Goodwill Industries will close stores across Toronto as the non-profit business deals with a shortage of cash that has become a crisis, according to a statement by the firm. In all, 16 stores, 10 donation centres and 2 offices, including the store at the corner of Overlea Blvd and Thorncliffe Park Drive, will shut immediately. Goodwill offered little explanation of what had caused the cash crisis referring only to “factors in the retail environment.” The statement came from CEO Keiko Nakamura. As many as 450 employees will be out of work. Many of them showed up for work Sunday morning and learned of the closure from a sign on the door. Locations in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Newmarket, Barrie, Orillia and Brockville are closed until management can meet with representatives of the Canadian Airport Workers Union, which represents the employees. Described by Wikipedia as an American nonprofit organization, Goodwill provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for people with disabilities. This work is funded by a large network of retail thrift stores operating as nonprofits as well. It has a huge network across the U.S. in Canada and in Latin America.
