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.
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.
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.
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
Ruthie from Cheyenne, WY, asks, "I'm a single mother, and my 16-year-old son recently told me he wants to drop out of high school. I'm devastated. Do you have any information about the importance of high school diplomas that might persuade him, or any other resources that might help keep him in school?"
READ MORE from Advice for Parents Whose Children Want to Drop Out of School
In the weeks following Hurricane Sandy, Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, headquartered in Astoria, NY, has rallied to support local relief efforts. The agency is working with New York radio station WPLJ and Modell’s Sporting Goods Stores to collect goods in over 90 store locations and distribute much needed clothing throughout the Greater New York and New Jersey area. The NY/NJ Goodwill is also working with United Way and other organizations and shelters throughout the Northeast to receive and distribute much-needed items such as temporary mattresses, blankets, and basic survival items including water and blankets.
READ MORE from New York Goodwill Supports Recovery Following Hurricane Sandy
