Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga Area is opening a new location in East Ridge. The grand opening celebration on Thursday, Feb. 26, will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:30 a.m., followed by the official store opening at 9 a.m. The new location, at 3715 Ringgold Road in the former Food City building, is significantly larger than the previous Goodwill location in East Ridge. The over 40,000-square-foot building will feature a Goodwill store, a Donation Xpress Center, and a dedicated space for a future Goodwill Opportunity Center.

The previous Goodwill location in East Ridge, located at 5082 South Terrace, in front of the AMC movie theater, will remain open as a Goodwill Donation Xpress Center. After the opening of the new East Ridge store, the local nonprofit will operate 16 stores and three Goodwill Opportunity Centers in the region. Goodwill Opportunity Centers provide career search services and employment-readiness assistance at no charge to the community.

Goodwill invites the public to join them for the grand opening event, which will include an appearance by Goodwill’s Smiling G mascot and giveaways and door prizes throughout the day, as supplies last.

Store hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Goodwill accepts donations during regular store hours.

“We’re proud to expand our presence and deepen our commitment to the community,” said Gena Weldon, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga Area. “Those who shop and donate join us in our mission to help people overcome barriers to employment, divert millions of pounds of items from local landfills, equip people with training to prepare for the future of work and make a real impact in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia.”

Those interested in learning about Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga Area can find more information at goodwillchatt.org.