Hispanic Job Seekers Benefit from Woman’s Tireless Outreach Efforts

Goodwill Industries International Honors Elsa Bustamante with the 2013 Edgar J. Helms Award for Staff
Macon, GA — Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA (Macon) went from serving almost no Hispanic clients in 2009 to serving more than 1,700 in 2012, in large part due to outreach performed by Hispanic Services Manager Elsa Bustamante. For her efforts in expanding the reach of Goodwill services to this growing population, Goodwill Industries International honors Bustamante with the 2013 Edgar J. Helms Award for Staff.
In her role, Bustamante designs and implements outreach and marketing plans to recruit Hispanic job seekers across a 35-county area who need skills training, résumé help and other career services. She works closely with partner agencies serving Hispanics to coordinate service delivery. In 2012, she organized the Goodwill’s first-ever Hispanic Diversity Career Fair.
Bustamante also formed the Hispanic Council for Augusta, GA, and the Hispanic Advisory Council for Macon, GA. The councils bring together Hispanic-serving organizations once a month to share information, network and discuss ways to better serve the Hispanic community across all sectors.
“As the face of Goodwill®, Elsa has worked tirelessly to earn the trust of the Hispanic community and to spread the word about Goodwill’s mission,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “Elsa embodies the very qualities Goodwill founder Rev. Edgar J. Helms held dear. She offers people a hand up, not a hand out.”
Bustamante will receive her award at Goodwill’s annual Delegate Assembly meeting in Grand Rapids, MI, on Sunday, June 23.

ABOUT THE AWARD
The Edgar J. Helms Award for Staff honors a current Goodwill employee who has not received Goodwill services in the past and who exemplifies the mission of Goodwill Industries and its founder Rev. Edgar J. Helms’ values of unselfish service to people with disabilities or other disadvantaging conditions.