2009 – Volume 12, Number 2

Goodwill Participants
®

Show the
Working World
Who’s Boss
Taking a
Holistic Approach to
Serving Those Creativity,
Who’ve Served Confidence
Exhibited by
Goodwill Artists
®
RECOVERY.GOODWILL.ORG

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 Who’s the Boss?
More and more former Goodwill program participants are not just embarking on careers, but running their own
businesses and showing the working world who’s boss.

4 Serving Those Who’ve Served

A holistic approach to serving veterans means addressing their complex needs, from untreated mental illness and
addiction to homelessness and chronic unemployment.

8 Supporting Our Communities

Volunteers support Goodwill in a number of powerful and life-changing ways, from mentoring and tutoring to free
tax help and financial planning.

12 Goodwill Is Good for Families

A family-strengthening approach goes beyond serving individual job seekers to supporting and enhancing the quality
of life for their families and communities.

16 A Piece of Themselves
Goodwill artists find the value of their masterpieces is the confidence, dignity and pride they feel during the
creative process, and they carry these virtues over into their daily lives.

18 Bidding On Success
shopgoodwill.com, Goodwill’s own Internet auction site, celebrates 10 years of spreading an international brand
name beyond Goodwill’s brick-and-mortar stores.

The Goodwill Industries® Mission

Goodwill Industries will enhance the quality and dignity of life for individuals, families, and communities by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping
people in need reach their fullest potential through the power of work.

A Publication of President and CEO

Jim Gibbons
On the cover:
Goodwill Industries International, Inc.
Veronica Jones,
2009 — Volume 12, Number 2 Sr. VP, Communications and Public Affairs
Owner of Environmental
Kim Zimmer
Working! is published by Goodwill Industries International, Inc.
Cleaning Organization
Managing Editor Editor
15810 Indianola Dr., Rockville, MD 20855 Katherine Michaud Mandy Mikulencak Photo by:
© 2009 Goodwill Industries International, Inc. All rights reserved. Scott Turner Photography,
Reproduction of any part of this magazine by non-members of the Writers Contributors
Tacoma, WA
Goodwill® network requires the written permission of the corporation. Jenni Baker Elissa Gross
Contact editorial offices at (301) 530-6500, ext. 5262, Debra Berkowitz Melissa Jones
or e-mail contactus@goodwill.org for reprint permission. Arlene McCrehan
For more information about Goodwill, or to find the Goodwill Mandy Mikulencak
nearest you, call (800) 664-6577 or visit our web site at Cody Switzer
www.goodwill.org. Art Director
Thomas Roszkowski
Printing
United Litho, Inc.
Ashburn,VA
 Board of Directors
Board
BoardofofDirectors
Directors 2008-2009
Chair President/CEO
Raymond W. Bishop, CE Jim Gibbons
Goodwill of North Georgia Goodwill Industries International
Atlanta, GA Rockville, MD

Vice Chair Treasurer Secretary

William J. Kacal John B. Latchford, CE Cynthia C. Barnes
Deloitte & Touche LLP Goodwill Industries of the Gulfstream Aerospace
Houston, TX Greater East Bay Savannah, GA
Oakland, CA

Board Members David Hadani Donna Miller

Carlos Artola Nebraska Heavy Industries Grefe & Sidney, PLC
Indar Ventures, LLC Lincoln, NE Des Moines, IA
Melrose Park, IL
James Hazy Tommy Moore
Janie Barrera Leadership Science, LLC 1st Investors Financial Services
ACCION Texas Lebanon, NJ Houston, TX
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Gidget Hopf, CE John Owen, CE
Jack Brannen ABVI - Goodwill Industries of Goodwill Industries of South Texas
Day Ketterer, Ltd. Greater Rochester Corpus Christi, TX
Canton, OH Rochester, NY
Marjory Pizzuti, CE
Dennis Brice, CE Charles Layman, CE Goodwill Columbus
Chattanooga Goodwill Industries Goodwill of Central Virginia Columbus, OH
Chattanooga, TN Richmond, VA
David A. Powless
Peter Brinckerhoff Kimberly B. Lewis, CE Corrales, NM
Corporate Alternatives, Inc. Goodwill Industries of
Union Hall, VA KYOWVA Area Michael B. Sullivan
Huntington, WV Palo Alto, CA
Sheryl Chalupa, CE
Goodwill Industries of Jarret Lobb Marvin A. Tanck, CE
South Central California Monroe Muffler and Brake Service Gulfstream Goodwill Industries
Bakersfield, CA Pittsford, NY West Palm Beach, FL

Paul Chapin, CE Leslie D. Mancuso, Ph.D., RN Floyd Wilson

Goodwill The Amity Group JHPIEGO Metro Health Hospital
Hamilton, Ontario Baltimore, MD Grand Rapids, MI

Lew Chartock, CE Jim Martin, CE

Mers/Missouri Goodwill Industries Goodwill Industries of Lane and Advisory
St. Louis, MO South Coast Counties Directors
Eugene, OR Will A. Courtney
Linda Scholle Cowan Courtney & Courtney Properties
Louisville, KY Janet McCarthy-Wilson, CE Ft. Worth, TX
Goodwill Serving People of
Jeffry Golden Southern Los Angeles County Evelyne Villines
Clean Earth Technologies Long Beach, CA Des Moines, IA
Madison, WI
Catherine Meloy, CE C. William Wood
Goodwill of Greater Washington Laguna Beach, CA
Washington, DC
Who’s the Boss?
Who’s the Boss?
Business Ownership a Rewarding Option for Goodwill Participants

Goodwill’s mission of putting people to work has taken a

new twist. More and more Goodwill® participants are not just
embarking on their careers, but they are building their own
businesses and becoming their own bosses.
Some Goodwill agencies that do not have programs geared
specifically toward business ownership, like Tacoma Goodwill
Industries® (WA), incorporate information about running a
business into their job skills programs. Other agencies, such as
Goodwill of North Georgia (Atlanta), have programs designed
to prepare participants for entrepreneurship. Still others, such
as the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI)-
Goodwill Industries (Rochester, NY), partner with state and
local organizations to match their clients with business oppor-
tunities.

Helping the Environment, At Tacoma Goodwill Indus-

Helping Herself
When Veronica Jones moved
to the Seattle, WA, area, she
Photo by Scott Turner Photography
tries Kent Custodial Skills
Training Center, Jones gained
technical expertise and certi-
fication. The program covers

wasn’t entirely sure what she 13 areas, including cleaning

wanted to do with her life. of blood-borne pathogens,
Although she had completed carpet care and basic-area
some college courses and cleaning. Jones learned about
was a certified pharmacy the industry, which chemicals
technician, she found it hard to use and when, and how to
to work full time because of devise a game plan for each
her chronic illness. Jones has job site.
sickle cell anemia, which
The Goodwill’s custodial
sometimes lands her in the
As her own boss, Veronica Jones has
flexibility to manage a chronic illness that skills instructor also gave
previously kept her from full-time work. hospital or requires her to
Jones the confidence to meet
stay home from work. In a
with clients and win contracts.
state like Washington, where
“[Kent Custodial Skills Training] took Together with her instructor,
employment is at will, Jones
Jones won her first contract
was constantly worried about
the fear away…. It made me more losing her job. This led her
while she was still in the
class.
confident to get into the industry — to the decision to become her
own boss. She wanted to run “It took the fear away; that’s
learn the techniques and the language her own business. what the class did for me,”
of bidding and talking to customers.” Jones says. “It made me more
“I thought this would be a
confident to get into the in-
good opportunity for me
— Veronica Jones, Owner dustry — learn the techniques
to be gainfully employed
Environmental Cleaning Organization and the language of bidding
without being stressed about
and talking to customers.”
getting sick,” Jones says.

Who’s the Boss? 1

 Who’s the Boss?
Who’s the Boss?
Jones’ business, Environmental Clean-
ing Organization, focuses on Earth-
friendly, nontoxic commercial cleaning.
She follows Green Seal* standards and
uses chemicals with low chlorofluoro-
carbons (CFCs), among other green
practices.
“You spend half of your life in the of-
fice, so it’s important that your office is
as comfortable as your home,” she says.
“I try using a more holistic approach to
cleaning so the environment is healthy
and safe.”
More than three years after starting
her business, Jones holds 12 contracts.
Rather than hiring employees, whom
she would have to pay by the hour, she
subcontracts the work to other inde-
pendent cleaners, several of whom also
graduated from the Tacoma Goodwill’s
program.
“The students in the class are just like
me,” Jones says. “I take them under my
wing and show them how to do things.”
*Green Seal is a nonprofit organization that provides environmental certifications based on state-of-the-
art science and information using internationally recognized methods and procedures.
2 Who’s the Boss?
Jones also hired an outside sales
contractor who initiates cold calls and
schedules appointments to drum up
business. Jones then meets with the
potential clients and offers a bid. At the
same time, she continues cleaning at
one of the job sites herself. By clean-
ing one day a week and completing the
administrative work in her own time,
she has the flexibility to manage her
illness. However, Jones is quick to add
that the behind-the-scenes work is just
as important, if not more important, than
her cleaning skills.
“You have to make sure you get up
and do things that make your business
function. I’m a one-woman show,” she
says. “I knew all that was involved,
but I didn’t realize that the background
stuff is so much more important than
the physical work. You can be the best
cleaner in the world, but if you don’t
have a good relationship with your
clients, you won’t get business.”
Learn more about Jones’ business at
www.ecojanitorial.net.
Small Businesses, Big Ideas
In 1996, Goodwill of North Georgia
launched its microenterprise program,
BusinessNOW, as a welfare-to-work
program for women. Microenterprise
helps individuals with limited access to
markets, traditional capital and resourc-
es to embark on small business ventures
that require less than $35,000 in start-up
capital.
As experience, opportunities and fund-
ing sources evolved, the Goodwill
expanded its training to others who were
interested, including veterans and peo-
ple with disabilities, and also developed
NegocioNOW, designed specifically for
immigrants and refugees.
Participants in these microenterprise
programs often face challenges, includ-
ing low incomes, unemployment, lim-
ited English skills, or criminal records.
Almost all of them start their businesses
on a small scale and do not require
loans for start-up capital. Many of the
businesses provide owners with “patch
incomes” that supplement the money
they are bringing in from full-time jobs,
and some eventually grow into family-
sustaining enterprises.
The Goodwill begins the program by
asking individuals to complete a self-
assessment to evaluate whether they
have solid business ideas and the ability
and willingness to start their own busi-
nesses. Participants then take part in an
eight-week training course that covers
all aspects of developing a business
plan, and they work directly with a per-
sonal advisor. Upon completion of the
program, graduates meet with business
consultants to receive assistance as they
begin building their businesses.
In 2008, four BusinessNOW graduates
won cash prizes at a statewide market-
ing competition for their unique busi-
ness ideas, marketing plans and presen-
tations of business concepts.
Gena Golden took home a first-place
prize of $1,500 for her company, Gold-
en Life Personal Care Home. Golden
provides a home for people who are
elderly and people with disabilities.
Tameko Leverett won a second-
place, $1,000 prize for her company,
Nonprofit Dreams, which provides a
variety of project planning and man-
agement services for small nonprofit
organizations that cannot afford to hire
dedicated staff. Services include com-
pliance standards, operational proce-
dures, grant writing, and management
and program design.
Jane Scurry also won $1,000 for her
company, Someone Cares Communi-
cations. The organization helps people
who are elderly and individuals who
are homebound by running errands
and contacting them to provide social
interaction.
Audrey Trottie won a third-place prize
of $500 for her business, Space Solu-
tions for Living, a commercial and
interior design firm.
“These are significant dollar amounts
in the life of a microentrepreneur,
where marketing often lands on the
back burner due to a lack of funds,”
says Yvonne Days-Cuffie, program
manager of the BusinessNOW pro-
gram.
Location, Location, Location
When James Porcher’s corneal
transplant failed in 2001, leaving him
blind for the second time in his life, he
could no longer work at the nursery in
South Carolina where he had been for
10 years. So, he headed north to New
York and found assistance at ABVI-
Goodwill.
There, Porcher — who had never
used a computer or even typed before
— attended computer skills classes
and also worked one-on-one with a
counselor through the agency’s Career
“At ABVI-Goodwill,
you can help someone
else and they can help
you. You’ll like it, and it
will improve your life.”
— James Porcher
Convenience Store Owner
James Porcher owns and manages a convenience
store at the City Hall in Buffalo, NY.
and Training Services. As part of the “It’s a big improvement,” Porcher
program, he participated in support says of owning his own business
groups that helped him adjust to being rather than reporting to a manager. “I
legally blind. like it better than taking orders from
someone else.”
“The group involvement really helped,”
Porcher says. “It was a place where Although it can be challenging at
we could express our feelings, talk times, Porcher says he is very happy
about our goals and share our life with his decision and the path his
experiences.” career has taken. He employs one
full-time and one part-time employee.
In November 2006, Porcher mentioned Porcher says he would like to open
to his counselor that he dreamed of another business in a few years, pos-
owning his own business. Shortly after sibly in the Rochester area, and he
Thanksgiving, his counselor connect- appreciates the assistance he got from
ed him with the Business Enterprise Goodwill.
Program (BEP), a program operated
by the state’s Commission for the “At ABVI-Goodwill, you can help
Blind and Visually Handicapped, and someone else and they can help you,”
he learned how to run a business and he says. “You’ll like it, and it will
obtain a vendor license. improve your life.”
In 2007, BEP helped Porcher find a As a child, Porcher received advice
business opportunity. The owner of that has always stuck with him. He
a convenience store located inside says it kept him going during the chal-
Buffalo’s City Hall was ready to retire lenges he faced and hopes it can help
and, with the program’s assistance, others as well:
Porcher took over the business in
December of that year. He sells food, “Never give up on your future, no
beverages and other small conve- matter what obstacles lie in your path,
nience items to people who work at or and always have faith in God and be-
visit City Hall. lieve in yourself,” he says. “With this,
anything can be achieved.”
Who’s the Boss? 3
 Serving
Serving ThoseThose
Who’ve Served
Throughout history, veterans returning to civilian life
have faced both physical and psychological challenges
that prevent them from finding or holding down jobs
and fully participating in their communities. From un-
treated mental illness and addiction to homelessness
and chronic unemployment, the issues are complex and
require a holistic approach that addresses the needs of
veterans’ families as well.
Goodwill Industries® is committed to providing compre-
hensive job placement and support services for veter-
ans, whether they are returning from the recent conflicts
in Iraq and Afghanistan or still experiencing the negative
effects from their service in the Gulf or Vietnam wars.
In 2008, 103 Goodwill® agencies in the United States and
Canada reported serving more than 12,000 veterans. A
number of Goodwills have done so with the assistance
4 Serving Those Who’ve Served
Goodwill
Makes
Veteran
Reintegration
a Top
Priority
of Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP)
grants from the U.S. Department of Labor Veterans Em-
ployment and Training Service. HVRP is the only national
employment program that specifically targets veterans
who are homeless through competitive grants to com-
munity-based organizations like Goodwill.
HVRP fills a special need because it serves veterans who
may feel shunned or misunderstood by other employ-
ment programs. Veterans receive employment and train-
ing services as well as support services such as clothing,
shelter, referral to medical or substance abuse treatment,
and transportation assistance. In 2009, Goodwill agen-
cies received more than $2 million in HVRP grants to
assist veterans in Cincinnati, OH; Peoria, IL; San Jose, CA;
Grandville, MI; Des Moines and Iowa City, IA; Buffalo, NY;
and Houston, TX.
Employer Partnerships,
Collaboration Key in Cincinnati
Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries
(Cincinnati) has served more than
4,000 veterans who were homeless
over the past 15 years. The Goodwill
reaches out to veterans in urban, sub-
urban and rural areas, and focuses on
people who are chronically homeless,
those convicted of felony charges, and
those with substance abuse problems.
Goodwill representatives go out into
the communities seeking veterans
who need help, often finding them at
regional drop-in centers and churches
that serve meals to individuals who are
homeless. Vets are then referred to the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) or to Goodwill.
The Cincinnati Goodwill received its
first HVRP grant in 1993 for $200,000.
The growth and success of that pro-
gram, as well as its expansion into
southern Ohio and northern Kentucky,
led to an increase in HVRP funding to
$599,400 under two separate grants.
The Goodwill has used the additional
funds to further develop its already
extensive network of community ser- “Location, a company’s institutional
vice partners, including employers. culture, the future prospects of par-
ticular industries, certification and
“Developing a strong network of bonding issues, and pay scale all have
employers who have faith and trust a significant impact on the suitability
in the program’s participants is the of employment prospects for clients,”
key prerequisite for the success of Blythe says.
any HVRP program,” says Charlie
Blythe, the agency’s grants director. Blythe reports that the Goodwill has
“Ohio Valley Goodwill has developed consistently achieved an employment
relationships with an appreciable list rate of 80 percent, with a 70- to 75-
of employers who are willing to give a percent six-month job retention rate.
second chance to veterans working to The Goodwill has assisted veterans
overcome serious, and often multiple, in full-time, unsubsidized, sustaining
barriers to employment.” employment at an average wage of
$9.85 per hour. The agency has been so
Flexibility in terms of the types of em- successful in fulfilling its mission that
ployment placements is also necessary its veterans’ employment assistance
due to the divergent backgrounds, skills program is widely regarded as one of
and experience of program participants. the best in the nation.
“Ohio Valley Goodwill has developed relationships with
an appreciable list of employers who are willing to give
a second chance to veterans working to overcome
serious, and often multiple, barriers to employment.”
— Charlie Blythe, Grants Director
Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries

Veteran Moves into After completing his service, Consolo at-
Case Management tended Auburn University under the GI
Role at Goodwill Bill, majoring in mass communications,
and he went on to work with the U.S.
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
Although Matt Con-
following storms and supervising the sub-
solo is now a key
sequent renovations.
member of the Ohio Valley Good-
will’s HVRP staff, he was once a veteran Consolo left his job, however, to be with
who sought help from the agency. From his ailing mother. Watching her condition
1991 to 1994, Consolo was stationed in deteriorate, he sought solace in alcohol
Fort Benning, GA, and served in the U.S. and drugs. After she passed away, he re-
Army Special Operations unit. alized he couldn’t go on as he had been.
Consolo had learned determination from
He knew that alcoholism ran in his fam-
his mother, who was born without arms,
ily, but that fact didn’t stop Consolo
and decided it was time to practice what
from taking his first drink at age 12 and
she’d taught him.
drinking to excess after he entered the
military. Eventually, his drinking also led “Watching my mom as I grew up and
to drug use. seeing what she could do…you can
imagine the level of determination that I
came to know,” Consolo says. “My mom
was who I had to measure myself by.”
Determined to change his ways, Consolo
entered a VA drug and alcohol treatment
center. After seven months, he graduated
to a transitional phase of the program
and was connected with a case manager
from Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries.
“[The case manager] thought that I
would make a great case manager and
gave my résumé to his boss,” Consolo
says. “That was two years ago, and I’m
happy to report that not only have I
found my place but have been asked to
be a spokesperson on behalf of Ohio Val-
ley Goodwill’s Homeless Veterans Rein-
tegration Project.”

Serving Those Who’ve Served 35

 Serving
Serving ThoseThose
Who’ve Served
Individualized Service Plans
Address Veterans’ Specific Needs
James Green chops vegetables while head cook Paul
Samonski prepares dinner at the General Wayne A.
Downing Home for Veterans in Peoria, IL.
In 2005, Goodwill Industries of Cen-
tral Illinois (Peoria) opened a 10-room
facility to serve veterans who were
homeless. The agency works one-on-
one with veterans to assess their needs
and then customizes services to aid in
significant life changes.
“This is not a shelter, but permanent
supportive housing,” says the Good-
will’s President and CEO Patty Fuchs.
“It is a holistic approach with individual
program plans for each resident. We
provide counseling to keep residents on
track.”
Homelessness is a prime reason these
veterans cannot find employment. In
addition to housing, the Goodwill’s
General Wayne A. Downing Home for
Veterans also provides services such as
counseling, legal assistance, life skills
training and transportation. It is the only
housing facility of its kind in the state.
6 Serving Those Who’ve Served
“Our mission is to improve the eco- Veteran Leads Goodwill
nomic self-sufficiency of veterans by Mattress-Recycling Efforts
providing them with work and a place in San Jose
to live,” says Duffy Armstrong, the
Goodwill’s director of development. Goodwill Industries of the Silicon
Valley (San Jose, CA) is putting vet-
Veterans receive referrals to the home erans to work and making the planet a
from the VA, psychologists, and friends little “greener” in the process.
and families. Individuals can also refer
themselves. Once admitted, residents Earlier this year, the Goodwill and the
have 90 days to obtain employment or City of San Jose launched a mattress-
enroll in school. The Goodwill screens recycling program that will keep as many
residents to see which jobs may be as 86,000 mattresses out of landfills an-
a good fit and offers computer and nually. The operation is fully staffed by
forklift training programs to aid in job veterans who come to the agency for job
searches. The residents pay 30 percent assistance and other support services.
of their adjusted gross incomes for
The supervisor of the venture is a
rent.
veteran himself. Kenslo Russell had an
In July 2009, Goodwill Industries of impressive record of service through the
Central Illinois was one of only four U.S. Army and, more recently, working
organizations in the state to receive with young people at the San Jose Con-
HVRP grants to expand services to servation Corps. He was unexpectedly
veterans. “More than 30 letters of sup- laid off in February 2008, eventually
port were written, indicating the level losing his car and apartment. Russell
of awareness and interest in the issues completed the customer-service training
of homeless veterans,” says Bill Bon- program at the Goodwill and inter-
temps, director of vocational services. viewed successfully for the supervisor
position.
“Our mission is to
improve the economic
self-sufficiency of
veterans by providing
them with work and
a place to live.”
— Duffy Armstrong
Director of Development
Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois
Veteran Kenslo Russell heads a mattress-
recycling program for the San Jose
Goodwill, which employs veterans who
need job training.
“This program will benefit veterans by
providing steady employment and help
keep mattress materials from the land-
fill,” says Russell. “I intend to make this
the best mattress-dismantling operation
in the state of California.”
Veterans in the Goodwill program work
for six months repurposing mattresses
before transferring the skills they’ve
learned to other jobs.
The San Jose Goodwill has entered its
third year of its HVRP grant to run pro-
grams for veterans. The Veterans’
Individualized Placement (VIP)
program offers vocational and psy-
chological counseling, and classroom
training in accounting, Microsoft Office vidual. Case managers create individual
Suite, customer service and relations,
warehousing, and optometry technical
support.
The agency also offers job search skills
and placement assistance, subsidized tri-
al employment, and on-the-job services
once veterans are employed. Additional
support is added through housing refer-
rals, bus passes, voicemail accounts and
clothing assistance.
Since July 2007, the VIP program has
served more than 300 veterans and
helped more than 200 of those earn jobs.
Grand Rapids Goodwill
Provides Full Continuum of Care
Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand
Rapids (Grandville, MI) is also helping
veterans get back into the workforce.
The agency provides a full continuum of
care to help veterans who are homeless
become productive citizens. Outreach
involves homeless care providers and
veteran service organizations through-
out Kent County, including Health
Care for Homeless Vets, Vietnam Vets
for America, the VA and the American
Legion.
The Goodwill’s services are coordinated
according to the needs of each indi-
development plans, which factor in
physical and mental condition, sobri-
ety, employment history, education and
training, interest and skills, and personal
needs, including identification docu-
ments and clothing. Santiago Estrada,
the Goodwill’s veteran services manager,
says the veterans that the agency serves
face serious and unique challenges in
their quests toward independence.
“Many come to us with significant skills, and staying sober while seeking
mental illness, alcohol dependence, lack employment and after being hired.
of employment history and some type of
The Goodwill also provides temporary
criminal background,” Estrada says.
housing to some veterans through its
Program participants receive employ- “Per Diem Only” program. Participants
ability skills training, transitional work in the program receive meal vouchers
experience and cognitive behavioral and case management while focusing on
therapy through the Better Life Ini- life and employability skills.
tiative. The initiative, based on the
Goodwill’s successful Once and For All The Goodwill has demonstrated a high
curriculum, is designed to help partici- level of success in connecting veterans
pants acquire the attitudes and beliefs who are homeless with the services and
that lead to their success. Courses training they need in order to find and
combine basic job-seeking etiquette retain employment, housing and stabil-
with discussions about challenges to ity. Last year, the agency enrolled 81,
obtaining employment, interviewing and 59 of those found employment.
Serving Those Who’ve Served 7
 Our Communities
Supporting Our Communities
Volunteers Expand Goodwill’s Capacity
to Do More, Serve More
Before heading to college, Ashley Garcia (right) receives advice
and support from her mentor, Lindsey Baukofer, through Denver’s
SummerBridge mentoring program.

Each student who participates in the

In a tough economy, many non-
profits face increasing demand for
services at the same time they
face diminishing resources. That’s
when volunteers step in to pro-
vide vital support and help non-
profits continue to meet growing
needs.
VolunteeringInAmerica.gov re-
cently released research that
shows that despite all the ad-
ditional stresses of a difficult
economy, people are still volun-
teering. In fact, while charitable
giving declined for the first time
in more than 20 years, volunteer-
ing held steady between 2007 and
2008, with just over 26 percent of
Americans giving time.
Goodwill Industries® has long
valued the contributions of vol-
unteers who connect with Good-
will® patrons in a number of pow-
erful and life-changing ways, from
mentoring and tutoring to free
tax help and financial planning.
8 Supporting Our Communities
Mentors Counsel
College-Bound Youth
Students who’ve worked hard to gradu-
ate from high school with intensive
support from community programs
often face the possibility of failure
if they do not have access to support
while transitioning to college life. This
is why Goodwill Industries of Denver
(CO) implemented the SummerBridge
mentoring program. The program helps
recent high school graduates find suc-
cess during their first year of college by
linking them to supportive mentors in
the community.
The overwhelming majority of young
people served by the SummerBridge
program are first-generation urban col-
lege students who may not have family
members who can help them trouble-
shoot the many challenges they will
face in college.
“The majority of the students who participate have
the heart and drive that motivates them to apply for
and attend college, even if they have never seen any
of their family members do so.”
program is matched with a volun-
teer mentor of the same gender who
provides support and guidance through-
out freshman year. Students are also
given first-hand experience at a college
campus during a week-long immersion
program.
“The majority of the students who
participate have the heart and drive that
motivates them to apply for and attend
college, even if they have never seen
any of their family members do so,”
says Meaghan Carabello, public rela-
tions and communications coordinator
for the Denver Goodwill. “Our volun-
teer mentors have already attended col-
lege and can work with their mentees
on how to advocate for their financial
aid, how to recognize when they need
to ask their professors for help, how to
get caught up when they fall behind,
and how to make wise adult decisions
about their personal finances, their
health and their career goals.”
Since the program’s launch in 2002,
Goodwill Industries of Denver has
matched approximately 20 youth with
mentors each year. In the summer of
2008, the program was expanded to two
additional schools, where 40 volunteer
mentors were matched with college
students in two Colorado counties.
Thirty-four of those matches are still
active. Goodwill Industries International
recently named the program as 2009
Volunteer Program of the Year.
— Meaghan Carabello
Public Relations and Communications Coordinator
Goodwill Industries of Denver
Volunteers Staff Free Tax Clinic
for Families with Low Incomes
For several years, Goodwill Indus-
tries of Hawaii (Honolulu) has run a
free tax clinic three days a week and
on Saturday mornings to assist a wide
range of people with low incomes, in-
cluding people who are elderly, people
who recently immigrated, those who
have not filed their taxes for multiple
years, people who do not speak Eng-
lish, workers who are homeless, and
individuals who are simply inexperi-
enced with or uninformed about the
tax process.
The clinic operates in partnership with
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
(VITA) Program and the Aloha United
Way.
The use of volunteers enables the
VITA Program to operate with mini-
mal overhead and adds a Goodwill
touch, says Laura Kay Rand, the
Goodwill’s vice president of corporate
services. “The compassion and knowl-
edge of the taxpayer situations makes
this a perfect match for Goodwill and
the community.”
Tax clinic volunteer positions at
Goodwill Industries of Hawaii include
tax preparers, interpreters, administra-
tive assistants, greeters and IT sup-
port. This year, volunteers included 21
Goodwill employees and five com-
munity members with a total of more
than 1,000 volunteer hours served in
tax clinics run on Oahu, Maui and
Hawaii’s Big Island.
This year, volunteers prepared 616
tax returns, helped families access
$286,548 in Earned Income Tax Cred-
its and $757,071 in overall federal re-
funds, while saving families thousands
of dollars in tax preparation fees.
“The compassion and
knowledge of the
taxpayer situations
makes this a perfect
match for Goodwill
and the community.”
­­
— Laura Kay Rand
Vice President of Corporate Services
Goodwill Industries of Hawaii
Misti Pali (left) helps Jennifer Cohen-Murray with her
taxes at the Honolulu VITA tax clinic on Oahu.
IT Professional Teaches
Valuable Skills to People Who
are Incarcerated
Brenda Hernandez, a federal gov-
ernment IT worker by day, uses her
technical expertise two weekends
each month to make a difference in
the lives of men and women who are
incarcerated in Frederick, MD.
This married mother of four and
grandmother of one has volunteered at
Goodwill Industries of the Mono-
cacy Valley for more than three years,
giving up part of her weekends to
teach Microsoft Word and Excel to
people in the Frederick County Work
Release Center.
Hernandez is happy to “give back” to
her community. In the process, she’s
helping people with criminal back-
grounds develop sought-after work-
place computer skills to help in their
job searches upon release, which is
less than a year away for some of her
students.
Elissa Gross, director of marketing
and development for the Frederick
Goodwill, attended one of Hernan-
dez’s classes recently to get a first-
hand look at the how the program is
changing lives. “I really noticed their
enthusiasm about being there — to
learn and interact with each other,”
she says.
In addition to computer training, the
Goodwill also offers job coaching
and pre-release counseling programs
at the Work Release Center. Since its
inception in March 2007, its programs
have served 191 individuals. Compre-
hension test scores have also im-
proved significantly, with an average
post-instruction score of 88 percent.
John King (left) and David Bonita learn Microsoft Excel
at the Frederick County Work Release Center.
Beth Hernandez, an IT professional and Goodwill volun-
teer, teaches her students valuable computer skills before
they are released and begin looking for work.
Supporting Our Communities 9
 Real People,
Real People, Real JobsReal Jobs
Job, Friendships Give Young Man New Opportunities to Smile

“I feel really good about my job today….

I’ve made some friends. They go the extra
mile to help me out, and I would do the
same for them.”
—Travis Derouaux

Travis Derouaux’s boyish smile is the first thing people no- Dudley’s guidance, Derouaux gained full-time employment
tice about the 20-year-old who works full time as a prepared at the Giant Eagle in February 2007 after he completed Proj-
foods associate and customer service clerk for Giant Eagle ect Opportunity.
grocery store in Grove City, OH. His interactions with co-
He credits the program and his current position for boosting
workers and customers have helped the shy young man shine
his confidence and teaching him new things about himself.
— something he wasn’t able to do in school because peers
“I found out that I’m a good people person and I’m a very
made fun of his learning disability and vocal chord disorder.
hard worker,” he explains. “I never call [in sick]. I do not like
Derouaux’s disabilities are noticeable when he speaks or to miss work at all.”
writes, and he is able to read at a third-grade level. Sherry
The job has allowed Derouaux to build friendships with his
Clark, one of Derouaux’s high school teachers, took a special
co-workers — something that proved difficult in high school.
interest in the youth and referred him to Project Opportunity
“I feel really good about my job today,” Derouaux says. “By
at Goodwill® Columbus. Despite his past difficulties with
working with employees here, I’ve made some friends. They
learning new things, Derouaux was eager to enroll in the
go the extra mile to help me out, and I would do the same for
program because he “just wanted to get in and get going.”
them.”
Jennifer Dudley, the agency’s educational facilitator, shep-
With his stellar reputation at Giant Eagle, Derouaux has also
herded Derouaux through the 12-week program that provided
learned to use his clout. “I got my brother a job here, too,” he
four weeks of classroom job skills training and eight weeks
says proudly.
of on-the-job training at Giant Eagle.
Although his full-time position would allow Derouaux to live
With Goodwill’s help, Derouaux learned how to dress for
independently if he wanted to, he chooses to live at home
an interview, handle conflict with co-workers and manage
with his loving support network — his mother and siblings.
constructive criticism — skills that were reinforced during
his eight-week training period at the grocery store. With

10 Real People, Real Jobs

Woman Who Was Homeless Pursues Teaching Career,
Becomes Role Model to Students
“Goodwill taught me how to believe in
myself and helped me get not only a job but
a career doing something I love.”
When you walk into Kimberly Thorpe’s classroom, her
enthusiasm and passion for learning are evident, and you
wouldn’t know that the well-respected instructor was once
homeless.
After years of mental and physical abuse by a controlling
husband, Thorpe had lost her confidence and self-esteem.
After her marriage ended, she had a hard time finding work,
even though she was trained as a medical assistant, and even-
tually the 30-year-old was living on the streets.
Overwhelmed by her situation but determined to forge a new
life on her own, Thorpe leaned on a Goodwill Industries®-
Suncoast (St. Petersburg, FL) career specialist for support.
The career specialist first referred Thorpe to shelters and
community resources that help people who are homeless,
then encouraged her to take advantage of her medical training.
“Goodwill taught me how to believe in myself and helped me
get not only a job but a career doing something I love,” says
Thorpe.
She took advantage of Goodwill’s services, including résumé
preparation assistance and job search tools. Most importantly,
she received moral support and learned that she was capable
of accomplishing anything she wanted in life.
With renewed confidence, Thorpe pursued a teaching career
in the medical assisting field and was hired by Florida Career
College’s Clearwater Campus in December 2007. Her com-
mitment to her work quickly earned her the respect of her
colleagues.
— Kimberly Thorpe
“She has an enthusiasm in the classroom that is contagious
and promotes a positive learning atmosphere for all her
students,” says Darlana Brown, the medical assistant program
director at Florida Career College.
Thorpe was soon promoted to lead instructor and won the
2008 Instructor of the Year Award. “I am so honored and I
truly believe that Goodwill was responsible for this,” she
says. “At Goodwill, I learned I could achieve anything if I
worked hard.”
Chris Ward, marketing and media relations manager at Good-
will Industries-Suncoast, praises Thorpe’s empathy for her
students.
“She knows what it’s like to be without a home or a job
and to doubt her own self-worth, so she can empathize with
people facing challenges. She is a role model for her students
and proof of what can be achieved through commitment, hard
work and a dedication to helping others.”
With stable employment, Thorpe now rents an apartment and
has her own bank account for the first time.
Real People, Real Jobs 11
 Good
Goodwill Isfor Families
Good for Families
Agencies Honored for Commitment
to Families in Tough Economic Times

A s families feel the devastating effects of the economic downturn, the work
of Goodwill Industries® is more important than ever. Across the United States
and Canada, Goodwill® is working with urgency to help vulnerable families
achieve and maintain economic stability. Underpinning this work is Goodwill’s
philosophy that a holistic approach is essential to helping individuals, families
and communities prosper.
Goodwill’s commitment to serving families is accomplished through both ser-
vice delivery and organizational commitment.The Goodwill Is Good for Fami-
lies awards program — a joint venture of Goodwill Industries International
and the Annie E. Casey Foundation — recognizes the holistic approach that
many Goodwill agencies have championed.
In June 2009, Goodwill agencies in four cities were honored with the award:
Great Falls, MT; Winston Salem, NC; Johnstown, PA; and Muskegon, MI. These
Goodwills have adopted a family strengthening approach that goes beyond
serving individual job seekers to supporting and enhancing the quality of life
of the families of job seekers.

12 Goodwill Is Good for Families

 Winston-Salem, NC

Leadership commitment, financial

commitment, human resources, youth
development and financial education
comprise the Goodwill Industries of
Northwest North Carolina’s ap-
proach to serving families and helping
them achieve life goals.
From family-friendly employee poli-
cies to parenting classes, and from free
tax preparation to homeownership
counseling, the Winston-Salem Good-
will strives to strengthen families’
futures in many ways. The organiza-
tion’s work is grounded in the philoso-
phy that “through strengthening the
“When I was released from prison, everything family, we provide our employees and
participants a better chance at achiev-
seemed so overwhelming. Working with Easter
Seals-Goodwill has helped keep me focused, meet
Great Falls, MT my goals and find a job. It has also helped with ing financial stability.”
my self-esteem and accountability,” says Liz Jayo.
The board and staff at the Goodwill
Easter Seals-Goodwill Northern treatment, employment, housing, and
have enthusiastically placed emphasis
Rocky Mountain has been implement- much more. Easter Seals-Goodwill has
on the family strengthening approach
ing a family strengthening approach also developed relationships with other
since 2006, when CEO Art Gibel came
since 1987, placing families at the top entities and the Idaho Department of
on board. Since then, the Goodwill has
of its priority list. The organization’s Correction to secure family-centered
started new family strengthening pro-
programs continue to evolve because services.
grams, the board has made a commit-
of support from the CEO, senior lead- Community partners play an impor- ment to provide more career centers, a
ership and program staff. Since 2007, tant role in extending opportunities to new mission statement and values were
Easter Seals-Goodwill has helped Easter Seals-Goodwill families. With adopted, and a review of employee
hundreds of parents who were for- United Way of Treasure Valley, Debt services and benefits was started.
merly incarcerated obtain employment, Reduction Services and other agencies,
substance abuse treatment, transporta-Easter Seals-Goodwill offers financial
tion and other services to return to education, free tax preparation, and
productive lives so that their families
Individual Development Accounts to
can thrive. help families build assets. Families
The agency’s women’s re-entry pro- also can take classes to learn how to
gram helps women successfully reunite maximize their food stamps at the gro-
with their children and re-enter the cery store. Additionally, through board
community after release from prison. members who own and manage busi-
Services for women and their families nesses in Idaho, Easter Seals-Goodwill
include working with foster care on helps people, including adults who
reunification plans, HIV/AIDS educa- were formerly incarcerated, obtain
tion and treatment, mental health and permanent jobs in trucking, agriculture
family counseling, substance abuse and construction.
Job seekers peruse openings posted at a career fair
sponsored by the Winston-Salem Goodwill.

13
 Good
Goodwill Isfor Families
Good for Families
Through collaborations with com-
munity agencies, the Winston-Salem
Goodwill provides comprehensive
support, such as youth job training
and mentoring, through the “elink”
youth program, and financial coun-
seling and job assistance through
the Prosperity Center. The organiza-
tion also serves as a site for free tax
preparation services and incorporates
asset-building financial education into
its job training programs.
As an employer, the Goodwill strives
to uphold policies and offer benefits
that support the families of employees.
Those who work for the agency are en-
couraged to take advantage of services
offered to clients.
Johnstown, PA
Goodwill Industries of the Cone-
maugh Valley has infused family
strengthening in its array of programs
and services since its founding in
1962 and has taken a leading role
in improving the lives of youth and
families in Johnstown. Key to its suc-
cess is the collaborative approach that
the organization has taken in its work.
Identifying and addressing the per-
sonal, family and community-based
challenges participants face has been
integral to the organization’s primary
mission: helping clients “overcome
barriers to employment and become
more self-sufficient through work.”
The Goodwill recognizes that people
have a hard time gaining or main-
taining employment for a variety
of reasons, including disabilities,
poverty, lack of family or other social
supports, general lack of academic
and work readiness skills, and lack of
work experience.
14 Goodwill Is Good for Families
A Conemaugh Valley staff member gives job
guidance and support to dislocated workers.
In 2008, Goodwill Industries of the
Conemaugh Valley spearheaded the
city’s largest community resource fair,
which featured 92 organizations in ed-
ucation, health care, human services
and other industries. It also initiated
the establishment of a YouthBuild
program with 12 other partners to
give young people education and job
training while they build housing for
families with low incomes. Through a
partnership with a local bank, the or-
ganization offers financial education.
And in partnership with the city, the
Goodwill helped residents in a declin-
ing neighborhood create a nonprofit
organization focused on revitalization,
based on the belief that if residents are
empowered to re-engage and make
their neighborhood stronger and more
supportive, the families living there
will be strengthened.
Muskegon, MI
Goodwill Industries of West Michi-
gan has established a one-stop shop
for family-focused career services.
It provides a comprehensive range
of support, including connections to
resources, transitional housing for
people who are homeless, financial
education, college tuition assistance,
car purchasing assistance and more.
After visiting another family strength-
ening award winner and attending
Goodwill Industries International’s
Family Strengthening Conference in
2006, the Muskegon Goodwill set
about enhancing current programs,
developing new services, and com-
mitting to stronger community col-
laborations and partnerships.
Since that time, the Goodwill has
relocated its Workforce Development
Center and doubled its size to 8,000
square feet. Its Workforce Investment
Act programs have grown more than
tenfold in enrollments, placements
 For more information
about these programs,
contact:
Jay, age 18, received job-readiness support from Easter Seals-Goodwill
Goodwill Industries of West Michigan and went Northern Rocky Mountain
on to graduate from the Muskegon Area Technical Michelle Belknap
Center with a certificate in welding.
President and CEO
4400 Central Avenue
Great Falls, MT 59405-1641
(406) 771-3742
www.esgw-nrm.easterseals.com

Goodwill Industries of
Northwest North Carolina
Art Gibel
President
2701 University Parkway
Winston-Salem, NC 27105-4223
(336) 724-3621
www.goodwillnwnc .org

Goodwill Industries of the

and retention, and a new “No Worker
Left Behind” college-level training
program has been added. A business
development position was created to
increase the Goodwill’s business-to-
business relations, allowing growth
in jobs, community relations and
expanded mission.
The Muskegon Goodwill was also
named the lead agency for the re-
gional Michigan Prisoner Re-entry
Initiative in two counties and five
other one-stop centers, and now part-
ners with Goodwill of Greater Grand
Rapids (Grandville, MI) to provide
prisoner re-entry services for a nine-
county region.
Because of the Goodwill’s compre-
hensive approach to helping people
find and retain work, more individuals
have succeeded in staying employed.
Conemaugh Valley
Phyllis Bandstra
President and CEO
540 Central Avenue
Johnstown, PA 15902
(814) 536-3536
www.goodwilljohnstown.org
When people first come in, the agency
performs intake assessments to Goodwill Industries of West Michigan
develop family self-sufficiency plans Richard Carlson
President
that identify strengths and needs, and
271 Apple Avenue
help case managers connect them to Muskegon, MI 49442
resources. To aid in job placement www.goodwillwm.org
and training, the organization also (231) 722-7871
operates its own temporary staffing
agency. Once workers obtain jobs,
the Goodwill supports them with For more information
transportation assistance, purchasing about the “Goodwill Is
business attire, budgeting workshops
Good for Families” awards
and other services.
program, contact:
Additionally, as a leading organiza-
tion in the Asset Building Coalition Goodwill Industries International
of Muskegon, the Goodwill runs the Andrea Edelman
largest free tax preparation site in National Family Strengthening Specialist
the region. In 2007, the organization 15810 Indianola Drive
helped 476 families each receive an Rockville, MD 20852
(800) 741-0197, ext. 5511
average of $1,200 in tax refunds.
www.goodwill.org

Information for these articles was taken from

the 2009 Family Strengthening Profiles pro-
vided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and
prepared by the Hatcher Group.
 A Piece
A Piece of Themselves
of Themselves
Creativity, Confidence Exhibited
by Participants in Goodwill Art Programs

B rush strokes on canvas can create more than a single work of art. The same is true with pencil on paper, clay in
the kiln and the careful arrangement of tile. In Goodwill’s art programs, artists create something bigger. Whether
they serve high school students or adults with disabilities, these programs turn creativity into skills, confidence
and dignity.

Ratha Sok has been commissioned by the Denver Parks and Recre-
ation Department to create graffiti murals for the Mile-High City.

Graffiti Artists Apply Talent
to Public Projects
Ratha Sok was already an artist before
he worked with Goodwill, but most
of his art was illegal graffiti. So when
Goodwill Industries® of Denver (CO)
began its mural club for high school
students in 2007, he was among the
first to sign up. When the interest of
other students waned, Sok wasn’t
deterred and pursued the mural project
solo.
“I told myself I needed a positive
outlet,” Sok says. “It was just me, and
I said, ‘I can make this happen.’”
He painted the club’s first mural by
himself at West High School Career
Academy. It didn’t take long for other
students to follow suit, and they helped
paint an additional 10 murals in the
first year. The success of the club
inspired Sok to launch a business ven-
ture with fellow students after graduat-
ing from high school.
His venture, 2kool Productions, spe-
cializes in murals, graphics, clothing
and web design, and has been commis-
sioned by Denver Parks and Recre-
ation to create public murals.
“Making a living as an artist is dif-
ficult, but these kids have actually got-
ten paid, and that’s rare,” says Steve
Hartbauer, Goodwill case manager for
West High School Career Academy
in Denver. “Some of these kids could
become professional artists.”
Today, five to 10 students work with
the mural club, depending on the scope
of the project. Sok says he’s received
calls from other schools in the area
interested in starting similar programs,
and he’s committed to helping others
pursue their artistic aspirations.

16 A Piece of Themselves
 Bonding, Stress Reduction
Are Products of
Close-Knit Classes
The Artistic Enhancement Program at
Goodwill Industries of Southeastern
Wisconsin (Milwaukee) is so popular that
there’s a waiting list. The program accom-
modates 38 adults with developmental
disabilities who attend weekly classes
for 24 weeks in the organization’s work
services program. The six-person classes
create gift baskets, mobiles, paintings,
masks, sculptures and greeting cards.
Some of the classmates have become par-
ticularly close, says art facilitator Chrystal
Gillon-Mabry. They meld into a kind of
therapy group, talking through life issues
while working on projects.
The program sells the artwork once a year
at a local art fair and at the Goodwill’s
new trendy boutique, Retique, with larger
pieces going for about $65. That money is
split evenly between program participants
and the Goodwill to help cover direct
program costs.
From creation to sale, the entire experi-
ence is meaningful for participants, says
Nicci Nageotte, manager of participant
services at the Goodwill. “[Participants]
create an identity they didn’t know they
had, a piece of themselves that they didn’t
know was there. They realize they can
create something that someone else would
want to buy.”
For participant Lynn Carus, creating art
reduces stress and helps her relax. “Some-
times I have bad days, and then I come
into the art classes…. It takes away all the
bad things and makes it a whole lot bet-
ter,” Carus says. “My mind just opens.”
‘Color My Dreams’
Exhibit Unites
Community and Artists
The arts have been an integral and suc-
cessful part of the job training and reha-
bilitation services at Goodwill Industries
of the Southern Piedmont (Charlotte,
NC), says Diane Weekley, director of
vocational services.
The art program — part of a community
rehabilitation and job training program
for adults with developmental disabilities
— helps participants become more ex-
pressive and prepares them to work with
the public through an annual art exhibit.
“These experiences support participants
and encourage them to get into the com-
munity and get working,” Weekley says.
The Goodwill partners with the Charlotte
Art League to put on the annual art exhib-
its, aptly named “Color My Dreams.”
The first exhibit in March 2008 was an
instant success when many of the pieces
sold, with proceeds benefiting the artists.
The show gave participants a big boost of
confidence and the valuable experience of
working with the public, Weekley says.
Sandra Gray, community outreach
director of the Art League, remembers a
program participant who was typically
withdrawn and non-verbal suddenly open-
ing up and being excited during art class.
Weekley says another program participant
is now considering working as an assis-
tant for an art teacher.
(Top and Center) Participants at Goodwill
The artists who teach the classes also Industries of Southern Wisconsin.
really enjoy the program, says Gray. The
(Bottom) Laquetta Strickland proudly
displays her stained glass creation at
experience brings much fulfillment and Goodwill Industries of the Southern
gives them insights into how other people
Piedmont.
look at the world. “There’s just something
so calming and satisfying about working
with Goodwill artists,” says Gray.
A Piece of Themselves 17
 Bidding on Success
Bidding on Success
Goodwill Celebrates Its First Decade of Online Auctioneering

shopgoodwill.com, the first and only

auction site created, owned and
operated by a nonprofit organization,
celebrated its 10 th anniversary in
August 2009.
Since its launch in 1999, the site has
generated more than $76 million in
support of mission-related services
provided by participating Goodwill
organizations. Because 84 percent
of Goodwill’s revenues fund job
training and other programs,
shoppers feel good about their
purchases.
More than 30,000 items are for
sale on shopgoodwill.com at any
given time, culled from the billions
of pounds of donated goods that
Goodwills across the United States
and Canada collect each year. The
site has more than 165 categories
and subcategories, containing a wide
array of items, from antiques and
toys to one-of-a-kind collectibles.
Only Goodwill agencies can post
items on shopgoodwill.com. As a
result, buyers have the security of
purchasing from a well-recognized
and respected brand.
Popular site features include the
Personal Shopper, which sends
bidders e-mail alerts when items
they are looking for are posted,
and the Watch List, which allows
shoppers to return quickly to items
without searching for them again.

18 Bidding on Success
 Then and Now
shopgoodwill.com In the late 1990s, thousands of estab-
received national lished businesses were entering the
world of online retailing. Music, ap-
attention August 24, parel, electronics, toys, hardware, pet
when TIME.com named supplies, furniture and book stores
were on the verge of revolutionizing
it one of the 50 Best the retail world through e-commerce.
Web Sites of 2009. During the holiday season of 1999,
“Great deals abound,” online purchases tripled from the
previous year to a record-breaking
the site proclaimed, $10 billion.
favoring it above eBay
At Goodwill Industries of Orange
as the best auction site County (Santa Ana, CA), a spirit
for low-priced finds. of innovation was driving the CEO
TIME ranked and staff to make the most of the
abundant donated “finds.” By offer-
shopgoodwill.com ing them for sale to a larger online
number 18 on its list, audience, all types of collectibles,
clothing, antiques and other desirable
above other popular items could bring a higher price than
sites like Amazon (#19), they would in Goodwill’s “brick-and-
Netflix (#21), mortar” stores. For then CEO George
W. Kessinger, that meant more funds
Wikipedia (#25) and to grow the organization’s mission.
Facebook (#31).
“We looked for an enterprise that
could provide a basis for employment
and training using computer technol-
ogy,” Kessinger says. “It became
apparent that shopgoodwill.com could
open up new jobs and training for
people.” Trainees gain basic computer
knowledge, customer service and
photography skills. They also learn the
goods processing, stocking and fulfill-
ment systems.
During its first full year of operations
shopgoodwill.com sold 62,360 items
and had more than $1.1 million in
sales. Last year, the site sold more
than 733,000 items and generated
more than $15.3 million in sales.
The auction site has continued to
improve and innovate over its 10-
year life in order to provide the best
possible experience for shoppers. In
2007, the site underwent a complete
redesign and today it provides features
for bidders on the go. Bidders can
now access the user-friendly interface
utilizing cell phones, mobile devices
or assistive technology devices, such
as screen readers.

“shopgoodwill.com rates among the Top 10 online auction sites and

is in good company among eBay and Overstock.com.”
­– Editor, http://online-auction-sites.toptenreviews.com, 2009 site reviews

Did You Know? Celebrate Online www.youtube.com/user/goodwilllndustries

The highest priced item sold in 1999 went for $500. It 1999 CBS News story
was a hand-drawn animation art cel from the Disney about the launch of
movie, The Jungle Book. shopgoodwill.com
The highest priced item sold to date was a painting by
Frank Weston Benson. It sold for $165,002 in 2006.
In August 2009, shopgoodwill.com posted its five
millionth item. 2009 video about
shopgoodwill.com today
There are 420,000 registered bidders on the site.
More than 52,000 people visit the site each day.

Bidding on Success 19
 Help from
With Help Our
from Our Friends
Friends
Goodwill, Rotary Leverage Resources for People with Disabilities

reliable incomes for people with

disabilities.
One Good Turn
Founded in 1905, Rotary Inter-
national is a volunteer organiza-
Deserves Another
tion of business and professional In the late 1950s, the East Portland
leaders who provide humanitarian Rotarians began the annual tradi-
service and help to build goodwill tion of collecting donations door
and peace in the world. There are to door on the first Saturday of
IInternational
n 2001, leaders from Rotary
approximately 1.2 million Ro-
tary club members in more than
every March. Aptly named “Good
Turn Day,” the event began when
and Goodwill
200 countries and geographical dedicated Rotarians joined forces
Industries International came
areas. Both Rotary and Goodwill with Goodwill Industries of the
together to discuss their similar
Industries® are community-based Columbia Willamette (Portland,
interest in securing jobs and elimi-
organizations, and their work leads OR) and local Boy Scouts to gather
nating barriers to employment for
to innovative solutions for local donations during the springtime —
people with disabilities. A Memo-
needs. Goodwill’s notoriously slow dona-
randum of Understanding sealed
tion period.
the collaboration, and today Rotary “With members in virtually every
clubs and Goodwill® organizations community in the United States Although spring no longer heralds
in the United States and Canada and Canada who are the business a slowdown in donations, Good
and beyond are pooling resources leaders, government officials and Turn Days are still alive and well in
to build an inclusive workforce other influencers of local commu- Portland. In 2008, 50 Rotarians op-
that provides for individual self- nities, Rotary is an amazing net- erated donation drop-off locations,
sufficiency in today’s competitive work and resource that Goodwills and nearly 4,000 Boy Scouts went
business environment. can tap through our joint partner- door to door, collecting more than
ship agreement,” says Ryan Kuhn, 231,000 pounds of donations. Good
Vocational service is one of Ro-
senior director of marketing with Turn Day covers 26 counties in
tary’s guiding principles, which
Goodwill Industries International. northern Oregon and southwestern
dovetails with Goodwill’s work
Washington.
to expand job opportunities and To learn more about Rotary International,
visit www.rotary.org. “We have great expectations,” says
Dale Emanuel, media relations man-
ager with the Portland Goodwill.
On the Road Again “We hope to collect over 300,000
The Rotary Club of Hamilton A.M. (Ontario, Canada) pounds next year.”
generously donated a 12-passenger van to Goodwill The
Amity Group to transport participants to and from
Goodwill Works, a career and training program. According
to Kathy Badgley, director of Goodwill Works, Hamilton
has the highest poverty rate in Ontario, with one in five
residents living in low-income households. These individu-
als often lack adequate resources such as transportation,
making the van a valuable asset to those seeking services.

Pictured with the donated van are (from left) Judy Dolbec,
president, Rotary Club of Hamilton A.M.; Kathy Badgley, director,
Goodwill Works; and Al Brown, past president, Rotary Club of
Hamilton A.M.

20 With Help from Our Friends

Fishing Tournaments Become Platform to Spread Goodwill

T hrough its partnership with FLW to rev up the crowd, talk about the or-
ganization and distribute branded give-
Outdoors, Goodwill Industries became
®

the first and only national nonprofit spon- aways to thousands of captivated fans.
sor of the world’s largest professional Goodwill even received special promo-
bass fishing tournament. In the process, tion in a national television segment on
the organization captured the attention FLW Outdoors that describes how dona-
of millions of bass fishing fans, giving tions fund social enterprise programs.
them the opportunity to learn more about
Throughout the season, fans of profes-
its mission and how they can help people
sional bass fishing learned more about
right in their own communities.
the organization and became support-
Through FLW’s print, television and on- ers of the United States and Canada’s
line advertising, Goodwill® gained access nonprofit leader of job training and
to a multimedia platform to spread the critical community-based employment
word about the importance of support- programs. Goodwill gained the oppor-
ing the organization. Then, during the tunity to share its passion for and com-
2009 FLW Wal-Mart Tour, the Goodwill mitment to strengthening families and
pro team of Wesley Strader and Chad communities with anglers and fans who
Grigsby — and their branded Ranger are passionate about the sport and their
boats and Chevy Silverados — put the hometowns. As it turns out, there’s a
organization front and center in the towns lot in common between Goodwill and
where they competed. FLW fans.
At each tour stop, Family Fun Zones
linked sponsors and partners with local
fishing fans and families, and were the
perfect venue for community representa-
tives to educate their neighbors about
programs and promote new stores and
donation centers.
“With attendance ranging from 12,000
to 16,000 per tournament, and 40,000
at the Forrest Woods Cup in Pittsburgh,
PA, Goodwill came in contact with more
than 100,000 men, women and children
who make up our shoppers, donors, par-
ticipants and future supporters,” says Jim
Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill
Industries International.
At the events, national and community
Goodwill staff joined Strader and Grigs-
by onstage preceding Top 10 weigh-ins

With Help from Our Friends 21

 In the
In the News
News
Web Site Urges Job Seekers
to ‘Stay Hopeful’
“Stay hopeful. Build your skills.
Goodwill® is there for you.” That’s the
overarching message of a new micro-
site — http://recovery.goodwill.org
— Goodwill Industries International
launched to provide online resources
Goodwill Ranked Fifth
in Nonprofit Brands Study
Goodwill Industries® was ranked fifth
in “The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand
100,” making it one of the nation’s top
five most valuable brands. The study
was released this summer by Boston-
based marketing firm Cone LLC and
British-based brand consultancy In-
tangible Business.
Goodwill® joins other household
nonprofit names on the Top Five list,
including YMCA of the USA, The
Salvation Army, United Way of Amer- year growth and the percentage of
ica and the American Red Cross. The
strong ranking for Goodwill reflects
the commitment of its donors and the overarching intent of the survey is to
national scope and scale of the critical provide insight for the nation’s non-
community-based employment servic- profits into how to increase revenue
es provided by the organization’s 166 and develop community partners.
local agencies in the United States and
Canada.
22 In the News
and information for all people affected Goodwill, Family Circle
by current economic conditions. Hold Five-Million-Pound
Clothing Drive
The site is designed to feature infor-
mation in four key areas — career,
family, financial and health — and
provides tips on building work skills,
free and low-cost health care for chil-
dren, youth programs, nutrition, safety
insurance and tax credits, as well as
career advice for students, dislocated
workers, and retirees entering or re-
turning to the job market.
One way individuals can stay hopeful
is by participating in the site’s interac-
tive online community. There, people
can share their own stories and videos,
and hear from others who are experi-
encing similar situations.
The report, a
first for Cone,
ranked non-
Goodwill Industries International
profit brands
and Family Circle teamed up for a
by a com-
five-million-pound clothing drive
bination of
that took place in August and Sep-
revenue and
tember. The partnership was featured
a brand im-
in the September issue of Family
age valuation,
Circle, the magazine’s first-ever
which was
back-to-school issue, as well as at
determined by a national survey of
www.shopfamilycircle.com, the
1,000 adults, coverage in the top 50
brand’s new e-commerce destina-
U.S. daily newspapers, geographic
tion.
reach, volunteer support, year-over-
Family Circle and Goodwill invited
total revenue from direct public sup- parents to put their gently used adult
port over a series of five years. The and kids’ clothes to work by donat-
ing them so that other children can
have “new-to-them” outfits for the
first day of school. The donated
items are sold at more than 2,300
Goodwill retail stores, making af-
fordable, contemporary clothing
available to families on a budget.
 Goodwill Wins Department
of Labor YouthBuild Grants
The U.S. Department of Labor recently
awarded five Goodwill® agencies more
than $3 million in grants. U.S. Secre-
tary of Labor Hilda Solis announced
the awards, which assist out-of-school
youth in obtaining their diplomas or
General Educational Development
(GED) certificates, while providing
occupational training in the construc-
tion industry to build affordable homes
for families with lower incomes. Na-
tionwide, a total of $47 million was
awarded to 62 current and 121 new
YouthBuild program grantees.
Three Goodwills receiving regular
YouthBuild program funds were Wall
Street Mission Goodwill Industries®
(Sioux City, IA) for $687,500; Ta-
coma Goodwill Industries (WA) for
$687,500; and Goodwill Industries
of Northern New England (Portland,
ME) for $686,864.
Two Goodwills receiving awards
under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act funding included
Goodwill Industries Serving Eastern
Nebraska and Southwest Iowa (Oma-
ha, NE) for $523,319 and Goodwill
Industries of the Conemaugh Valley
(Johnstown, PA) for $503,479.
Goodwill Awarded $19.1 Million to ages 12 to 17. Structured and support-
Grant to Mentor Youth ive relationships with adult mentors
will help youth build career plans and
skills, and prepare for school comple-
tion, post-secondary training and
productive work. The program will
provide career exploration and skill
development to offer youth a pathway
out of poverty and crime. Mentors will
emphasize the assets and strengths that
youth already have, and will engage
other family members in order to sup-
port a stable and thriving home envi-
ronment.
“Goodwill GoodGuides continues our
historic commitment to youth and their
families with a collaborative commu-
nity model based on research-proven
principles,” says Wendi Copeland,
Goodwill’s vice president of mission
support services. “When youth have
positive role models and career aspira-
On September 2, Goodwill Industries
tions, they are inspired to make posi-
International learned it had been
tive choices today and in the future.”
awarded a $19.1 million grant from the
U.S. Department of Justice Office of Countless studies have shown a direct
Juvenile Programs, which will allow correlation between school comple-
56 Goodwill® agencies in 38 states to tion, employment and earnings. This
expand or begin new youth mentoring research shows that the people most
programs. likely to be unemployed are those with
the least education. Academic failure
The purpose of the two-year program,
is also linked to delinquency, which
Goodwill GoodGuides, is to match
too often leads to involvement with the
youth at risk for delinquency with
criminal justice system.
caring adults in mentoring relation-
ships. Using practices that have been “By providing intensive mentoring
proven effective, volunteer mentors services that encourage career goals
will engage with youth in structured and help young people understand the
mentoring activities designed to build connection between school and their
and strengthen family support systems, future work and incomes, GoodGuides
provide positive examples, and help has an opportunity to make a power-
direct their aspirations towards posi- ful impact on the lives of thousands
tive choices. of youth and their communities,” says
Copeland.
Goodwill agencies will recruit and
train more than 1,500 volunteer men- For information about GoodGuides and how you can
volunteer to be a GoodGuides volunteer mentor, visit
tors to serve more than 5,600 youth www.goodwill.org/get-involved/volunteer or e-mail
goodguides@goodwill.org.
In the News 23
 In the
In the Community
Community
Goodwill Serves Up
Social Entrepreneurship
and Fine Dining

By Krista Reese, Georgia Trend Magazine

When the going gets tough, the tough

go dining. In Macon, GA, an innova-
tive model of social entrepreneurship
offers the chance to do good by eating
well. Looking to create jobs by match-
ing local businesses’ needs with trained
workers, Goodwill Industries® polled
community leaders about the biggest
gaps. The result: the organization’s first-
ever culinary school, conference center
Culinary school students get
space and fine-dining restaurant, opened on-the-job instruction at Goodwill’s
in 2007 in a former Sam’s Club. trendy bistro in Macon, GA.

Named for Goodwill’s founder, Meth-

odist pastor Edgar Helms, the bistro
employs and trains culinary students for
all aspects of restaurant employment —
from waiting tables to cooking, catering
and pastry-making. Anyone can enroll;
scholarships help eligible students who
can’t afford to pay full tuition.
“Everyone wondered why we didn’t
open a sandwich shop,” says Goodwill
Foundation Executive Director Mer-
edith Vasquez. “But we wanted our stu-
dents to dream big.”
In fact, Edgar’s ambitious “cigars and
scotch” nights, tapas menu and special-
occasion dinners are perhaps more
familiar to Atlanta restaurant-goers than
Maconites.
Still, I wondered: Could you “dine” in
a former big-box store without feeling
you were sitting in the frozen food sec-
tion? Would the dishes be the bland,
unremarkable fare wheeled out at busi-
ness conferences everywhere? Edgar’s
mission alone makes it a worthwhile
experiment — but I hoped for more.
Fortunately, sometimes even high ex-
pectations are exceeded. Though the
décor appears handmade and inexpen-
sive, it’s a clever use of the concrete-
floored space, with contemporary
fabrics and light fixtures lending an
urban-loft feel.
Our sweet, shy young waitress con-
fessed it was her first full day at work,
winning us over with her “I don’t know,
but I’ll ask” willingness to help. Around
us, Maconites sat laughing, drinking
and talking as big tables celebrated
birthdays and family gatherings. Ed-
gar’s, it appears, has won the embrace
of its hometown.
The menu mixes familiar and up-tempo
bistro classics, with lunches offering
paninis, lobster bisque, asparagus soup,
salads and pastas in addition to a few
entrées. At dinner, it’s more consciously
Continental, but never too serious: New
York strip with red wine demi; Florida
prawns in risotto; pork tenderloin with
fennel gratin and eggplant.
Vasquez says Edgar’s has been such a
success that the nonprofit is planning
to open another restaurant and cooking
school in Augusta. And, she adds, the
culinary school will be part of the cur-
riculum when Goodwill opens its first
college, to be called Helms College,
in Macon. “It’s guilt-free dining,” she
says. “Thirty great menu items for one
great cause.”
This article was reprinted with the permission of
Georgia Trend magazine. All rights reserved.

24 In the Community
 Tacoma Goodwill Anticipates
LEED-Gold Certification
for New Headquarters

When Tacoma Goodwill Industries®

(WA) embarked on a building project
four years ago, CEO Terry A. Hayes
and the agency’s board of directors
were clear on two things. First, the
63,000-square-foot Milgard Work Op-
portunity Center would allow the Good-
will® to double the number of people it
serves. And second, it would stand as a
model in green building. Both goals were
achieved in September 2009, when the
building officially opened its doors.
Hayes says the four-story facility in-
cludes a distance-learning theater that
can broadcast training programs across
the agency’s 15-county service area.
Above: The finished building before its grand
Compared to the former building, the opening on September 23.
new facility provides five times the space
for training classrooms and nearly three Left: Washington State Gov. Chris Gregoire
(right) joins Tacoma Goodwill CEO Terry
times the space for an adaptive technolo- Hayes for the unveiling of the plans for the
gy lab, where instructors can teach com- agency’s new “green” headquarters.
puter skills to people with disabilities.
The first two floors of the building house
a youth career center, REACH (Resources The commitment to go green was made Although building green meant 4-percent
for Education and Career Help), a part- at the onset of the project, and architect higher building costs, the “return for us
nership of 12 youth career service agen- BCRA (Brown Connally Rowan Archi- is incredible,” Hayes says. “That amount
cies from across the area. The third floor tects) and builder Rushforth Construc- will pay for itself before long in energy
houses the Goodwill’s job-training and tion carried out the agency’s green goals, efficiencies.” Once formally approved,
placement center and classrooms. Ad- including energy and water efficiency, Tacoma Goodwill will be the first Good-
ministrative offices are on the top level, natural light, low-emitting materials to will agency to achieve a LEED-Gold rat-
along with meeting rooms that will be ensure healthy indoor air quality, use of ing for a new structure.
open to the community. natural materials, and prevention of as
The facility anchors the Goodwill’s
much construction waste as possible.
The center is named after Gary E. Mil- six-acre campus in the Hilltop neighbor-
gard, whose family foundation made the “This space will help people feel val- hood of Tacoma. The agency’s existing
lead gift of $2.5 million in the Good- ued,” says Hayes of the design, which buildings will be renovated in a similar
will’s $15 million capital campaign. includes a fountain and a vertical garden style and will house its online retail busi-
by world-renowned artist and scientist ness, its packaging services and its outlet
The new building’s anticipated Leader- Patrick Blanc. “We have a beautiful store.
ship in Energy and Environmental De- building that tells clients they’re entering
sign (LEED)-Gold certification makes an organization that cares.”
it a shining example for nonprofits and
others who are committed to green build-
ing practice.

In the Community 25
 In the
In the Community
Community
Goodwill Expertise Makes
the Difference in One-Stop
Center Operations

In 1998, the passage of the Workforce A senior citizen accesses the computer lab at Goodwill of Southern California’s WorkSource Center.
Investment Act (WIA) created a unique
“one-stop” delivery system that allowed with other agencies to provide services hard time finding employment. For ex-
people to access access job training, through two additional centers. ample, by bringing its own resources to
education and other employment ser- the table, the Goodwill is able to provide
Core services include pre-employment
vices at career centers located in their assistive technologies to job seekers.
workshops on basic computer applica-
neighborhoods.
tions, résumé writing, interviewing and “Our progressive board of directors
Central to the legislation was creating dressing to make the right first impres- understands the importance of helping
easy access for job seekers to services sion. A resource library and job boards people find employment in the com-
and working closely with local business- list opportunities available to applicants, munity, and has dedicated a portion of
es and industries on the skill sets needed who also have access to computers, tele- our revenues to hiring placement service
for jobs in the area — something Good- phones and faxes. representatives whose sole jobs are to
will Industries® has done for decades. find employment opportunities for our
Staff also provide more intensive
It’s no wonder that many community populations and get them working,” Kel-
services, such as interest and skills as-
Goodwill® agencies were selected to sall says.
sessment, development of individual
serve as primary one-stop center opera-
employment plans, and intensive case The City of Los Angeles and Los An-
tors or became partners in other one-stop
management, including staff-assisted geles County Workforce Investment
operations.
job searches, placement and follow- Boards routinely bring tours of national,
One exemplary one-stop operator is up. To meet the needs of the diverse state and local VIPs to the Goodwill,
Goodwill Industries of Southern Cali- populations that reside in California, which also regularly receives awards
fornia (Los Angeles), which runs three staff members are fluent in a multitude from the city for successfully assisting
WIA one-stops known as WorkSource of languages, including American Sign the most persons with disabilities. In
Centers. Language, Spanish, Armenian, Manda- 2008, 44,267 people received services
rin Chinese and Korean. from the Goodwill, and the majority
In 2001, the Goodwill started the Metro
of them were through one of the three
North WorkSource Center, located at Teri Kelsall, vice president of work-
WorkSource Centers. More than 3,000
its Los Angeles campus. By providing force development, emphasizes that
people entered community employment
continuous, exceptional service, the Goodwill retail revenues are critical to
through the agency’s support with an
agency has built a strong reputation. Has the organization’s ability to provide a
average hourly wage of $10.92.
since added two additional full-service broader range of assistance to persons
WorkSource Centers, and has partnered with disabilities and others having a

26 In the Community
Every 42 seconds of every business day, someone earns a good job with the help of Goodwill®.
Goodwill Industries® has been putting people to work since 1902. We train people for careers in fields such as financial services, computer programming and health
care. We provide employment, job training and career services to people with disabilities, welfare recipients and others who are trying to enter the workforce for the
first time or get a better job.

We believe that work creates the economic energy that builds strong families and strong communities. Work helps build self-confidence, friendship and independence.
Everyone deserves a chance to have these things in life. Goodwill provides that chance.

How We Operate Goodwill Industries, a global network of community-based

organizations, collectively reported the following for 2008:
Donors play a vital role in the ability to fulfill our mission of helping people
go to work. To pay for programs, Goodwills sell donated goods and other People served through employment and training programs: 1.52 million
household items in more than 2,000 retail stores and on the auction site, Workfroce development services provided: 10.49 million
www.shopgoodwill.com. People placed in competitive employment: 172,317
Salaries and wages earned by people served who are
Goodwills also build revenue, and create jobs, by contracting with businesses placed in competitive employment: $1.54 billion
and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including Revenue generated by Goodwill Industries organizations: $3.28 billion
packaging and assembly, document management and destruction, laundry Total number of donors (figure includes repeat donors): 64.4 million
services, food services, temporary services, custodial work and groundskeep- Total number of retail stores: 2,324
ing. General Motors, Briggs & Stratton, General Services Administration, the
Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Navy, Marines, Air Force and Army are Revenue Sources
among those who have tapped into Goodwill services. Retail sales: $2.16 billion
Industrial and service contract work: $597.2 million
We channel 84 percent of total revenue into education, career services and Individual/Corporate/Foundation support
other critical community programs. for mission sevices: $61.1 million
Government support for mission services: $392.49 million