Discounts for poorest Goodwill shoppers? "You're fired. We'll press felony charges."

[wfgodot]

Goodwill Fires, Presses Felony Charges Against Andrew Anderson, 19, For Giving Discounts To Store's Poorest Patrons. (opposingviews.com)

---
When an employee at Goodwill’s store in Naples, Fla., started handing out freelance discounts to the shops poorest customers, Goodwill not only fired the young man, the company called the cops and now has him up on felony theft charges.

"I wasn't actually stealing,” 19-year-old Andrew Anderson told TV station WBBH. “Goodwill is a giving and helping company, so I took it upon to myself to be giving and helping because I feel people deserve it.”

Anderson worked behind the counter at the Naples Goodwill outlet. He would often see the community’s poorest people come into the store, looking to buy clothes but with only a few bucks to their name.
---
Most second-hand clothes and other items sold by Goodwill were donated to the company for free.
---

more, with booking photo, at the link

 

[RT51]

Goodwill Fires, Presses Felony Charges Against Andrew Anderson, 19, For Giving Discounts To Store's Poorest Patrons. (opposingviews.com)

more, with booking photo, at the link

I really feel bad for this young guy. He was just trying to help the less fortunate, and as stated, the merchandise is donated, so by giving discounts, it was not a total loss for Good Will.

I must say, I always donate to the Salvation Army, as Good Will, while trying to look charitable, always comes across as greedy.

 

[Karmady]

Insane that this person let people walk out of the store without paying the extremely discounted price for the merchandise. Charity isn't giving away OTHER people's money. If you want to help someone out take it out of your own pocket. Especially when those other people ARE running a charity. Unbelievable. jmo

 

[Charlie09]

Is it just because it's goodwill that people feel sorry for him?

There are right and wrong ways about it, and probably a way to handle things through his manager if someone really couldn't afford something there. He doesn't realize those poorest of poor helped to pay his salary.

 

[Jan]

My daughter used to work at Goodwill and you have to follow the rules when you work there. Not all things are donated free to Goodwill. They buy semi-truck loads of new merchandise from Target at a reduced price and resell it in the Goodwill store.

 

[Ausgirl]

Kind of makes a mockery of the name "Goodwill"...

 

[Karmady]

Kind of makes a mockery of the name "Goodwill"...

Totally agree. Stealing from a charitable organization is beyond appalling.

 

[delaney]

I think perhaps this young man was too soft hearted to be working

for Goodwill. While what he did was wrong, he tried to show compassion

for the poorest people who came to the store. I really think letting him go

from the job was punishment enough. wwjd?

 

[Ausgirl]

Totally agree. Stealing from a charitable organization is beyond appalling.

I actually meant the company (I can't call it a charity) pressing felony charges for an act of (albeit misguided) kindness.

But I guess some folks just can't see past the end of their own mean-*advertiser censored* agendas.

I hope this young man finds a path in life where his big, giving heart can express itself freely. The world sure could use more kindness.

 

[Sonya610]

The entire story is only told from HIS perspective! He claims he was giving stuff away only to the "Poorest of the poor" which are presumably strangers.


When this sort of thing happens it is inevitably people they KNOW, family and friends etc.... and I have to wonder if that was the case but he conveniently left that part out of his story.

 

[Trident]

The entire story is only told from HIS perspective! He claims he was giving stuff away only to the "Poorest of the poor" which are presumably strangers.


When this sort of thing happens it is inevitably people they KNOW, family and friends etc.... and I have to wonder if that was the case but he conveniently left that part out of his story.

Did Jesus charge for his miracles? Goodwill is now on my NOT TO GO TO list. We sent shiploads of stuff to foreign countries, Haiti comes to mind, and yet, HERE in the US, people cannot have cheap or free clothing? Give me and every other poor person here a break.

 

[MissJ]

I used to donate to Goodwill but now only donate to Salvation Army and local charities who GIVE to the poor. JMO.

 

[packerdog]

What a great kid he must be to have compassion for the poor. Not many kids his age care so much for other people. He is not in a gang or stealing old ladies purses. I hope they drop the charges so that he doesn't have a record.

 

[Sonya610]

Did Jesus charge for his miracles? Goodwill is now on my NOT TO GO TO list. We sent shiploads of stuff to foreign countries, Haiti comes to mind, and yet, HERE in the US, people cannot have cheap or free clothing? Give me and every other poor person here a break.

Last time I checked Goodwill clothing was cheap! And if this young man wants to provide free clothing to the poor then he needs to start his own charity and stop taking a paycheck from an employer while stealing from them.

They were PAYING him for his work, if he thought the prices were too high he can work somewhere else. If he worked for Walmart and started giving "50% off unauthorized discounts" to customers he liked would anyone be surprised when he was charged with theft?

 

[zippitydoda]

From the link above - "When his compassion got the better of his judgments, he would simply cut prices in half, then watch the delight on the faces of underprivileged people and families"....

Since I'm a skeptic by nature - maybe he was enjoying the power it gave him, power that he had no authority to use.

 

[Trident]

""Our stores are not around to give a hand out, they're around to give people a hand up by providing funding," said Goodwill Spojesperson Kirstin O'Donnel. "In incidents like this, we always prosecute and the reason why is when people steal from Goodwill, they're not stealing from the company, they're stealing from the mission of our organization."

http://www.goodwill.org/about-us/our-mission

If you read the rest of this, it doesn't sound like they are feeding the hungry, or clothing the poor. Methinks one needs to looks at how much money was involved - quite a bit - I'm not sure where it went, but I'm not great on balancing PR statements.

IF they proceed to prosecute this young man, someone in the Naples, Fla area needs to step up to the plate and get a legal fund going. Maybe J. Cochran can find it in his heart, LOL, but one can believe the best, can't they? Maybe Al, or Jesse will take up the cause, proving they really want justice for the poor and clothing for the naked.

I am NOT being facetious at all, I want all people of good will to rally round and right, what I perceive to be, a wrong. If we ALL don't stick together and help each other, what hope is there for any of us in this corrupt world?

Are there any people of good will left in this world? If so, they/we need to speak out.

My opinion only

 

[Trident]

From the link above - "When his compassion got the better of his judgments, he would simply cut prices in half, then watch the delight on the faces of underprivileged people and families"....

Since I'm a skeptic by nature - maybe he was enjoying the power it gave him, power that he had no authority to use.

Such a poor, simply joy to watch the happiness of those who have nothing. God knows, that small happiness should be taken away or taxed at least.

 

[txsvicki]

I don't have a link, but read on yahoo news page that Goodwill dropped the charges.

 

[wfgodot]

I don't have a link, but read on yahoo news page that Goodwill dropped the charges.

Here's one:

Goodwill Drops Theft Charges Against Teen Who Gave Customer Discounts. (ABC)

 

[Trident]

I don't have a link, but read on yahoo news page that Goodwill dropped the charges.

Now, IF they dropped the charges, they need to give him his job back. An organization like Good Will cannot afford to be seen in such a BAD light, IMO