its support.