Rockville, MD. — Last year, Goodwill provided job training programs, career counseling and other support services to a record-breaking 1.9 million people, a 28-percent increase over 2008. This Goodwill Industries Week, May 2–8, Goodwill is encouraging people to donate their gently used household goods and clothing so that the organization can continue to provide critical community-based programs to people in need.
Through its network of 166 independent headquarter agencies throughout the United States and Canada, Goodwill collectively garnered an estimated $3.7 billion in revenues in 2009, and channeled 84 percent of those revenues directly into programs to help people improve their lives, families and communities.
“In this time of economic uncertainty, Goodwill is seeing increased demand for its job training services,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “We believe that work creates the economic energy that builds strong families and strong communities.”
Goodwill generates opportunities for people to achieve economic stability by offering employment training to people who have disabilities, those who lack education or job experience, and others who face challenges to finding employment. By selling donations in more than 2,400 stores as well as online at shopgoodwill.com, Goodwill creates thousands of jobs and generates billions in revenues to fund its support services.
Each local Goodwill agency tailors programs to meet the specific needs of job seekers and employers in the region where it operates. These tailored programs enable people from all backgrounds to feel successful, valuable and dignified through the power of work.
“Each of Goodwill’s services is essential to building strong communities, and each provides employment opportunities that make people feel good about themselves,” said Gibbons. “This Goodwill Industries Week and every day, we thank our donors and shoppers for helping further Goodwill’s mission of helping people find jobs and experience the pride and independence that comes from working.”
