Phoenix, AZ — Goodwill Industries of Central Arizona set a lofty goal of having its volunteers log at least 22,400 hours in 2010. The agency exceeded that goal by surpassing 29,000 hours in the program’s first year of operation. This month, Goodwill Industries International honored the program with its 2011 Goodwill® Volunteer Program of the Year Award.
Goodwill of Central Arizona offers a variety of ways for community members to step into volunteer roles. In addition to using volunteers for in-store support, career center assistance and donation drive help, the volunteer program has evolved into a means of offering skills training and employment services to youth and adults who need them.
Some volunteers can be found leading English as a Second Language sessions, while others are leading “How to Brand Yourself to Employers” workshops with community partners like American Express and Anthem College Online. Still other volunteers tutor program participants in computer and customer service basics.
Of the 605 active volunteers in the program, 14 are part of the agency’s ambassador program and use their in-depth knowledge of the agency to help build awareness about Goodwill Industries® among shoppers, businesses and community members.
Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, praised Jim Teter, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Arizona, for setting a high standard for volunteerism. “Jim and his staff recognized that volunteers can serve as extensions of staff in working with the people that Goodwill serves,” Gibbons said. “The agency shares this award with the more than 600 individuals who give freely of their time and talents to make a difference in the community.”
Tamera Murray, the program’s coordinator, accepted the award on the agency’s behalf during Goodwill’s annual Delegate Assembly meeting in Rochester, NY, on June 26.
