Category: The Goodwill Blog

This week, Congress reconvened in a lame-duck session in order to wrap up unfinished business. Its most pressing responsibility is finding a solution to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years in order to avoid automatic spending cuts that will otherwise take effect at the beginning of next year. Goodwill supporters can take action now by urging Congress to support a balanced and bipartisan approach to deficit reduction.

READ MORE from Tell Congress to Remember Key Job Training Programs in Fiscal Cliff Discussions

Gene from Warwick, RI, asks, “I’ve been unemployed for over half a year now. I don’t have a computer, but get on the Internet through my smartphone. Can you recommend some apps to increase my career and financial chances?”

READ MORE from Find a Job On the Go with These Mobile Apps

At Goodwill®, we work to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work. Helping people prepare for jobs and advance their careers often means first connecting them with education options, which range from single courses to a complete certification or degree. Read on to learn about how two Goodwills are increasing access to educational opportunities for people in TX and GA communities.

READ MORE from Goodwills in GA, TX Advance Educational Opportunities for Local Students

Steven suffered permanent injuries in a car crash and, without a job, felt hopeless and like he wasn't contributing to society. After connecting with Goodwill, he regained hope and found employment that allows him to feel fulfilled and earn a paycheck.

READ MORE from My Story: Steven Escamilla

Because we have already created buzz around Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, why not fill in the only day after Thanksgiving that’s been sadly overlooked in the moniker department? That’s why right here, today, before all of my blogosphere witnesses, I propose Second Chance Sunday--when everyone goes to Goodwill and finds the most awesome gifts ever.

READ MORE from Give Your Holiday Gifts a Second Chance

Today, Thanksgiving Day, most of us will take a brief moment to pause to reflect upon and to be thankful for important things like freedom, food security, places to call home and jobs. The harsh reality is that many people in the U.S. lack these basic needs today.

READ MORE from Looking to Help People This Thanksgiving? Be an Advocate for Change!

You want your gift to make a real difference, right? When you think about giving during this holiday season, take the time to understand how your donation can have the most impact. Here are some tips to help inform your holiday giving decisions, whether your donation is money, time or gently used goods.

READ MORE from A Guide to Holiday Giving

Tan from Muskegon, WI, asks "I've sought help on making sure my résumé contains the right information - now I want to make it look visually appealing so it stands out in the sea of résumés. Do you have any tips?"

READ MORE from Find a Job by Putting a Creative Spin on Your Résumé

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

Pearline was two and half credits short of receiving her high school diploma when she connected with the Goodwill headquartered in Kalamazoo, MI. Thanks to their Life Guides program, she received the support she needed to be successful and return to school.

READ MORE from My Story: Pearline Haley

Thanksgiving marks the big official start of the holiday shopping season. As a professional organizer, that always makes me worry a little, because clients have often hired me in the aftermath of the holiday season to help clear out what accumulated. I want people to be intentional and deliberate about what they are buying and giving, making sure they are not filling their own homes and the homes of their loved ones with clutter. Before the Black Friday frenzy starts, here are some strategies to save you time and money and prevent future clutter.

READ MORE from Ready, Set, Shop! Get Organized for Holiday Giving

As President Obama and Congressional leaders meet for the first time tomorrow to begin negotiations about avoiding the fiscal cliff — the combination of spending cuts and tax increases that will go into effect in 2013 if Congress does not act to avert them — Goodwill Industries International is monitoring the developments to see how key workforce programs and other services that support people we serve fare in the proposed solutions.

READ MORE from All Eyes on Washington as Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Begin