Goodwill Manasota to open Bookstore & ADC on Longboat Key

On December 18, Goodwill Manasota will open the Longboat Key Bookstore & ADC (attended donation center). The brand-new facility will be located in the newly-built Brista Commons shopping center.

The Longboat Key Bookstore & ADC (3160 Gulf of Mexico Drive) is nearly 3,500-square-feet; the inventory will be updated multiple times each day while the drive-thru donation center will offer convenience and excellent customer service for donors. Seven new jobs will be created at this location, and operating hours will be 8 a.m.-8 p.m. every day.

There will be a grand opening celebration on Thursday, December 18, with a ribbon-cutting kicking things off at 8 a.m. Highlights will include a book signing and book giveaway with local author Beth Rice.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be opening this location on Longboat Key, which will offer a wonderful selection of lightly-used books as well as a convenient place to drop off all types of donations,” said Donn Githens, President and CEO of Goodwill Manasota. “The average donation provides more than three hours of job training and opportunities, directly helping individuals to build job skills and improve economic stability. I am so thankful to our donors, shoppers and team for all the work they to do to support our mission of ‘Changing Lives Through the Power of Work.’”

ADCs play a crucial role in supporting Goodwill’s mission-integrated social enterprise, which offers life-changing services. Each donation of gently-used goods dropped off at a Goodwill ADC or store supports jobs and job skills training for friends and neighbors in our communities in addition to all of Goodwill’s team members – many of whom have self-identified barriers to employment, including individuals with disabilities, veterans, older adults, and those who have been justice-involved.

A report released by Florida TaxWatch (FTW) in December 2024, "More Than A Store: The Fiscal and Economic Impacts of Goodwill in Florida," emphasizes Goodwill’s impact on the communities it serves. Goodwill Manasota was responsible for $148.4 million in economic output, $87.5 million in local GDP, 2,211 jobs (direct, indirect and induced jobs in both its west and east coast territories), and $53.3 million in personal income growth for individuals served. Those impacts were all fueled through the community’s generous donations.

The Longboat Key Bookstore & ADC is Goodwill’s fourth bookstore in its Manasota territory; the nonprofit organization has also just recently opened the Stuart Square ADC & Bookstore in its Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast (GIPB) territory.

For more information or to find a convenient location to donate or shop, visit experiencegoodwill.org.

About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that changes lives through the power of work. Goodwill’s mission-integrated operations assist individuals with barriers – such as people with disabilities, veterans, older adults, and other impediments to stable employment – by providing jobs, job skills training and education, and life and career coaching. In 2024, Goodwill served over 7,000 individuals, placed 1,563 in jobs, assisted 463 veterans, collected over 234,600 pounds of food for area food banks, and diverted 98.4 million pounds from landfills. For more information or for a comprehensive listing of locations, visit experiencegoodwill.org or call 941-355-2721.