Category: Social Good

To combat this cycle that often traps borrowers in debt due to predatory lending processes, Goodwill Industries of Central Virginia (Richmond) has partnered with the Virginia Credit Union and St. James Episcopal Church for almost two years now to offer an alternative to payday lending coupled with financial education and coaching. The program provides borrowers with a short-term loan that has many of the features of a payday loan—essentially a pay or cash advance—but with important distinctions aimed at helping borrowers transition away from a dependency on these high-cost alternative loans.

READ MORE from Goodwill’s ‘goodChoice’ Program in VA Helps People Break Lending Cycles

In the weeks following Hurricane Sandy, Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, headquartered in Astoria, NY, has rallied to support local relief efforts. The agency is working with New York radio station WPLJ and Modell’s Sporting Goods Stores to collect goods in over 90 store locations and distribute much needed clothing throughout the Greater New York and New Jersey area. The NY/NJ Goodwill is also working with United Way and other organizations and shelters throughout the Northeast to receive and distribute much-needed items such as temporary mattresses, blankets, and basic survival items including water and blankets.

READ MORE from New York Goodwill Supports Recovery Following Hurricane Sandy

Goodwill's services for veterans and military families include job training and employment placement services to help them reintegrate into civilian society. But our support doesn't stop there. Many of our 165 Goodwill agencies in the U.S. and Canada provide support services to help these individuals overcome a variety of challenges and circumstances. In Spokane, WA, Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest works in conjunction with the Spokane County Veterans Enhanced Treatment Court to run the Spokane Veterans Forum (SVF). The program is the therapeutic side to the court and offers veterans that have become involved with the legal system an alternative to traditional sentencing.

READ MORE from WA Program Helps Vets with Trauma, Combat Histories Overcome Criminal Backgrounds

Six Goodwill® agencies joined an estimated three million Americans to take part in Make a Difference Day this past Saturday. USA Weekend Magazine started Make a Difference Day in 1992 and the observance has grown to be the largest national day of community service, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Agencies Celebrate “Make a Difference Day”

Six Goodwill® agencies joined an estimated three million Americans to take part in Make a Difference Day this past Saturday. USA Weekend Magazine started Make a Difference Day in 1992 and the observance has grown to be the largest national day of community service, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Agencies Celebrate "Make a Difference Day"

During the workweek, hungry lunchtime shoppers near the Goodwill Industries-Suncoast (St. Petersburg, FL) Ocala Outlet store on West Silver Springs Boulevard now have a unique option: hot dogs from a cart managed by nine participants in the Goodwill Adult Day Training Program.

READ MORE from FL Program Participants Turn Hot Dog Cart into Self-Sustaining Business

RESPECT of Florida — a statewide program that assists participating nonprofit organizations — recognized Goodwill Industries of the Big Bend (Tallahassee, FL) as Florida’s best nonprofit providing service-related employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

READ MORE from FL Goodwill Earns State Recognition for Employment Services

About a week ago, a retail sorter at Goodwill Easter Seals of the Gulf Coast (Mobile, AL) upheld the core values of Goodwill® when he found $1,100 in a donated suit, turned it in to the manager and was able to return the money to its owner.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Employee Returns $1,100 Found in Donated Suit

Wall Street Mission Goodwill Industries (Sioux City, IA) recently celebrated the launch of its Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program aimed at finding employment for homeless veterans in Sioux Falls, SD. The Sioux City Goodwill plans to enroll 55 homeless veterans in the program. When many of these veterans return home from active duty, they become chronically homeless, living out of cars, outside or on friends’ couches. Of the Sioux Falls area’s homeless population, veterans make up 11 to 20 percent.

READ MORE from Homeless Veterans to Get Leg Up from Goodwill® in Sioux Falls, SD

Low view of football player catching the ballAre you ready for some football? Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit and Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake are celebrating the sports season by renewing their relationships with local National Football League (NFL) teams in order to make a greater impact in their communities.

READ MORE from NFL Teams Support Goodwill® Efforts in Detroit, Baltimore

Goodwill officials pose with B. Howard at donation collection event.It’s official! Goodwill Southern California (Los Angeles) and partners NBC4 and Universal Studios Hollywood set a new world record for the most usable goods donations received in a 24-hour period. The donation drive, which was a promoted as a celebration of Earth Day 2012, recently received confirmation that the 27,290 pounds of items it collected set a Guinness World Record.

READ MORE from LA Goodwill Sets World Record with More Than 13 Tons of Donations

Even with support from agencies like Goodwill®, pathways out of poverty for the unemployed aren’t always clear. A new partnership between Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s Heartland (Battle Creek) and key community organizations is helping individuals living at 200 percent below the poverty level connect with education, work experience and certification in order to gain guaranteed employment.

READ MORE from Central Michigan Pilot Program Gives Job Seekers an EDGE in Sector Employment