What Remains for the 114th Congress?

The major party conventions are behind us and Congress is in recess until after Labor Day. However, when they return, much work still needs to be done, and there will be a push to do so before the lame duck (following the election). Of course members of Congress will need even more time back in the district to campaign closer to the election, thus making the time frame to pass a budget and reauthorize major legislation even shorter – a total of eight weeks to be exact. Learn more about some of the issues that are important to Goodwill and still on the table.

Gilmore Girls Style at Goodwill

With the Gilmore Girls revival expected before the end of this year, I can’t help but head back to Stars Hollow with a little weekend binge watching. Although it originally aired 16 years ago, something about the warmth of small towns, the excitement of academia, and the comfort of steaming mug of coffee just calls me to this heartfelt TV dramedy. If you, too, are a friend of Rory, Lorelai, Sookie, and Luke, then get ready to rekindle your love just in time for the new episodes. Never seen it before? Let me catch you up!

The Democratic National Platform and Goodwill’s Priorities (Part Two)

Last week’s blog highlighted some of the key points of the 2016 GOP National Platform and as the Democrats head out of Philadelphia, take a look at key parts of the 2016 Democratic Platform that pertain to Goodwill’s priorities.

Career and Financial Advice for July 2016

The Goodwill blog’s career and financial advice posts have all moved to GoodProspects, but you can still get great advice on your job search, learn about career fields and connect with virtual career mentors. Here are some recent articles published this month—read each piece, share your thoughts, and join GoodProspects to take advantage of everything at Goodwill’s online career navigation portal!

My Story: Tiarra Barrera

Six years ago, I was a single mother raising two young children while living in a low-income housing community. Determined to support my family, I enrolled in Goodwill’s Certified Nurse Assistant Training Program.

Festival Style with Goodwill

On hot summer days, festival style prevails! That’s because the trend itself was inspired by long days in the sun that necessitated light layers and wide brimmed hats to keep shady and comfortable. Whether you’re actually attending an outdoor concert series this year or just trying to stay cool while looking cool, hop on the boho bandwagon to seamlessly blend summer attire in with summer adventures.

The GOP Platform and Goodwill’s Priorities (Part One)

I watched my first national political convention in 1976. I was in high school at the time, but watching the gavel-to-gavel coverage and listening to speeches and commentary somehow captured my attention. Now it’s 40 years later and with decades of policy and political experience, those speeches come across to me a lot differently, and, for most part, not for the better. Maybe it’s cynicism; maybe it’s knowing that the issues are more complicated than the kind of sound bite, red meat rhetoric solutions you hear at these conventions.

Fixer Upper Style: Farmhouse Chic

The HGTV show Fixer Upper has inspired people across the country to embrace DIY home projects from organizing their own “demo day” to repurposing second-hand goods. I love watching designer Joanna roll her eyes at her husband Chip as they stroll through a thrift shop in search of décor elements to punctuate a recently renovated space. Since she creates such beautifully polished rooms, I often find myself asking “What would Joanna do?” when contemplating a furniture move or bland-looking corner in my own home. The answer that usually pops into mind then is: thrift! If it’s good enough for Chip and Jo, then it’s good enough for me.

Make the Disability Vote Count

This week, a national effort is underway to make the disability vote more influential. The American Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD) has designated July 11-15 as National Disability Voter Registration Week. Regardless of one’s political affiliation, people with disabilities play an important role in our democracy and should be able to have as great a voice in the political process as anyone else who exercises their Constitutional right to vote.

My Story: Dammond Devon Steen, Jr.

Eventually, raising four kids became too much for my 19-year-old mom, and I landed in foster care. Even then, I did okay in school. I was on track to graduate. But that never happened. I got into a fight at school – with a police officer. I was arrested. If I would have stopped for one second to think about it, I wouldn’t have gone to jail, but I didn’t think. I acted. The result was a year in prison. Adult prison, not ‘juvie’.

Express Yourself with Goodwill

Madonna topped the charts in 1989 with her hit song “Express Yourself” in which she urged her listeners to find a partner in life who is open and honest to create a healthy relationship. Although that was nearly 30 years ago now, the call to communicate our inner workings still resonates within our culture. This message echoes not just in our relationships with others, but throughout the rest of our lives, too, to help us create our own happiness in all aspects. Let me explain how with some help from a few other Goodwill enthusiasts!

Help Someone Earn Financial Freedom by Supporting WIOA

It was two years ago near July 4, that Congress showed a rare form of bi-partisanship and passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the law that establishes job-training programs and vocational rehabilitation services. The following year, around this time, the agencies responsible for overseeing the law’s enactment released the proposed regulations for implementation. Just prior to the holiday this year, the final rules were made public.