mission <strong>Goodwill</strong>/<strong>Easter</strong> <strong>Seals</strong> Minne<strong>so</strong>ta’s mission is to assist <strong>people</strong> with barriers to educ<strong>at</strong>ion, employment and independence in achieving their goals. vision We envision strong and vibrant communities where all <strong>people</strong> <strong>are</strong> economically self-sufficient. values Service Stewardship Respect Philanthropy Excellence Partnership Integrity Quote on cover courtesy of Osiris – ReEntryWorks gradu<strong>at</strong>e
Dear friends Like many <strong>org</strong>aniz<strong>at</strong>ions, <strong>Goodwill</strong>/<strong>Easter</strong> <strong>Seals</strong> Minne<strong>so</strong>ta is guided by a core set of values. Service, Respect, Partnership, Excellence, Stewardship, Philanthropy and Integrity <strong>are</strong> much more than words to us. <strong>The</strong>se principles steer our everyday business decisions <strong>so</strong> we can fulfill our mission in the community. In 2007, these values were vital to our success. For example, we helped 878 <strong>people</strong> with barriers find employment or advance in their c<strong>are</strong>ers. More importantly, our staff provided quality service to these individuals with the respect they deserve <strong>so</strong> they could concentr<strong>at</strong>e on achieving their educ<strong>at</strong>ion, independence and employment goals. In 2007, we added to our heritage of bringing innov<strong>at</strong>ive job skills and employment services to the community by working closely with other <strong>org</strong>aniz<strong>at</strong>ions. With funding from the Joyce Found<strong>at</strong>ion, and in partnership with the Wilder Found<strong>at</strong>ion and the Minne<strong>so</strong>ta Department of Corrections, we introduced ReEntryWorks, a new program for individuals who have served time in pri<strong>so</strong>n. Through this program, we helped 130 <strong>people</strong> prep<strong>are</strong> for and find permanent employment to improve their odds of not re-offending. By living our values, we achieved a number of other notable successes in 2007. • Our commitment to excellence and to cre<strong>at</strong>ing the best thrift store experience for our shoppers and merchandise donors continued, as our 17 retail stores adopted “Good to Gre<strong>at</strong>,” a philo<strong>so</strong>phy and culture change designed to increase the level of pride employees take in their stores and jobs. • Because we take stewardship and philanthropy seriously and nurture rel<strong>at</strong>ionships with our supporters and volunteers, we doubled the number of financial donors to more than 2,800 and saved $2 million in wages thanks to the time and talent volunteers contributed. • Integrity and being transp<strong>are</strong>nt with the public guided our Board of Directors to pursue a theft case involving a former employee. <strong>The</strong> prompt and s<strong>at</strong>isfactory re<strong>so</strong>lution of this case ensured th<strong>at</strong> we could move forward and focus our energies on fulfilling our mission. Thank you for supporting <strong>Goodwill</strong>/<strong>Easter</strong> <strong>Seals</strong> and the thousands of Minne<strong>so</strong>tans we serve. Many of the <strong>people</strong> we serve have multiple barriers in their lives to navig<strong>at</strong>e before they reach self-sufficiency. However, with your generous support and our <strong>org</strong>aniz<strong>at</strong>ion’s commitment to make business decisions based on its values, we <strong>are</strong> paving the way for <strong>people</strong> with disabilities and other barriers to realize their dreams. Sara Lee Evers, Board Chair Michael Wirth-Davis, President & CEO Board Members Joseph Barsky III, M.B.A., Treasurer John Bergstrom, M.B.A. Marigrace Deters Becky Erdahl, M.S. Sara L. Evers, Chair Mike Finger, M.A. Nancy Gossell, J.D. Jerome Hamilton, C.P.I.M., C.Q.E. Thomas Heaney, M.A. Jerry Hoffman Michael R. Howe, Past Chair Neel C. John<strong>so</strong>n Steve Kilgriff, J.D. Brian Lassiter, Vice Chair Elgin Manhard, J.D., M.B.A. Adrienne E.O. Ma<strong>so</strong>n Frederick Menz, Ph.D. Guy C. Mingo James Nahrgang Mary Ann Novak John R. Rupp, J.D. Sandra J. Turner, C.P.A., Secretary Michael Wirth-Davis, D.P.A. 1
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