Commit to Change: Message from Steve Preston, Goodwill Industries International President and CEO

Today, we must pause again to mourn the killing of George Floyd and so many others, to remember the families and communities who grieve their losses, and to internalize the realities of racism in our country.  One life challenged a nation to bear witness to its deepest offenses while striving to exemplify one of its highest promises: liberty and justice for all.

We reaffirm our resolve and our recent commitments, which call for a higher level of justice and becoming more intentional advocates for change, and we have made significant progress on that journey. We redouble our effort, to ensure that every person has the opportunity in life to reach their full potential and to flourish, knowing that racism is often a barrier to reaching that potential.

At Goodwill®, many of the people who come through our doors carry with them the accumulated challenges of inequity throughout their lives — lacking education, living in poverty, and facing the daily threat of violence. We see the humanity, inherent dignity and potential in every individual. We help people see the possibility of a brighter future by unlocking that potential. And we walk alongside them to make that a reality.

Central to our path forward is a commitment, alongside our partners, to expand our work within communities to rise together by empowering people to reach their full potential in life.  Goodwill is investing in more capacity and capabilities, in partnership with others committed to a better future, that we believe will ultimately drive essential change in the systems that people can access for workforce development support. While our collective aspirations are large, we build toward them one life at a time, and call upon employers, community partners and policy makers to join us on this journey.