Category: The Goodwill Blog

It’s almost Friday night – date night! Tonight you may be nervous about that first kiss with a new love interest or about leaving the kids at home with a new babysitter, but one thing you shouldn’t have to worry about on your long-awaited (and well-deserved!) night on the town is money. Sadly, even if you’re not taking a limo to a fancy restaurant, evenings out tend to be costly. Here are a few ways to plan a night to remember that you won’t have to work an extra shift to make up for.

READ MORE from How To Plan a Memorable Date Night Without Breaking the Bank

I remember the first time I cast my ballot in an official election. I voted for my father who was running for city council. I was so proud that day, not only of my dad, but that I was able to execute my civic duty. I was able to easily register to vote by simply filling out a form at my high school and a teacher gave the class a ton of resources to turn to in order to learn about all of the candidates on the ballot. There was a presidential election that year, so there was certainly a lot to learn.

READ MORE from Celebrate Democracy by Taking Action on September 22

A young Florida couple is being credited for creating what might be the next big date night trend: “Goodwill Date.” The idea was initially conceived when Cody Andrews and his girlfriend Paula Williams, were donating items and shopping at their local Goodwill store in Fort Walton Beach, FL. The duo selected a quirky outfit for each other and then went on a date without informing others of their plan.

READ MORE from #GoodwillDate Begins to Go Viral

Before the colder weather settles in, there is much to be done. We’ll have to pull our sweaters out from their hibernation, clean up our roosts so we can settle in comfortably, and brighten the indoors with a little fall color to make the most of the season. Getting it all in order may not seem like a worthy chore now, but the inevitable mid-winter cabin fever feels even worse when the house is stiflingly cluttered or completely unchanged from last year’s lock-in. So, let’s just start autumn with a clean slate, shall we?

READ MORE from Prepping for the Cooler Months Ahead

Congress returned from their annual summer break in August and found themselves already behind in their homework. Awaiting completion are the FY 2016 appropriations bills, though Congress will likely need a short term continuing resolution to complete that assignment. Also due is a vote on the Iran agreement, the debt ceiling, highway bill reauthorization and funding, and finding bridge funding for the SSDI program whose trust fund runs dry in a year.

READ MORE from Congress is Back in Session and Already Behind in Assignments

On August 15, women dressed as Rosie the Riveter welcomed 248 veterans and their families to a 1940s-themed party hosted by Goodwill Manasota (Sarasota, FL) to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Veterans from all military branches, wars and conflicts attended, dancing the night away to the sounds of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and the Andrew Sisters.

READ MORE from Sarasota Goodwill Keeps Alive the Spirit of ’45 with Events Honoring Veterans

Sure, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but copying someone else’s style or going cliché with a ubiquitous purchase, won’t help you obtain a tone that is true to yourself. What works for one person may be a disservice to someone else. When choosing style elements for yourself or your home, it’s important to draw inspiration without drowning in imitation.

READ MORE from Draw Inspiration to Re-Create Looks in Your Own Way

What’s the best job advice you’ve ever heard? Have you got your own tagline of wisdom drawn from your personal experience at work? Goodwill® wants to hear it. Post your job advice on Twitter using the hashtag #BestJobAdvice, and you may win a MicroSoft Surface 3 Tablet!

READ MORE from With Your #BestJobAdvice, Win a Microsoft Tablet!

Many associate Labor Day with the end of summer, a three-day weekend and the start of a new school year. Families and friends gather for barbecues and one last outing to the pool until next year. Rarely do folks sit around on Labor Day and actually celebrate America’s workers, think of ways to get more people in the workforce or consider how to lessen the unemployment rate. Unless, that is, you work for Goodwill®.

READ MORE from On Labor Day, and Every Day, Goodwill® Thinks About How to Put People to Work

When the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. factory in Obion County, TN, shut down in 2011, the local unemployment rate soared past 18 percent. Many of the 1,800 laid off workers struggled with even the first step toward finding a new job. Numerous displaced workers received assistance with their resumes at the Goodwill Career Solutions Center in Union City, the county seat.

READ MORE from Obion County, TN: A Case Study in Goodwill’s Community Impact

Cassandra Rolles came to Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont (Charlotte, NC) in 2013. The Goodwill helped her gain employment skills and experience through a variety of temporary positions before connecting her with a temp-to-perm position in the county government.

READ MORE from My Story: Cassandra Rolle

It’s been said a million times before, but it bears repeating: college students are broke. Maybe I should just underline and bold that last statement…or repeat it; college students are broke! There are a lot of things a prepared and creative undergrad can do to save precious dollars and still obtain what they need to start the semester on the right foot, so today I thought I’d offer up a few ideas.

READ MORE from Goodwill College Essentials