Parents encouraged to shop around for deals during tax free holiday

Goodwill offers clothing and back-to-school supplies

Stocking up for school supplies will be difficult for some families who are still struggling financially during the pandemic.

Praniewicz is the Vice President of Marketing and Mission Advancement for Goodwill of Central Florida. She is encouraging families to shop around to find the best deals for back-to-school supplies.

“Really what we’re seeing is a lot of folks are still unemployed and they’re looking for value,” said Kim Praniewicz.

An Orlando 7th grader said value can be found on the racks of Goodwill.

"I saw someone post on Tik Tok what they found at Goodwill. I see Nike, Under Armour, Adidas... all types... it's cute and affordable," said Kennedy Peters.

During a visit to the Goodwill Retail Store in Orlando, News 6 reporter Crystal Moyer found school supplies. Anything from notebooks to markers, even scissors. Many items less than a dollar each.

The backpacks were priced at $5.99.

"There's everything you could ever want for back to school and a lot of people don't know that," said Praniewicz.

Praniewicz and Moyer went through the aisles and found an outfit for a teen girl. A shirt and a pair of jeans with some fancy detailing. The outfit and a pair of shoes cost than $22.

For a middle school-aged boy. They pulled a polo shirt, pants and shoes for less than $15 altogether.

This isn't the only way parents can get some savings for the upcoming school year. Florida's tax-free holiday begins Friday and includes most school supplies that cost $15 or less. Clothing, footwear and accessories under $60 are tax free. The first $1,000 of the sales price of computers and tech accessories are included.

Praniewicz said families who shop at Goodwill are not only saving, but giving back. Ninety percent of Goodwill’s profits go towards funding job placement and skills programs.


About the Author

Crystal Moyer is a morning news anchor who joined the News 6 team in 2020.

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