My Melmac plates and bowls get plenty of use, but I have stacks of adorable teacups that we constantly pass up in favor of sturdy mugs. It’s about time to start thinking creatively about how to put them to work, but my imagination wasn’t jump-started until I went over to my friend’s house and saw a holiday project she had been working on - turning teacups into candles!
READ MORE from DIY: Three Easy Craft Projects for Old Teacups
Last week, Speaker of the House John Boehner’s so-called “Plan B” failed to attract sufficient Republican support. Members of Congress soon headed home for the Christmas holiday with the nation’s economic future still in question. Will congressional leaders and President Obama find a way to agree to a deficit reduction deal that averts a plunge over the fiscal cliff? Or will we take that plunge? While the question about the fiscal cliff remains uncertain, Goodwill has been on the front lines since 1902, working to build stronger communities, and it will continue to urge Congress to protect investments that leverage Goodwill’s efforts to help people find jobs and advance in careers.
In 2013, keep your finances in order with the following tips to creatively stretch and save more of your paycheck. Whether this means simply being more informed or actively pre-planning an outing, you can squirrel away enough money by streamlining your spending to stretch your budget in 2013. Start the new year well by setting yourself up for success.
While the holidays seem to bring out the kid in people of all ages, the wide-eyed wonder and magic still belong to the little ones this time of year. Sadly, many families lack the financial resources to buy gifts — and sometimes even necessities like winter coats and shoes. Goodwill agencies like those below have stepped in to spread a little joy and warmth to those who need it most.
READ MORE from Goodwill and Donors Brighten the Holiday Through Giving
Life threw Remy a curve ball and she found herself an unemployed single mother. "I felt like a statistic," she says. With support from Goodwill, she made the job connection she needed to find successful employment working with people with disabilities.
As you’ve probably learned by now, Christmas can get pricey – and quick. I’d be lying if I said I got everything under my tree this year at thrift stores, but I definitely tried hard to get as much as I could there. And while it’s easy to rush to the biggest box store and mindlessly fill a cart with stuff shipped here from thousands of miles away, thrifting for loved ones involves a little more patience, a little more time – but definitely not as much money or waste. When you buy a perfect something for someone special at a Goodwill, you’re really doing a world of good. Soon we’ll all watch loved ones unwrap their treasures. And when they hold it up and gush about how much they love it, tell them proudly where you got it!
READ MORE from Have Yourself a Thrifty Little Christmas – and a Thrifty New Year
We hope this blog serves as a way to educate and inform Goodwill® shoppers, donors, program participants and staff among others, about the hot topics affecting our agency and the people we serve. In the new year, we hope to continue to be a valuable resource to our stakeholders, garner more grassroots support, and advance Goodwill Industries’ legislative agenda. We would love to learn more about the types of information you would like to see on this page and how you feel you can be an effective advocate. Please take our short survey to give us your feedback.
READ MORE from Goodwill® Advocates: What’s Important to You in 2013?
We hope this blog serves as a way to educate and inform Goodwill® shoppers, donors, program participants and staff among others, about the hot topics affecting our agency and the people we serve. In the new year, we hope to continue to be a valuable resource to our stakeholders, garner more grassroots support, and advance Goodwill Industries’ legislative agenda. We would love to learn more about the types of information you would like to see on this page and how you feel you can be an effective advocate. Please take our short survey to give us your feedback.
READ MORE from Goodwill® Advocates: What's Important to You in 2013?
As we progress into the final few frenzied days of shopping and preparing for the holidays, let's keep in mind the lesson of the little tree. Less is more. Fewer toys, more time spent playing together with them. Less stuff, more experiences. Less spending money, more spending time.
Goodwill employee holds supportive sign for troops.This year, employees at Goodwill Industries of Greater Nebraska (Grand Island) are sending gifts to 25 U.S. Marines stationed in Afghanistan. A few years ago, Goodwill employees opted to forgo the office gift exchange in favor of providing gifts for others in need. Since then, more and more Goodwill employees and program participants are getting involved. This year’s decision to send gifts to Marines has become one of the Grand Island Goodwill’s biggest efforts yet to help people outside of the local community.
READ MORE from Greater Nebraska Goodwill Sends Holiday Gifts to Marines in Afghanistan
