February 23, 2018

Goodwill Hunting helps more than a thousand students set up house

Organisers thank community for donating to annual event

The transition to university life was made a little easier for more than a thousand students on Friday (23 February), who walked away from the annual Goodwill Hunting event with bags preloved home wares.

Students began lining up early in the day – from around 8am – for the best chance to secure a range of free items for their homes.

Doors opened at noon, with tables pilled high with sheets, dinner sets, mattresses, books, blankets, glassware, appliances and more, all donated by University of Wollongong staff and members of the community.

Heidi De Coster, one of the event organisers, said Goodwill Hunting was growing bigger every year and the community were incredibly generous in their donations.

“It has grown so much from last year,” she said. “The community has donated more than 500 dinner sets and 180 bags of linen, and that’s just the beginning.

“The support we get is overwhelming. The students are just so surprised and grateful that UOW staff and the community care enough about them to donate good quality items to help them set up home.

“It’s particularly good for international students who can’t bring anything here with them when they move here to study.”

Goodwill Hunting began several years ago and is now a fixture on UOW’s Orientation Week calendar.