ROCKVILLE, MD – Goodwill Industries International is pleased to honor Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) as a recipient of its Goodwill® National Policymaker Award for 2012. The award recognizes a federal lawmaker who has clearly demonstrated support for Goodwill’s public policy priorities.
Goodwill Industries-Manasota (Sarasota, FL) nominated Nelson for his support of Goodwill’s services and programs. Nelson has spent extensive time at his local Goodwill Center, which creates new jobs for people facing challenges to finding employment. The Goodwill Center is a donation center, a store and a services and community center all rolled into one. Goodwill takes the revenues from the sale of its donations and uses it to fund job placement services for people who need them. The center offers services to those individuals including assessing their career goals, preparing strong résumés and cover letters, identifying prospective employers and conducting successful job interviews.
“Senator Nelson is a strong advocate for Goodwill’s mission of job training for people with disabilities and disadvantages,” said Don Roberts, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries-Manasota. “He has been a true champion for our mission and believes in the sustainable social enterprise model of Goodwill.”
At a reception in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, April 17, Nelson was recognized and thanked for his ongoing support and influence for issues relevant to Goodwill. The reception was part of Goodwill Industries International’s sixth annual Advocacy Day, Local to Global: Strengthening our Community.
“Goodwill’s primary goal is to provide people with service such as job skills and job readiness training, child care assistance, and transportation, among others, to move people into self-sufficiency situations,” said Nelson. “Goodwill gives people an opportunity to create better lives for themselves — something which empowers people to believe in themselves.”
