This Friday marks 46 years since the first Earth Day in 1970. You may not know it, but if you have donated to your local Goodwill or shopped at a local Goodwill store or online you have helped make our planet a little cleaner and a little greener. How much greener? In 2010 Goodwill (and you!) helped divert more than 2.4 billion pounds from landfills through donations to, and purchases from, Goodwill.
READ MORE from Imagine if Your Donations Filled an Entire Plane
Goodwill Industries International (GII) honored five members of Congress and the director of mission strategies for Goodwill Industries of Central and Coastal Virginia (Richmond) with the nonprofit’s annual advocacy awards. The awards, which recognize commitment to advancing Goodwill’s mission of helping people build careers and gain employment, were presented on Tuesday, April 12 during a reception in Washington, DC, as part of Goodwill’s annual advocacy event.
READ MORE from Goodwill Advocacy Leader Award Winners Announced
This week, Goodwill® advocates from around the country will visit Capitol Hill and meet with hundreds of lawmakers to advocate for federal investments in workforce program, protecting charitable giving incentives, and reauthorizing the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. You can help bolster the success of their visits and help strengthen Goodwill’s public policy influence.
READ MORE from Join the #GoodwillOnHill Virtual Advocacy Day!
April is Financial Literacy Month and with Congress adjourned and tax season upon us, we thought this was a good time to remind you of two financial tools that might be of use.
READ MORE from “News You Can Use” for Financial Literacy Month
You may have read a post earlier this week by guest blogger Ed Bolden from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on the startling fact that over half a million Americans are losing food assistance this year. His post notes, “Ultimately, Congress should eliminate or revise this harsh rule. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is often the last line of assistance for these individuals. It means the difference between eating and going hungry.” Now we’re asking you to urge Congress to take action!
READ MORE from Contact Congress and Help SNAP Recipients Find Work
Goodwill® has provided job training and employment services since its founding more than 100 years ago. That is the heart of what we do to help Americans get back on track in good times and bad. However, there is more to what we do than helping someone who is out of work gain the skills they need to find a job. A job is just the beginning because for a lot of us, financial skills and security are just as important, especially when times are tough.
READ MORE from Leveling the Financial Playing Field for Everyone
Each year the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program puts billions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income taxpayers nationwide. The VITA program is an IRS program designed to help low and moderate-income taxpayers complete their annual tax returns at no cost. The program was originally founded in 1971 and the concept is to provide local taxpayers with free tax return preparation by accounting students, in effort to provide both a valuable community service and a powerful hands-on learning experience for the accounting students. The program grew from a small group of dedicated accounting students to what is now a nationwide program that serves millions of taxpayers.
READ MORE from Help Hardworking Americans Receive Tax Returns on March 15
I recently read a blog, The Five Principles of Integrity in Elections where the author discusses a commitment to ethics which is needed in elections, particularly by election officials. I would suggest that the same five principles could be used by voters when picking a candidate, a position on an issue and engaging in political debate.
Anyone who has ever planned an event before is probably reminded of the Wizard of Oz quote, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.” The Goodwill Industries International’s (GII) public policy team is in the midst of planning our annual advocacy event, which includes a day on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers and staff. For our public advocates including shoppers, donors, people who have received services, and other Goodwill stakeholders – the event also includes a Virtual Advocacy Day.
As Valentine’s Day came and went all across America many of us spent the long weekend with a loved one dining out, taking a trip, exchanging cards and gifts or quietly spending time together. But in the nation’s capital, valentines and signs of affection were nowhere to be found. It started just the week before with the announcement of the President’s FY 2017 budget.
READ MORE from Cupid’s Arrow Misses Wide Right in Washington, DC
On Tuesday, President Obama put forth his final budget, for FY 2017, in which he proposed increases in several workforce programs. Overall, the budget tops the four trillion dollar mark at $4.15 trillion, higher than his last budget but most of the increase is allocated toward Social Security and Medicare.
This week’s Iowa Caucus and the upcoming New Hampshire primary on February 9 bookend the biggest sports spectacle in history - the NFL Super Bowl. On February 7, 190 million people are expected to watch this year’s game. Even people who don’t like football, or sports in general, usually find themselves drawn to the phenomenon that is pro football’s showcase event.
