Goodwill Industries Week was first celebrated in May, 1951, as a way for local Goodwill agencies to educate their communities about their mission of “helping people with disabilities help themselves.” This year, we mark the 60th anniversary of Goodwill Industries Week and the power of work. You know Goodwill for its retail stores, but do you know where the revenue from the sale of those donated goods ends up? Keep reading to check out a list of just a few of the many programs Goodwill members in the U.S. and Canada may offer.
Advance Your Career as an Administrative Professional
April 27 is Administrative Professionals Day where offices across the country take a day to recognize the secretaries and assistants who help their organizations run efficiently. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , secretaries and administrative assistants hold about 4.3 million jobs in today’s economy, making administrative professionals the largest segment of the office workforce.
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Make Every Day Earth Day
On April 22, people around the world will celebrate Earth Day by volunteering with organizations and initiatives that help create positive impacts on the earth. At Goodwill®, we encourage you to think beyond this single day of making a difference and try to create a positive environmental impact each and every day.
Congress Passes Final Budget Deal
Today, Congress passed a final budget deal to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year that ends on September 30, 2011. If signed by the president as expected, the final deal includes an across-the-board cut of 0.2 percent. In addition, several funding sources that local Goodwill® agencies care about will be further reduced.
The Need to Thrift and Donate
I have been asked by you to write on thrifting, but as I think about the subject it seems almost too simple. I don't think anyone needs to be inspired to thrift in 2011. Thrifting is, of course, the practical alternative in a downturn economy. It just makes sense to shop at the lowest price point and to re-purpose that which has been used before. And, as much as I could treat the subject from my own personal perspective, I feel the need instead to focus on the issue of donating.
Money-Saving Tips for a Rainy Day
Saving for a rainy day is conventional wisdom that is too often ignored. In these times of uncertainty, having funds to tide a family over during a period of joblessness is more important than ever. With the right strategies, you can begin to put money aside before the storm clouds start to appear.
Grow Your Career in a Green Job
Companies today are thinking more seriously about their impact on the planet, making new environmental commitments that will require new workers. Proctor & Gamble made a commitment to power all of their factories with renewable energy within the next ten years, and Walmart pledged to sell $1 billion of fresh produce sourced from 1,000 small- and medium-sized farmers, just to name a few. As the economy becomes greener, you can position yourself to make your career greener, too.
Give Thanks to Volunteers During National Volunteer Month
April is National Volunteer Month, when we celebrate the work that volunteers do year-round. During National Volunteer Week (April 10-16), organizations across the country will recognize their volunteers for helping them achieve their mission. As Goodwill Industries International's national volunteer specialist, I often hear stories about the dedicated volunteers giving their time at Goodwills in the U.S. and Canada. However, one program has allowed one financial institution's employees to turn their skills into a life changing volunteer opportunity: Good Assets, a financial education program funded by the Charles Schwab Foundation.
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Eight Ways to Network Yourself to a New Career
According to professional job hunters, only 10-20 percent of jobs get published on job boards or in classified ads. The remaining 80 percent remain unpublished — making these job opportunities accessible only through networking. People in your network can give you job leads, offer advice about a particular career path, and introduce you to others who can help you in your job search. To help the people we serve achieve their potential and find new jobs and careers, Goodwill® offers “do’s” and “don’ts” of networking to help you make new connections and advance your career.
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Relief Efforts Begin in the Wake of Japan's Massive Earthquake
As Japan struggles to recover from the floods, power failures, fires, shuttered airports and paralyzed transit systems as a result of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck on March 11, humanitarian organizations are mobilizing to provide relief to those affected. The caring people that work at Goodwill® member agencies in the United
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