Category: The Goodwill Blog

Finding skirts and jackets made out of spectacular wool plaid at local thrift stores has become a hunt that I relish. Checking out women’s skirts and men’s sport coats for bright or unusual eye catching plaids is standard procedure. When something stands out, I hold it up and try to imagine it as a pillow, or even as ottoman fabric. Here’s a little secret I discovered a few years ago: pleated skirts have lots of fabric once you remove the waistband. When I came across this very short skirt, with the plaid on the diagonal, I knew it would be the perfect color and pattern for pillows.

READ MORE from Deconstruct a Skirt to Make These Great Plaid Pillows

The Thanksgiving holiday fell later this year, which caused retailers great alarm since there would be six fewer shopping days left between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Congress is also running out of time between the holidays to accomplish their year-end goals, and yet they aren’t feeling the same level of angst. There are a number of unfinished items to work on but given that the holidays are upon us, I feel the highlights are best depicted as the Twelve Numbers of Congress. Sing along if you’d like.

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Andreas from Milwaukee, WI, asks, “I feel a bit lost – like I need to get my job and money under control. I’m thinking these should be my New Year’s resolutions this year. Do you have any tips?”

READ MORE from Four Steps to Improve Your 2014 Career and Financial Outlook

Goodwill Industries of Northeastern Pennsylvania (Scranton) held their first runway show earlier this fall. A local banquet facility was the setting for an evening of fun, fashion and awareness. More than 200 people were in attendance for the inaugural event. The agency showcased the great product lines from their five retail stores currently in operation.

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Thanksgiving for most of us means a time for gathering with family and friends, for getting together around the dinner table to enjoy turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, and for relaxing in front of the flat screen to watch your favorite football teams and TV shows. It is a special time—a time to give thanks for all the good fortune we have enjoyed. But for the many who are homeless and hungry in our country, Thanksgiving is just another day.

READ MORE from Your Action Can Give Struggling Americans Something to Be Thankful For

Forbes recently released its 2013 list of America’s 25 Most Inspiring Companies, which included Goodwill® for the second time. Last year, Goodwill was ranked at #23; this year the organization is ranked at #19. According to Terry Barber, chief inspiration officer for Performance Inspired, the survey showed that consumers are not only feeling inspired by certain businesses, but are acting inspired by spending more with these companies while evangelizing to others about their inspiring experience.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Named One of America’s Most Inspiring Companies by Forbes

Hey guys, its Marisa from New Dress A Day here! The holidays are within arm’s reach and we all know what that means – lots of sugar cookies and sweet treats in the office kitchen, lots of seasonal commercials for Black Friday deals, and lots of holiday parties! My schedule is already booked full, and I haven’t even thought of what to wear! With multiples soirees on the agenda, a mix of plane tickets to purchase and the handful of family gifts to grab, the budget for looking festive is a tight one. By shopping at Goodwill®, not only do I save money, but also at the same time I’m helping to provide job training and job placement opportunities for individuals in my community. I think that’s the holiday spirit that I’m most excited about!

READ MORE from Nab These Three Holiday Looks for Less at Goodwill

As nonprofit organizations like Goodwill continue to meet increased demand for services and labor to raise the necessary funds to meet those needs, Congress should seek to encourage everyone, regardless of income, to give more to charitable organizations. Any caps or limits placed on the charitable deduction will undermine the incentive effect, thus reducing charitable giving and hurting nonprofits. At a time when the nonprofit sector continues to see an increased demand for programs and services while public funds are being reduced, our elected officials should support policies that encourage all Americans to give more to charitable organizations and protect the people we serve.

READ MORE from Urge Congress to Protect Charitable Giving Incentives

Goodwill Industries of Arkansas (Little Rock) is offering Arkansans who qualify the opportunity to enroll in free or low-cost health insurance plans at select area Goodwill retail stores. The collaboration with Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield began on November 11 with Blue Cross and Blue Shield staff visiting 12 Little Rock Goodwill locations on specific days of the week

READ MORE from Little Rock Goodwill Assists Residents with Health Care Enrollment

Moving is always considered one of the most stressful experiences we can have. However, if you are going to be moving soon, I challenge you to think of moving as an opportunity instead-- an opportunity to streamline your life! Packing requires you to physically touch every item you own. As you sort your stuff, you have the opportunity to make a decision about each thing. When else do you get this kind of "day of reckoning" with your stuff? Make it a goal to move into your new place with only the things you use and love and value the most. You will have more storage space available, less stuff to maintain and worry about, and an amazing feeling of freedom!

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This week, as Congress prepares for another effort to stabilize the nation’s fiscal outlook, a new report illustrates the impact that recent cuts to discretionary programs – including job training programs operated by Goodwill – has negatively affected people. “Faces of Austerity: How Budget Cuts Have Made Us Sicker, Poorer and Less Secure,” was released by NDD United, an alliance of more than 3,200 national, state, and local organizations – including Goodwill Industries International (GII) – working to prevent more harsh cuts to core government functions.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Featured in Report Outlining Negative Impact of Funding Cuts

Mario from Omaha, NE, asks, "I was just made a manager in my department. While I'm happy to get a promotion, one of the people I oversee is notoriously negative and attacks his coworkers for no reason. How do I manage this situation?"

READ MORE from Build a Stronger Team by Using the Three ‘F’ Words