by Shanique Yates
August 26, 2024
Sparks get candid about her sustainability journey in an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Jordin Sparks is on a mission to make the world a better place through a partnership with Goodwill.
The R&B songstress has always had an affinity for thrifting; it’s a childhood pastime she now gets to share with her son. For her, it’s not just about finding cool clothes for the low, but the bigger mission is to help others in need while also committing to sustainability to ensure that our planet gets the love and attention it needs.
“My mom used to take me when I was younger,” Sparks recalled during an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “Then, the other thing that she and my dad used to teach us was like, for example, if it was our birthday or it was Christmas, it was like, if you’re going to have more stuff coming in, we need to make sure that we gather our stuff and donate it, because other people will be able to reuse it and different things like that, so I’ve always kind of had that in the back of my mind.”
“Goodwill has just been so amazing. I’ve moved a lot in my life, and every time I have to purge or organize, Goodwill is always where I drop it off. They’ve just been so convenient and easy, but with the company, it’s amazing to see and be a part of something where they actually say what they mean and mean what they say. They walk the walk, essentially, and so when they called and said, ‘Hey, we would love for you to be a part of this new initiative that we’re launching,’ it seemed very serendipitous and in alignment with who I am.”
Through its New Lives Campaign, the nonprofit organization is revealing that it is much more than a place to find unique goods. It gives the community a firsthand glimpse into how every donation, big or small, helps create job opportunities for individuals who face challenges as they seek employment to support themselves and their families.
“The Goodwill down the street from you isn’t just a convenient place to donate things you no longer use. Any donation you make can help fund life-changing programs that serve people who have faced hardships,” said Onney Crawley, chief marketing officer of Goodwill Industries International. “Our New Lives campaign tells the story of how revenue from donation sales goes to job training, career navigation, and many other support services like childcare and transportation—all provided in the very same community where the item was donated and at no cost to those who need it.”
Crawley adds, “We are honored to have Jordin Sparks shed light on Goodwill’s important mission and uplift some of the amazing individuals that Goodwill has helped. As a brilliant storyteller herself, she understands the importance of listening to people’s raw and real stories in order to challenge our own biases and be a part of the change needed to build a world where everyone has opportunity.”
Sparks loves how the nonprofit organization champions the power of second chances, not just for donated items that will take on a new life once they arrive at their new respective owners but also for people who are simply on the path to success, seeking a better life. For her, this is a chance to instill the same values into her son, DJ, that her parents instilled in her at an early age.
“I remember doing that with my mom,” said the “No Air” crooner of thrifting and donating to local Goodwill stores throughout her childhood. “It’s just really cosmic to look at my son and be like, ‘Hey if you’re going to have birthday presents coming in, we need to make sure that we take this stuff and donate it. So I had that moment with him the past couple of Christmases because I only have one, he’s my only [child], and you know, baby boy gets whatever he wants, essentially, but within reason.”
“Being able to look at him and go, ‘Hey, do you think another kid would like this? Do you think that this is something that you would be okay parting ways with?’ And it’s been really beautiful to see him, take that second to think about it, and then go, ‘Yeah, that’s okay, somebody else can use it, another kid can have fun with it.’”
According to Goodwill, in 2023 alone, sales of donated goods helped 1.7 million people. Still, it doesn’t stop there, as the nonprofit organization continues to introduce new employment services to keep up with the ever-evolving world and economy; they have partnered with Accenture and GM to create a workforce training program for in-demand clean energy jobs and expanded its partnership with Google to equip job seekers with essential AI skills.
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