Goodwill® Advances Mission in Florida with Support from Volunteers

A cadre of more than 300 volunteers dedicated 25,000 hours in 2012 to spreading the mission of Goodwill Industries-Manasota (Sarasota, FL). Ambassadors from the program routinely speak with service clubs, faith-based organizations, professional associations, youth groups and others to build awareness of Goodwill’s programs and services, as well as Goodwill’s contribution to the community.

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My Story: Jia Fang Deng

Jia Fang Deng was diagnosed with a degenerative condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis Arthritis. After his friends and family started to remove themselves from his life, Jia recognized he needed to make a change. Jia received training and learned skills that made him employable. Now, he works with students with disabilities to teach self-sufficiency to others.

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Empowering People to Work Depends on Inspiring Change

In the spirit of Goodwill Industries Week, a time when Goodwill® celebrates the power of work, I’d like to take a break from my usual focus on the week’s pressing issues in order to consider important lessons we can learn from Goodwill’s origins. Just as it did for Progressive Era pioneers like Helms, today's success depends on vision, faith, luck and leadership.

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Health Care Industry Training Enables Path to Self Sufficiency in California

Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County (Long Beach) is now in the seventh year of its Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide training program. Between 2008 and 2012, nearly 900 people have been trained through this program, an 11-week program combining classroom instruction with hands on clinical training. These students in cohorts of 10-20 people receive the clinical training by Long Beach School for Adults instructors with weekly tests. They then attend an employer’s breakfast — set up “speed dating” style — that allows them to meet one-on-one with employers looking to hire.

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My Story: J. Jhondi Harrell

After 18 years in prison, J. Jhondi Harrell was looking for work. He connected with Goodwill, where he was treated with respect and kindness. They helped him finish his education and connect him with counseling positions where he was able to give back. He now runs his own nonprofit and transitional housing program helping people with criminal backgrounds re-integrate into society.

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This Mother’s Day, Get Creative with a One-of-a-Kind Gift from Goodwill®

Every time I happily enter a Goodwill store, I think, “I should be blogging for Goodwill® so that I can show people how many fabulous home furnishings they can create from all of these goodies!” I guess I hounded them long enough, because now I get to do just that! Through the years, Goodwill has been my main source for supplies of all kinds. Since we’re all thinking about Mother’s Day, I thought I’d show you a piece of rescued and reupholstered furniture that most people would pass up.

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This Mother's Day, Get Creative with a One-of-a-Kind Gift from Goodwill®

Every time I happily enter a Goodwill store, I think, “I should be blogging for Goodwill® so that I can show people how many fabulous home furnishings they can create from all of these goodies!” I guess I hounded them long enough, because now I get to do just that! Through the years, Goodwill has been my main source for supplies of all kinds. Since we’re all thinking about Mother’s Day, I thought I’d show you a piece of rescued and reupholstered furniture that most people would pass up.

READ MORE from This Mother's Day, Get Creative with a One-of-a-Kind Gift from Goodwill®