Southern Oregon Goodwill® broke ground on our newest location in North Medford!
This year’s Earth Day marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for sustainability and employment opportunities in our region. We broke ground on our newest location in North Medford — on Excel Drive, near Sportsman’s Warehouse and Buffalo Wild Wings.
The sunny morning provided a perfect backdrop as our staff, community partners, and supporters gathered to commemorate the start of construction on the new 20,000-square-foot facility—comparable in size to our newer Ashland location—where three vital services will be united under one roof: a retail store, donation center, and Job Connection Center.
“It’s an amazing location. And we’re so happy to break ground on Earth Day. It ties directly with our mission of providing opportunities for personal and professional growth, while committing to sustainable practices.”
– Shae Johns, President & CEO of Southern Oregon Goodwill
When completed in spring 2026, this location will become our 11th retail store and donation center, and our 7th Job Connection Center serving Southern Oregon and Northern California.
The economic impact of this expansion includes 50 new positions that will contribute millions of dollars annually to staff members and their families. The new Job Connection Center also aims to support 144 interns each year, providing critical job-readiness training and vocational services to community members facing barriers to employment.
Environmental stewardship is at the heart of Goodwill’s mission, making the Earth Day groundbreaking particularly meaningful. The new location is projected to accept 2.7 million pounds of donations annually, reducing landfill waste through our reduce-reuse-recycle approach. Items that cannot be sold in our retail stores are carefully disassembled and separated for reputable recyclers or salvage buyers nationwide, generating additional funding for our employment programs while protecting our environment.
“What a great event to support this project. The big picture is to create opportunities for people with barriers to employment to find meaningful work and provide for their families. It will truly touch the lives of future generations.”
– James Tadlock, Southern Oregon Goodwill Board Member
The groundbreaking brought together our dedicated partners from Adroit Construction, Kelley Create, Arkitek, and Hart Insurance, along with representatives from The Chamber of Medford & Jackson County and our incredible Southern Oregon Goodwill staff. All of these people and businesses will collaborate throughout the 12-month building period.
While we eagerly await the completion of this new facility, we have already expanded our presence in North Medford with a new donation center that opened earlier this month. Located at 3615 Crater Lake Highway in the North Walmart parking lot, this center is open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM.
Every donation and purchase at Southern Oregon Goodwill directly supports our mission to provide vocational training and job placement services to those who need them most. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our Board, construction partners, and the entire community for their continued support as we work together to strengthen Southern Oregon—one donation, one job, and one life at a time.
“We hope to see you back here in about 12 months for the grand opening!”
– Shae Johns, President & CEO of Southern Oregon Goodwill
