Category: Press Releases

In 2008, Bernice Jepson approached Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette for help in finding a job. She was 54 and struggling with the emotional repercussions resulting from abuse she experienced as a child. Immediately, the staff at Goodwill Industries® saw something special in Jepson and knew she had the potential to work at Goodwill®. For her commitment to helping people with disabilities and workplace challenges, Jepson has been honored with Goodwill Industries International’s 2011 Edgar J. Helms Award for Graduate Staff.

READ MORE from Woman Who Sought Goodwill's Help Now Helps Others in Her Shoes

Nearly 20 years ago, Sherry Carpenter led the initiative to establish a partnership between Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina and Forsyth Technical Community College to offer skills training classes. With her vision and leadership, that partnership offered 175 classes and trained 5,900 students last year. As a result, Carpenter’s innovative workforce solution is being honored this year with Goodwill Industries International’s Robert E. and Charlotte Watkins Award for Mission Advancement.

READ MORE from Goodwill Industries, Community College Partnership Places More People in High-Demand Jobs

Jason Samora, a retail store manager for Goodwill Industries of Lane and South Coast Counties, places a high priority on integrating people with developmental disabilities into the workplace. Nineteen of his 50 employees at the North Bend Goodwill® retail store have disabilities and are successful members of his team. For his dedication to the values of Goodwill’s founder, Samora has been honored with the 2011 Edgar J. Helms Award for Staff from Goodwill Industries International.

READ MORE from Goodwill Store Manager Makes Hiring People with Disabilities a Priority

When William ‘Bill’ Carver first approached Goodwill of North Georgia to volunteer, he committed to one, seven-hour day each week at the agency’s Woodstock Career Center. He has been a Goodwill volunteer for only 18 months but has far exceeded his original goal. For his commitment to volunteerism and the Goodwlll® mission, Carver has been honored by Goodwill Industries International with the 2011 Elsine Katz Volunteer Leader of the Year Award.

READ MORE from PR Professional Helps Goodwill Participants put their Best Feet Forward

When Doug Barr took the helm of Goodwill Southern California (Los Angeles) in 1995, the agency served fewer than 2,200 people per year with an operating budget of $22 million. Today, the Goodwill® is a thriving $130 million organization serving more than 92,000 annually. For his business acumen in furthering Goodwill’s mission, Barr has been awarded the 2011 Kenneth K. King Management Award for Executive Excellence from Goodwill Industries International.

READ MORE from Los Angeles Goodwill CEO Honored with 2011 Kenneth K. King Management Award

Goodwill Industries of Central Arizona set a lofty goal of having its volunteers log at least 22,400 hours in 2010. The agency exceeded that goal by surpassing 29,000 hours in the program’s first year of operation. This month, Goodwill Industries International honored the program with its 2011 Goodwill® Volunteer Program of the Year Award.

READ MORE from Volunteer Program Logs 29,000 Hours of Service in First Year

ROCKVILLE, MD — Last June, Goodwill Industries International launched the Donate Movement to raise awareness about the importance of donating gently used items and the positive impact those items can have on both people and the planet. In just one year, the global initiative has increased donations to Goodwill® and traffic to the Donate Movement

READ MORE from Donate Movement Expands Goodwill's Ability to Provide Services, Repurpose Used Goods

The 10th annual HR Leadership Awards of Greater Washington recently honored Goodwill Industries International Senior Director of Leadership and Development, Dr. Jacquie Hamp with the 2011 Award for Strategic Alignment. The award honors an individual for developing and delivering human resource solutions that help the recipient’s organization achieve its strategic business objectives. The awards presentation occurred on June 14th during a ceremony in Arlington, VA.

READ MORE from Goodwill Professional Wins HR Award

Phoenix Goodwill Honored as the 2011 Goodwill Volunteer Program of the Year Phoenix, AZ — Goodwill Industries of Central Arizona set a lofty goal of having its volunteers log at least 22,400 hours in 2010. The agency exceeded that goal by surpassing 29,000 hours in the program’s first year of operation. This month, Goodwill Industries

READ MORE from Volunteer Program Logs 29,000 Hours of Service in First Year

Anthony Cornell, an employee of Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina, has won the Undercover Boss Employee of the Season grand prize of $5,000 on CBS.com. Cornell is the manager of a JobLink/Career Connections Center in Winston-Salem, NC. He and his staff help people in their local community receive the services they need to earn jobs and build fulfilling careers. Through Anthony’s hard work and leadership, he has helped more than 400 people earn jobs in his community in the last year.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Employee Wins Grand Prize in the Undercover Boss Employee of the Season Contest on CBS.com

With today’s focus on our planet’s limited resources, consumers’ purchases of previously used items are not only a choice that is healthy for the planet, but offer an antidote to the consumerism that has pushed Americans’ spending habits to the max. Goodwill Industries® is proud to serve as an educational partner and sponsor of All Thrifty States: A Visual Journey through America’s Collective Closets, a documentary project that plans to educate and change how Americans view their consumption, and brings attention to the power of secondhand shopping to support communities across the United States.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Sponsors Thrift Store Project Documenting America's Consumption Patterns

Goodwill of Greater Washington (DC) will collect donations of gently used clothing and household goods from the public during FLW Outdoors tournament at the National Harbor. The donations will be sold at local Goodwill® retail stores, where the revenues will fund job training programs, and career and other community-based services.

READ MORE from Goodwill and FLW Outdoors Partner for FLW Walmart Tour