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Working! Volume 15, No. 1 - Goodwill Industries International

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2012 – <strong>Volume</strong> <strong>15</strong>, Number 1<br />

®<br />

People<br />

Gain Skills<br />

for Advanced<br />

Employment<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> ®<br />

Supports<br />

America’s<br />

Heroes<br />

Recognizing 2012<br />

Award Winners


Get involved and become<br />

a <strong>Goodwill</strong> ® advocate to<br />

strengthen communities!<br />

Receive alerts through<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong>'s<br />

Legislative Action Center at<br />

goodwill.org/get-involved/advocate<br />

www.goodwill.org<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> advocates for the people it serves, including older workers, veterans, families and youth.<br />

Follow us on Twitter: @<strong>Goodwill</strong>CapHill. For more information contact public.policy@goodwill.org.<br />

II


Table of Contents of Contents<br />

1<br />

4<br />

Educating for Employment<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> is linking people to the educational<br />

preparation, skills training and resources<br />

needed to access well-paying jobs.<br />

Winning through Work<br />

Many of the more than 4 million people<br />

who looked to <strong>Goodwill</strong> for career services<br />

and related support in 2011 have known<br />

what it’s like to be without work, including<br />

the 2012 Graduate and Achiever of the Year.<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> for America’s Heroes<br />

Through its latest initiatives, Operation:<br />

GoodJobs and Got Your 6, <strong>Goodwill</strong> is<br />

building on previous successes, as the need<br />

for a continuum of coordinated, integrated<br />

services is at an all-time high.<br />

In the News<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> Expands Capacity to Benefit<br />

Persons with Disabilities in Brazil; <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

Joins Summer Jobs+ Initiative<br />

9<br />

11<br />

brazil<br />

7<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> for Families<br />

Each year, <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong><br />

recognizes outstanding family strengthening<br />

organizations. This year, five agencies became<br />

certified Centers of Excellence.<br />

The <strong>Goodwill</strong> ® Mission<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> works to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to<br />

opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.<br />

A Publication of<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong>, Inc.<br />

2012 — <strong>Volume</strong> <strong>15</strong>, Number 1<br />

<strong>Working</strong>! is published by <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong>, Inc.<br />

<strong>15</strong>810 Indianola Dr., Rockville, MD 20855<br />

© 2012 <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong>, Inc. All rights reserved.<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> member organizations may reproduce any portion of this<br />

magazine without permission. Any other reproduction is strictly prohibited<br />

without written permission. To request reproduction permission, call<br />

(301) 530-6500, ext. 5262, or email contactus@goodwill.org. For more<br />

information about <strong>Goodwill</strong>, or to find the <strong>Goodwill</strong> nearest you, call<br />

(800) GOODWILL or visit our web site at www.goodwill.org.<br />

<strong>Working</strong>! magazine now features<br />

quick response (QR) codes. Scan<br />

the codes with your smart phone<br />

to find related information.<br />

President and CEO<br />

Jim Gibbons<br />

CCO, Sr. VP of Global Affairs<br />

Kim Zimmer<br />

Managing Editor Contributing Editor<br />

Katherine Michaud Mandy Mikulencak<br />

Writers<br />

Melissa Egan<br />

Lauren Lawson<br />

Art Director<br />

Thomas Roszkowski<br />

Layout<br />

Molly Huelbert<br />

Printing<br />

Dartmouth Printing<br />

Company<br />

Hanover, NH<br />

On the cover:<br />

Joanna McVicker<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong><br />

of Monocacy Valley<br />

Photo by:<br />

Thomas Roszkowski<br />

I


Before you go<br />

back-toschool<br />

shopping,<br />

see what your kids<br />

have outgrown and<br />

donate to <strong>Goodwill</strong> ® .<br />

Teach kids the value of their<br />

donations and how they help<br />

people in your community at<br />

donate.goodwill.org.<br />

II<br />

POWERED BY:<br />

Support your local<br />

by donating.<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> ®


Educating for Employment<br />

Educating for Employment<br />

Individuals Prepare for Good-Paying, Middle-Skill Jobs<br />

BY MELISSA EGAN<br />

The United States has seen some improvement<br />

after a two-year recession, and middle-skill jobs<br />

are a bright spot on an otherwise bleak employment<br />

horizon. Defined as jobs requiring more than a high school<br />

diploma but not a four-year degree, these positions<br />

continue to comprise the largest segment of jobs in the<br />

U.S. economy, according to the National Skills Coalition.<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> ® links people to the educational<br />

preparation, skills training and resources needed to access<br />

well-paying jobs, including positions in banking, information<br />

technology, retail, health care and more.<br />

Certification, On-the-Job Training<br />

Boost Employment Success<br />

In Maryland, a partnership among <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of the<br />

Chesapeake (Baltimore), Anne Arundel Community College,<br />

and local nonprofit Art with a Heart provides merchandising<br />

education for youth. Started in July 2010, the program prepares<br />

participants for a customer service skills certification exam<br />

from the National Retail Federation. At the same time, students<br />

acquire on-the-job retail experience.<br />

Deidre Webb, a program manager at the Baltimore <strong>Goodwill</strong>,<br />

says eligible participants take part in a rigorous 12-week curriculum.<br />

Three days a week, a community college instructor teaches the<br />

customer service curriculum from a <strong>Goodwill</strong> satellite office in<br />

Baltimore. Twice a week, <strong>Goodwill</strong> staff members impart life<br />

and job readiness skills. On these days, students also go to Art<br />

with a Heart to work on projects emphasizing teamwork, collaboration,<br />

and community beautification and ownership. They create<br />

large mosaics commissioned by area institutions as well as<br />

other saleable art. Students also have access to a <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

case manager, who helps them and their families with various<br />

barriers to work such as lack of transportation and child care.<br />

Art with a Heart participants gain valuable work and life skills<br />

during an intensive 12-week customer service curriculum.<br />

At Art with a Heart, participants work on projects emphasizing teamwork,<br />

collaboration, and community beautification and ownership.<br />

Educating for Employment<br />

1


Educating for Employment<br />

Educating for Employment<br />

“For <strong>Goodwill</strong>, we’re achieving our mission, not just in serving young people, but<br />

in providing services to their families.”<br />

— Diedre Webb, Program Manager, <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of the Chesapeake<br />

In the fifth week of the program, participants begin spending<br />

eight hours a week in a <strong>Goodwill</strong> store practicing the retail<br />

and customer service skills they’ve learned. The last step is<br />

a one-hour certification exam, administered at the <strong>Goodwill</strong>.<br />

Following certification, individuals have gained employment<br />

in retail, transportation and dietary services — some earning<br />

as much as $10 to $14 an hour.<br />

The program has also brought numerous benefits to each of<br />

the partners. “It gives Anne Arundel Community College and<br />

Art with a Heart more exposure to the community. It also gives<br />

Art with a Heart a ready pool of young people to work with,”<br />

Webb says. “For <strong>Goodwill</strong>, we’re achieving our mission, not<br />

just in serving young people, but in providing services to<br />

their families.”<br />

Formerly Incarcerated Youth Transition<br />

to Educational Opportunities<br />

At <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of <strong>No</strong>rth Louisiana (Shreveport), a<br />

partnership with an area community college helps young people<br />

who have been incarcerated make the transition from taking their<br />

General Educational Development (GED) exam to entering a<br />

two-year college program.<br />

The <strong>Goodwill</strong> offers a literacy class twice a week, during which<br />

an instructor from Bossier Parish Community College tutors<br />

students on the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). The tool<br />

assesses the student’s current educational level in the areas of<br />

reading, math, language and spelling, and must be passed before<br />

students can take the GED.<br />

“We bridge the gap from kids getting out of jail to taking the<br />

GED,” says Lindsey Leith, the <strong>Goodwill</strong>’s reintegration program<br />

supervisor.<br />

Once they have passed the level “A” TABE test, students<br />

become eligible to attend GED classes at the community<br />

college. Upon enrollment in the college’s middle college<br />

program, students receive instruction on passing the GED<br />

exam and can begin taking general college courses that are<br />

required of any degree seeker.<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong> recently launched its<br />

Community College/Career Collaboration (C 4 ) initiative,<br />

which works to move people into middle skill jobs.<br />

A joint venture among <strong>Goodwill</strong> ® , the American Association<br />

of Community Colleges, the Aspen Institute,<br />

and Jobs for the Future, the initiative aims to boost<br />

college and career success for adults with low incomes<br />

by documenting, promoting and replicating successful<br />

models throughout the <strong>Goodwill</strong> and community<br />

college networks.<br />

“C 4 is all about community colleges and <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

agencies building intentional and sustainable partnerships<br />

that better equip local workforces,” says Bradford<br />

Turner-Little, director of mission strategy for <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

<strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong>.<br />

2<br />

Educating for Employment


Skills Assessment Key to Future<br />

Career Decisions<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of Lower South Carolina (Charleston)<br />

claims its own unique partnership with the South Carolina<br />

Adult Education program. The <strong>Goodwill</strong> has partnered with<br />

several county adult education programs — the most recent<br />

in <strong>No</strong>rth Charleston — to offer a diverse array of services to<br />

people looking for jobs or wanting to further their education.<br />

Sharing space at five of the <strong>Goodwill</strong>’s JobLink Centers, the<br />

county adult education program offers Work Keys certification,<br />

Work Core Employability Skills training and GED preparation.<br />

Work Keys is a job skills assessment tool that determines the<br />

level at which employees can learn; it is increasingly used by<br />

large manufacturing firms and some hospitals. The Work Core<br />

Employability Skills training teaches students work skills such<br />

as the importance of proffessional dress and grooming, punctuality,<br />

and proper workforce behavior. The adult education programs<br />

offer the GED preparation course every six weeks.<br />

“[The partnership] allows us to reach more people and coordinate<br />

activities better,” says Jim Hughes, the <strong>Goodwill</strong>’s vice<br />

president of mission services for the Southern region. “Each<br />

of us is doing what what we do best.”<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of Lower South Carolina offers several<br />

programs to help adult learners gain middle-income jobs.<br />

“<strong>Goodwill</strong> is building intentional and sustainable partnerships that better equip<br />

local workforces.”<br />

— Bradford Turner Little, Director of Mission Strategy, <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong><br />

Educating for Employment<br />

3


Winning<br />

throughWork<br />

For more than 100 years, <strong>Goodwill</strong> ® has<br />

assisted people who have a hard time<br />

finding jobs due to disabilities, poverty, or<br />

lack of education and work experience. On<br />

these pages, you’ll meet the 2012 nominees<br />

and winners of the <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong><br />

<strong>International</strong> Graduate and Achiever of<br />

the Year Awards. These individuals have<br />

learned the difference a good job can make<br />

in their lives, the lives of their family<br />

members and the community at large.<br />

They are just a few of the more than four<br />

million people who looked to <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

<strong>Industries</strong> ® for career services and related<br />

support in 2011.<br />

4<br />

Winning through Work


Winner 2012 Kenneth Shaw<br />

Graduate of the Year: Joanna McVicker<br />

Visitors to Maryland’s Frederick Visitor Center may catch sight<br />

of a young woman cheerfully restocking brochures or answering<br />

tourists’ questions. They’d never guess that Joanna McVicker, age<br />

23, sustained a brain injury as a child that affects her cognitive<br />

functioning to this day.<br />

McVicker has lived with her disability since age 4 when she was<br />

kicked in the head by a horse, and she wasn’t always aware of the<br />

resulting cognitive delays that caused difficulties in school and later<br />

in the workplace. She only knew she had trouble holding jobs and<br />

obtaining promotions.<br />

Only when she was referred to the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)<br />

program at <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of Monocacy Valley (Frederick,<br />

MD) did she learn strategies to be more effective in her work<br />

and personal lives. During the eight-week program, she learned<br />

how to organize her thoughts and work assignments, how to<br />

manage stress on the job, and how to communicate with<br />

co-workers, among other life skills.<br />

When a job became available at the tourism office, a <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

job developer knew McVicker would be a perfect fit. After a<br />

tour and interview, she landed a job that complements her skills.<br />

“For the first time, I feel empowered in my life,” she says.<br />

Graduate of the Year <strong>No</strong>minees<br />

Azziale Arnold<br />

Columbus, OH<br />

Valencia Dixon<br />

Tyler, TX<br />

Nyghee Pollard<br />

Atlanta, GA<br />

Kristy Ballew<br />

Macon, GA<br />

Michael Elsey<br />

Des Moines, IA<br />

Dustin Broshar<br />

Eugene, OR<br />

Joette Estep<br />

Huntington, WV<br />

Gradlin Davenport<br />

Shreveport, LA<br />

Calvin Okeson<br />

Fredericksburg, VA<br />

Winner<br />

2012 Achiever of the Year: Jim Barnette<br />

Jim Barnette, age 49, is legally blind and has mild quadriplegia as<br />

a result of a cerebral hemorrhage in infancy. He describes himself<br />

the way those around him depict him: happy and successful.<br />

Barnette first came to <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of the Columbia<br />

Willamette (Portland, OR) when he was 40. He originally worked<br />

in the production and contracts department, but after spending<br />

some time on the floor of a retail store, he was hooked and asked<br />

for a transfer.<br />

“I had to try out for two weeks to see if I could handle it. They<br />

always let me try new jobs. They didn’t tell me ‘no’ just because I’d<br />

never done it before,” Barnette says. “And I was earning enough<br />

money to go shopping for albums. That’s my life — music.”<br />

Today, Barnette has a number of duties, from sorting donations<br />

and staffing dressing rooms to stocking shelves and displaying<br />

merchandise.<br />

“He was determined to become a fully integrated employee,”<br />

says Director of Vocational Services Cheri Folk. “And, with the<br />

support of <strong>Goodwill</strong> staff, he’s definitely achieved that objective.”<br />

Today, Barnette requires very little supervision, and his confidence<br />

has soared. “Things are really good for me,” he says. “I have<br />

a girlfriend who is perfect for me, I have a job, and I earn money.<br />

I wish I would have found <strong>Goodwill</strong> sooner.”<br />

Achiever of the Year <strong>No</strong>minees<br />

Gabi Argotti<br />

Pittsburgh, PA<br />

Francis Edwards<br />

Shreveport, LA<br />

Patrick Leasure<br />

Frederick, MD<br />

Daniel Watson<br />

Atlanta, GA<br />

Roger Brooks<br />

Dayton, OH<br />

Robert Grau<br />

Des Moines, IA<br />

Richard LeCount<br />

South Bend, IN<br />

Gloria Ann Wiggins<br />

Savannah, GA<br />

Sarah Carter<br />

Eugene, OR<br />

Eureeka Jackson<br />

Macon, GA<br />

Rafael Munoz<br />

Lorain, OH<br />

Tyrone Coleman<br />

Phoenix, AZ<br />

Vic Lamont King<br />

Indianapolis, IN<br />

Amber Thompson<br />

Fredericksburg, VA<br />

Winning through Work<br />

5


<strong>Goodwill</strong> for Families for Families<br />

Centers of Excellence Recognized for Putting Family First<br />

BY MANDY MIKULENCAK<br />

Over the last decade, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has funded a number of programs to increase the capacity of <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

<strong>Industries</strong> ® to take a holistic, family-centric approach to service delivery. In 2011, <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong><br />

launched a new award — the Family Strengthening Center of Excellence Award — to commemorate the 10th anniversary<br />

of its partnership with the Casey Foundation.<br />

The awards showcase <strong>Goodwill</strong> ® agencies that integrate family strengthening strategies throughout their organizations and in<br />

programs for both their employees and program participants. The 2011 recipients are <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of Lane and South<br />

Coast Counties (Eugene, OR); <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina (Greenville); <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of<br />

Southwest Florida (<strong>No</strong>rth Fort Myers); <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of San Antonio (TX); and <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> of <strong>No</strong>rthwest <strong>No</strong>rth<br />

Carolina (Winston-Salem).<br />

These agencies demonstrate that there are innumerable<br />

ways to become a family strengthening organization. Each<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> drew inspiration from different sources and tailored<br />

services to the communities and people they serve, but there<br />

were common threads that contributed to their successes.<br />

Targeted Partnerships<br />

By working with strong partners that complement <strong>Goodwill</strong>’s<br />

core competencies of job placement and employment services,<br />

agencies build capacity and provide holistic services through<br />

resource sharing. One example comes from San Antonio, TX.<br />

Through a partnership with Alamo Community Colleges, Good<br />

Careers Academy offers a tuition-based educational program<br />

where students earn certifications in eight fields. Currently, the<br />

following certifications are offered: nursing assistant, pharmacy<br />

technician, medical front office, medical coding, medical<br />

assistant, computer support specialist (A+ and Network+) and<br />

accounting payroll clerk.<br />

In San Antonio, TX, Good Careers<br />

Academy offers a tuition-based<br />

educational program where students<br />

earn certifications in eight fields.<br />

Sue Howell studies for her certified nursing assistant exam<br />

through the Good Careers Academy.<br />

6 <strong>Goodwill</strong> for Families


A Focus on Human Resources<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> agencies reported that they provide employees with<br />

benefits to improve their professional and personal well-being<br />

and widen the safety net when staff members face financial<br />

or personal challenges. For example, the <strong>Goodwill</strong> in Winston-<br />

Salem, NC, beefed up its benefits to include a new Employee<br />

Emergency Assistance Fund that provides up to $1,000 to<br />

staff members experiencing catastrophic events; a scholarship<br />

fund providing $1,000 awards each year to the dependents of<br />

employees; and expansion of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance<br />

services so that more staff can have their taxes prepared for free.<br />

The <strong>Goodwill</strong>’s board of directors also recently quadrupled<br />

tuition reimbursement from $500 to $2,000 a year and authorized<br />

an increase in pension contribution from 8 percent to 10 percent<br />

of salary each year.<br />

The <strong>Goodwill</strong> in Winston-Salem, NC,<br />

provides employees with assistance that<br />

widens the safety net when staff members<br />

face financial or personal challenges.<br />

Cindy Saboe,<br />

at right, is getting<br />

a handle on her debt<br />

with help from Mark<br />

Brauer, Prosperity Planner<br />

with the Eugene, OR, <strong>Goodwill</strong>.<br />

Building on Current Successes<br />

The <strong>Goodwill</strong> Centers of Excellence are adept at evaluating<br />

what works and doesn’t work within their organizations, and<br />

then visioning next steps, including how to fund family strengthening<br />

activities. The Eugene, OR, <strong>Goodwill</strong> built on the success<br />

of its Job Connections program by introducing the concept of<br />

a Prosperity Center. The agency secured a two-year grant of<br />

$<strong>15</strong>0,000 to fund a program where individuals could maximize<br />

their employment potential and develop assets to feel more<br />

financially secure. Two dedicated Prosperity Planners work<br />

one-on-one with members of the center to develop goals and<br />

long-term plans to meet them.<br />

The Eugene, OR, <strong>Goodwill</strong> built on<br />

the success of its Job Connections<br />

program by introducing the concept<br />

of a Prosperity Center.<br />

Tanika Hawkins, at right, Career Connections manager at the<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> in Winston-Salem, NC, counsels Lonnie Nesmith, on<br />

how to better manage his finances.<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> for Families<br />

7


<strong>Goodwill</strong> for Families for Families<br />

Ongoing Communication<br />

with Employees<br />

While the <strong>Goodwill</strong> in <strong>No</strong>rth Fort Myers, FL, previously offered<br />

a number of benefits that fall under the family strengthening<br />

umbrella, its leaders felt they could do more. The “How’s Life<br />

Committee” — comprising staff members from each department<br />

— uses surveys and focus groups to engage employees<br />

and identify pressing needs, such as financial planning and child<br />

care. Based on the feedback received, the <strong>Goodwill</strong> made<br />

changes. For example, the agency has committed $50,000 to a<br />

child care fund in 2012, which the State of Florida will match.<br />

So far, up to 20 staff members have expressed interest.<br />

Promoting from Within<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> has long valued employees as one of its greatest<br />

resources and sees value in developing talent in-house. The<br />

Greenville, SC, <strong>Goodwill</strong> established a framework for its<br />

employees who demonstrate leadership skills to be better<br />

positioned for supervisory or management roles. The Junior<br />

Leaders Academy trains employees in leadership success,<br />

conflict management, team building across departments,<br />

business ethics and time management. As job opportunities<br />

become available, <strong>Goodwill</strong> leaders may encourage graduates<br />

of the academy to apply. The <strong>Goodwill</strong> aims to fill 50 to 70<br />

percent of its vacancies internally.<br />

The <strong>Goodwill</strong> in <strong>No</strong>rth Fort Meyers,<br />

FL, formed the How’s Life Committee<br />

and is responding to employee<br />

suggestions, including establishing a<br />

child care fund.<br />

Tina Pressley, a corporate trainer, leads a Junior Leaders Academy<br />

workshop with Greenville <strong>Goodwill</strong> staff members (from<br />

left) Sue Borho, Kendra Saxon and Eu-nice Plummer.<br />

The Junior Leaders Academy in<br />

Greenville, SC, is a resource to<br />

develop in-house talent.<br />

Joyce Rivera, a branch manager at Sun Trust Bank, leads a<br />

financial literacy course for <strong>No</strong>rth Fort Myers <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

employees Mary Lavelle and Charrisa Comerota.<br />

8 <strong>Goodwill</strong> for Families


America’s <strong>Goodwill</strong> for America’s Heroes Heroes<br />

Returning Heroes Overcome<br />

Job Obstacles<br />

BY LAUREN LAWSON<br />

Nearly one in three Americans who served their<br />

country in distant lands cannot find jobs here at<br />

home. The staggering unemployment rate among veterans<br />

who served in Iraq and Afghanistan — currently at 29<br />

percent — is just one of the reasons <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> ®<br />

ramped up its efforts to help returning military service<br />

members and their families.<br />

At least 1 million men and women are scheduled to leave<br />

military service in the next five years and join the more<br />

than 22 million veterans who live in the United States today.<br />

While not every veteran faces obstacles to rejoining the<br />

workforce, a substantial number return with physical disabilities<br />

such as traumatic brain injury, and psychological<br />

disabilities such as post-traumatic stress disorder, while<br />

others face substance abuse and homelessness. Veterans<br />

also endure long waits for benefits and other supports,<br />

which can keep them from building successful non-military<br />

careers and supporting their families.<br />

Last year, through an initiative called <strong>Goodwill</strong> for America’s<br />

Heroes and Their Families, <strong>Goodwill</strong> ® provided employment<br />

placement services and other community-based programs<br />

to more than 44,000 veterans, military spouses and their<br />

families, hiring more than 1,000 of these individuals into<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> employment.<br />

<strong>No</strong>w, two other initiatives — Operation: GoodJobs and<br />

Got Your 6 — will build on those successes at a time<br />

when the need for a continuum of coordinated, integrated<br />

services is at an all-time high.<br />

Operation: GoodJobs<br />

Administered by <strong>Goodwill</strong> and funded by a $1 million grant<br />

from the Walmart Foundation, Operation: GoodJobs empowers<br />

military veterans with the tools they need to find employment,<br />

advance in their careers and ensure long-term financial stability<br />

for their families.<br />

The program targets three key markets through 2013: Austin<br />

and Houston, TX, and Tacoma, WA. Together, <strong>Goodwill</strong> and<br />

the Walmart Foundation will collaborate with a broad array<br />

The unemployment rate among veterans<br />

who served in Iraq and Afghanistan is a<br />

staggering 29 percent.<br />

of community partners, including business, government and<br />

faith-based organizations, to assist veterans and their families<br />

with job training and placement. <strong>Goodwill</strong> will also plan for<br />

each participant’s continued success by designing individualized<br />

plans that support the needs of his or her entire family.<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> for America’s Heroes<br />

9


America’s <strong>Goodwill</strong> for America’s Heroes Heroes<br />

Participants in Operation: GoodJobs receive complete career<br />

assessments as well as development plans that address a range<br />

of family needs, from basic needs like nutrition, shelter and<br />

child care, to specific job training identified in the assessment<br />

process. Often, prior military service can count as training or<br />

work experience toward future employment.<br />

“By convening, collaborating with and leveraging strategic<br />

partners in the community, Operation: GoodJobs provides the<br />

necessary career counseling, résumé help and skills training<br />

that veterans need,” says Wendi Copeland, vice president of<br />

mission advancement for <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong>.<br />

“More importantly, employers can realize veterans’ skills and<br />

talents and match those skills with available jobs.”<br />

At least 1 million men and women are scheduled to leave military service in the next<br />

five years and join the more than 22 million verterans who live in the U.S. today.<br />

An activation partner — a nonprofit organization that is a subject<br />

matter expert in its field — leads each pillar. Activation partners<br />

establish a set of goals that can be identified, measured and<br />

reported. The goals will be made public and provide the campaign<br />

with specific, substantial benchmarks. <strong>Goodwill</strong> will work in<br />

tandem with partners from all six pillars. The collective goal<br />

of these partners is to prepare and place 500,000 veterans in<br />

sustainable employment over the course of the campaign,<br />

which ends in 2014.<br />

Got Your 6<br />

Launched in May, Got Your 6 is a campaign led by the entertainment<br />

industry and national nonprofits designed to spark<br />

a new conversation in America: one in which veterans and<br />

military families are perceived as both leaders and civic assets.<br />

Got Your 6 seeks to connect Americans with veterans and<br />

military families to build relationships that will aid transition,<br />

foster leadership and reinvigorate communities. The campaign<br />

focuses on the six pillars of reintegration: jobs, education, health,<br />

housing, family and leadership.<br />

In combat, Got Your 6 means, “I’ve got<br />

your back; I’m covering you.”<br />

Nearly every major Hollywood entertainment studio, broadcast<br />

and cable network, talent agency, and guild are involved with<br />

nearly two dozen top-tier national nonprofit and government<br />

organizations. Public service announcements feature popular<br />

actors like Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Sarah Jessica Parker,<br />

Bradley Cooper and Matt Damon, among others.<br />

“We all owe a debt of service to our military veterans and their<br />

families,” says Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

<strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong>. “Veterans still have a lot to give us. They<br />

have crucial leadership skills and other assets that will help them<br />

succeed in civilian life and contribute to their communities at<br />

home.”<br />

View the PSA by scanning this<br />

code with your smart phone<br />

or visit www.gotyour6.org.<br />

10 <strong>Goodwill</strong> for America’s Heroes


In the News News<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> Expands Capacity to Benefit Persons with Disabilities in Brazil<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong> has<br />

announced it will partner with AVAPE,<br />

a workforce development leader in<br />

Brazil that provides services to people<br />

with disabilities and others with challenges<br />

finding employment. The capacitybuilding<br />

project, known as <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

Brasil, will be supported with funding<br />

from the Caterpillar Foundation over<br />

the next three years in the amount of<br />

$500,000.<br />

Nearly one-third of Brazil’s population<br />

currently lives in poverty, and serious<br />

environmental challenges are mounting.<br />

To help address these challenges,<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> will equip AVAPE with the<br />

tools and systems needed to operate a<br />

sustainable donated goods retail enterprise.<br />

The money that AVAPE earns<br />

through these operations will allow the<br />

organization to increase its capacity to<br />

provide job training, employment and<br />

additional support services to people with<br />

disabilities, youth at risk for delinquency,<br />

and others in Brazil who are having<br />

difficulties gaining employment.<br />

Despite the Brazilian government’s<br />

attempt to mandate that businesses<br />

hire persons with disabilities, the<br />

latest government study reports that<br />

the disability hiring quota law is less<br />

than 24 percent fulfilled. <strong>Goodwill</strong><br />

Brasil will help adequately train this<br />

population on a large enough scale to<br />

meet the growing need.<br />

“As a proven, environmentally sound<br />

social services model that conserves<br />

national resources while providing<br />

employment opportunities for people<br />

with disabilities and disadvantages,<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> is providing AVAPE leaders<br />

with the tools to launch, sustain and<br />

grow sites that will serve vulnerable<br />

populations in Sao Paulo, Brazil,” says<br />

Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong>.<br />

“The aim is to continue to expand<br />

these services to other cities over the<br />

next few years.”<br />

For more information, visit<br />

global.goodwill.org<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> Joins Summer Jobs+ Initiative<br />

<strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong> is<br />

committed to expand job opportunities<br />

for youth as a nonprofit partner of the<br />

White House Summer Jobs+ initiative.<br />

The White House launched the initiative<br />

to provide pathways to employment for<br />

youth who are from low-income families<br />

or who face disadvantages to finding<br />

employment and related opportunities.<br />

This year, <strong>Goodwill</strong> ® is expanding<br />

services for youth at the beginning of<br />

their careers. <strong>Goodwill</strong> is committed to<br />

hiring 1,200 youth ages 16-24, providing<br />

more than 3,200 young people with life<br />

skills services and more than 2,300 with<br />

work skills. Almost 2,000 youth will<br />

be engaged in learn-and-earn services.<br />

Thousands more will receive virtual<br />

career mentoring and exploration services.<br />

“The youth of today are not just the<br />

leaders of the future; they also have the<br />

potential to be the leaders of the now,”<br />

says Jim Gibbons, president and CEO<br />

of <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong>.<br />

“<strong>Goodwill</strong>’s pledge to Summer Jobs+<br />

reflects our demonstration to youth to<br />

utilize their untapped skills and leadership,<br />

and complete their educations, attain jobs<br />

and transition into productive careers.”<br />

In the News<br />

11


DONATE, PLAY & WIN<br />

Start off the new school year helping<br />

others in need. Join Family Circle in<br />

supporting the Donate Movement,<br />

powered by <strong>Goodwill</strong> ® . Your donations<br />

to Family Circle and <strong>Goodwill</strong>’s<br />

Back-to-School Clothing Drive provide<br />

job training, youth support services and more for people<br />

in your community. The Donate Movement challenges<br />

all of us to donate responsibly.<br />

Teach your kids how to tell the difference between<br />

what to recycle and what to donate with <strong>Goodwill</strong>’s<br />

Donation Match Game.<br />

Sponsored by:<br />

REAL<br />

parents<br />

REAL<br />

answers<br />

.com<br />

12<br />

* Enter to win at Facebook.com/<strong>Goodwill</strong>Intl; subject to official rules. <strong>No</strong> purchase necessary to enter or win. “Donate, Play & Win” sweepstakes begins August 1, 2012, and ends September 4, 2012.<br />

Sweepstakes entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. (eastern), on September 4. Open to legal residents of the United States and Canada. One entry per Facebook account. Void where<br />

prohibited. Sponsored by <strong>Goodwill</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> <strong>International</strong>. Prizes awarded by Meredith Corporation.

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