WARRENTON – The big Goodwill Industries trailer is once again in the North Coast Fred Meyer parking lot, accepting donations of clothing and household goods.

Spokeswoman Dale Emanuel said Fred Meyer managers invited the charitable group to return to the lot after an almost two-year hiatus that began in December 2005.

“We’re just so pleased to be back in Warrenton,” she said.

The trailer’s removal was the result of a decision to remove Goodwill trailers from all Fred Meyer locations and deal only with the Salvation Army. The decision reportedly was made by a top executive of Kroger Co., which had purchased the Fred Meyer chain. He has since left the company.

Unfortunately, the Salvation Army doesn’t serve the Astoria-Warrenton area and no other suitable locations could be found for the trailer.

Emanuel said the community has welcomed Goodwill back with open arms. Only four days after its Sept. 10 reopening, 47 people had already dropped by with donations, she said.

“Warrenton’s been wonderful to us. People in this area are really into being ‘green’ (through recycling) and donating to their neighbors,” Emanuel said.

Goodwill converts donated goods into jobs and other vocational opportunities for people with barriers to employment. Last year, Goodwill served more than 15,300 people in Oregon and southwest Washington and paid its employees almost $33 million in wages and benefits, according to Michael Miller, Goodwill’s president and CEO.