Welcome to Goodwill® e-news, a bi-monthly publication designed to keep you informed about the events and happenings at Goodwill. 

 

Back-to-School

It's back-to-school season. Kids sure do outgrow clothes and styles quickly so before you start your back-to-school shopping, please be sure to clean out your closets and donate to Goodwill. From clothing and accessories to toys, books and other items for the home, Goodwill recycles just about everything! Best of all, we use our sales revenue to fund important job training programs that help local residents with disabilities get to work. Donating to Goodwill is a great way to teach children of all ages the importance of recycling and philanthropy! And for those wanting to go green and save green this fall, check out our local retail stores for incredible bargains. For the Goodwill Store or Donation Center nearest you, please visit http://bit.ly/gwlocations.

Fun for Kids

Kids can learn more about what can be recycled and donated playing Goodwill's Donate Matching Game. Plus, they can get the scoop on how to make an even bigger impact in their community through a School Donation Drive by visiting
https://donate.goodwill.org/kids/.

School-to-Work Students Hit The Park

 

                                     

Speaking of school...Students enrolled in the summer session of Goodwill's School-to-Work Program had the opportunity to gain landscape and park maintenance job skills working in the Medford Township Park System. This program, which helps bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace for special needs students from Camden City high schools, provides both hands-on training and a weekly paycheck from Goodwill. Many thanks to Medford Township for partnering with Goodwill and providing such wonderful work opportunities for our students! This photo shows our hard working crew outside of Medford's Senior Center.

Ready to Outwork, Out Study and Out
Research His Peers

J. Jhondi Harrell was one of the first participants in Goodwill's Ex-Offender Re-Entry Program, which helps formerly incarcerated men and women get back on their feet and get to work. Program participants are hired by Goodwill to perform light industrial tasks in a sheltered workshop setting doing outsourced jobs for companies such as Comcast and Destination Maternity. Participants earn a weekly paycheck while receiving valuable life skills training and building their resumes in preparation for outside employment. J, as he prefers to be called, came to Goodwill determined to succeed. Supervisors saw an insatiable work ethic. J. was so confident in his abilities and optimistic about his future that he would bring a business suit carefully wrapped in a dry cleaning bag with him to work every day at Goodwill-just in case he received a call for a job interview. Fast forward three years... J is gainfully employed by Gaudenzia House in Philadelphia. He has obtained his bachelor's degree. He has launched his own nonprofit, Comprehensive Center for the Formerly Incarcerated. And most recently, he was accepted into Temple University's Master's in Social Work Program. Here J promises that he will "outwork, out study and out research everybody in his class." "Goodwill gave me a job when no one else would and laid the foundation for my success," said J. "I will forever be thankful for this opportunity."

Banners to Totes

Goodwill continues to find innovative ways to recycle unwanted items. Clients in Goodwill's Outsourcing & Production Fulfillment Center are now creating cool tote bags out of vinyl banners! In a "test run" at Goodwill's Glassboro Store, they sold out in a matter of days. Beyond being environmentally friendly and stylish, these bags give our work crew the opportunity to learn new skills while earning a weekly paycheck. If your organization, business or school has any banners collecting dust, please consider donating them to Goodwill at any of our donation centers.