Tag: Volunteer

Goodwill of North Georgia (Atlanta) recently held its first Veterans, Service and Leaders Summit, a half-day knowledge-sharing and information-gathering session for about 60 individuals, including representatives from veteran-serving organizations, Georgia elected officials and local veterans. The event aimed to strengthen and increase understanding of the resources that are currently available to veterans and their families, and surface areas where needs are still unmet through the newly created Veteran Leader Corps (VLC).

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Young child hangs from monkey bars.Children at the Gordon Smith Child Development Center, a project of Goodwill Easter Seals of the Gulf Coast (Mobile, AL) will soon have a brand new playground to enjoy. In November, children at the center enjoyed a “design day” as they put crayon to paper to design their dream playgrounds. With a significant investment from the PNC Foundation, volunteers and organizers from KaBOOM! will help make these drawings a reality. Elements from the children’s drawings will be incorporated into the final design for the new community playground, scheduled to be constructed in January.

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The GCF Farm at Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina (Durham) has donated 20,636 pounds of fruits and vegetables to the Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina in 2012, more than doubling last year’s amount. In addition to new developments in leadership and volunteerism, the increase in produce is also attributed to expanded garden space and more greenhouse use in colder weather to grow summer vegetables, including cucumbers and tomatoes.

READ MORE from NC Goodwill Donates More Than 20,000 Pounds of Produce to Food Bank

To combat this cycle that often traps borrowers in debt due to predatory lending processes, Goodwill Industries of Central Virginia (Richmond) has partnered with the Virginia Credit Union and St. James Episcopal Church for almost two years now to offer an alternative to payday lending coupled with financial education and coaching. The program provides borrowers with a short-term loan that has many of the features of a payday loan—essentially a pay or cash advance—but with important distinctions aimed at helping borrowers transition away from a dependency on these high-cost alternative loans.

READ MORE from Goodwill’s ‘goodChoice’ Program in VA Helps People Break Lending Cycles

In the weeks following Hurricane Sandy, Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, headquartered in Astoria, NY, has rallied to support local relief efforts. The agency is working with New York radio station WPLJ and Modell’s Sporting Goods Stores to collect goods in over 90 store locations and distribute much needed clothing throughout the Greater New York and New Jersey area. The NY/NJ Goodwill is also working with United Way and other organizations and shelters throughout the Northeast to receive and distribute much-needed items such as temporary mattresses, blankets, and basic survival items including water and blankets.

READ MORE from New York Goodwill Supports Recovery Following Hurricane Sandy

Six Goodwill® agencies joined an estimated three million Americans to take part in Make a Difference Day this past Saturday. USA Weekend Magazine started Make a Difference Day in 1992 and the observance has grown to be the largest national day of community service, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Agencies Celebrate "Make a Difference Day"

Six Goodwill® agencies joined an estimated three million Americans to take part in Make a Difference Day this past Saturday. USA Weekend Magazine started Make a Difference Day in 1992 and the observance has grown to be the largest national day of community service, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors.

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Leanne from Burlington, VT, asks, "I need to do community service to meet my high school requirement. Will this help me build my résumé?”

READ MORE from How to Include Volunteer Experience on Your Résumé

For the fifth consecutive year, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont (NC) is teaming up with the Charlotte Art League (CAL) to showcase the work of artists from the Goodwill’s Employment Skills Training program. This year’s ‘Color My Dreams’ exhibit, open daily through March 30, showcases more than 70 pieces of art including drawings, paintings and mosaics created by individuals with intellectual, physical and other disabilities.

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Three hundred and fifty pounds of turkey, 200 pounds of potatoes and 1,000 dinner rolls were some of the items on the menu this year when Goodwill Industries Wall Street Mission served Thanksgiving dinner to its local community for the 85th year. The Sioux City Goodwill held its first annual dinner in 1891 to celebrate the agency’s community impact and raise public awareness about Goodwill programs and services.

READ MORE from IA Goodwill® Celebrates 85 Years of Serving Thanksgiving Dinner to Community