The start of 2015 provides an opportunity for us to strongly declare what changes we will make and how we will start anew. The same holds true for Congress. This year marks the beginning of a new session and 58 new lawmakers looking to resolve to make changes.
READ MORE from Resolve to Help People in Your Community by Supporting Goodwill®
When I graduated from high school, I wanted to work to earn money. I didn’t want to go to college. I eventually came to Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa (Des Moines) to receive support in getting a job. I wanted someone to check up on me and see if I had any problems.
This week, I saw a 15 minute video on YouTube, called Humans Need Not Apply. In summary, the video postulates that we are experiencing a “robot revolution,” wherein advancement in automation that performs physical labor and make decisions could profoundly impact a wide range of occupations representing approximately 45 percent of our workforce.
The 113th Congress comes to a close this week and lawmakers are probably just as happy as the American public to put the last two years behind them and start anew. A recent Gallup poll reported that Congressional approval ratings are just one point higher than last year at 15 percent. Under this Congress we’ve seen a government shutdown and the invocation of the nuclear option (a Senate procedure allowing a rule or precedent to be overridden). However, there were some moments worth celebrating, particularly during the second session of the Congress this year.
READ MORE from What Has the 113th Congress Accomplished This Year?
Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan (GINM) (Traverse City) recently garnered national attention for its community-based job training program, Farm to Freezer, that flash freezes produce from local farms in Northern Michigan. Current program leader, Mark Coe, who originally worked for a nearby farm, came up with the idea in 2013.
READ MORE from Farm to Freezer Offers Produce, Jobs to Local Residents in Traverse City
After my accident, I was unable to work for several years. In November 2012, I felt like it was time for me to go back to work, so I came back to Goodwill to see if I could get a job. The agency hired me to be a cashier in one of the Goodwill retail stores, and a couple of months later, I was employed at the Barksdale Air Force Base Commissary as a shelf stocker.
After my stroke I lost a lot of confidence because you lose the ability to do a lot of things you were able to do before. Working at Goodwill has been good for my recovery. I have improved my physical abilities like walking and using my right hand. I hope to continue my recover and look forward to one day being able to work without my disability being a factor.
I injured my back on September 19, 1995. I was a heavy equipment mechanic, and I was put out of work because I couldn’t do that type of work anymore. From that point, I got hooked up with an outfit called Rehab Services, a place that helps people with disabilities find employment. I went down and talked to this woman, and she basically hooked me up with Goodwill Industries Vocational Enterprises here in Duluth, MN. I currently work in the store.
The reference to a lame duck Congress gives the impression of being powerless, yet in reality the current Congress still holds the power and the duty to act on areas that will impact Goodwill and the people we serve.
READ MORE from Big Changes Still Possible from Lame Duck Congress
