Goodwill of Central Arizona

As we approach the holiday season, I'm pleased to share with you all the "good stuff" that Goodwill is doing in our communities around central Arizona. The recent hurricanes in the gulf coast region of our country have occupied the hearts and minds of many around our state, and Goodwill has been right there to support the recovery efforts with donations of over $75,000 in cash, gift certificates for relocated victims, free workforce services to job seekers, and preferential hiring status for anyone from the affected region.

We've also been busy with our day-to-day activities, as you'll read in this edition of the newsletter, and I'm very proud of the team members who make it all happen everyday and I'm very grateful to all of the generous donors who support this organization. As a result of your efforts, over 1,000 individuals who might not have otherwise been successful have obtained gainful employment to support themselves and their families.

Thank you to everyone for your support of Goodwill - and we look forward to seeing you in our retail stores searching out your perfect Halloween costume!! Happy Haunting!

Goodwill and a host of spooksters held an evening of fun and haunt couture on Friday October 21st at our Rural & Guadalupe store. Our monster VIPs made their splashy arrival via limousine for a stroll down the red carpet to enjoy the tons of great costume ideas by the dozens of creepy characters that took to the runway decked out in the hottest ready-to-scare looks for Halloween.

There were plenty of fun tricks and treats on hand for kids and adults alike, including a live broadcast by Mix 96.9 radio, Halloween treat bags for the kids, face painting & makeup ideas, pumpkin decorating, TV and DVD player drawings, and great store specials.

Don’t miss out on all the spooktacular costumes available at your local Goodwill store! Click here to find a location near you.

Goodwill’s fifth annual Evening of Goodwill was a spectacularly successful event that raised more than $50,000 in net proceeds! Held at the Wyndham Buttes Resort on October 8th, the annual event is dedicated to honoring individuals and organizations supportive of and benefiting from Goodwill of Central Arizona’s mission to create hope, jobs and futures for individuals with barriers to employment.

Evening festivities began with a reception featuring the classic rock and jazz tunes of co-presenting sponsor, Michael Pollack’s, Corporate Affair, which includes world famous trumpeter Jesse McGuire. Guests enjoyed some friendly competition for various silent auction items, including vacation packages with airfare on US Airways/America West Airlines to New York, Washington DC, Florida, and Las Vegas, before moving on to dinner and the evening's award presentation.

The evening’s highlight was the recognition of Dennis Mitchem with the Ruth & Hartley Barker Legacy of Goodwill award and SRP with the Corporate Class award, for their outstanding involvement and support of community inititatives. Goodwill program graduates, Dianna Jackson and Gloria Sanchez were respectively honored as the Adult Participant of the Year and Youth Participant of the Year for their success following involvement in the Goodwill workforce development programs.

Universal Technical Institute, one of the Evening’s Presenting Sponsors, also announced that it would be providing a $15,000 scholarship to Gloria Sanchez to attend the school and pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an automotive technician.

Proceeds from the fifth annual Evening of Goodwill will enhance the Goodwill of Central Arizona Postsecondary Scholarship Endowment fund that was established in 2004 by Goodwill’s Board of Directors and Ruth & Hartley Barker. This fund will make it possible for Goodwill’s youth and adult workforce development or e-cademie Charter High School participants to gain additional training in their quest for economic independence.

Goodwill of Central Arizona is extremely appreciative of the generous support provided by a number of Evening of Goodwill sponsors and supporters.

We are already gearing up for the 2006 event and would be excited to share with any interested company more details about our programs and services. Support needs include everything from volunteer assistance on the planning committee, table sponsorships, in-kind donations of silent auction items, or other services to reduce event expenditures. Please e-mail Katrina Thurman-Kelly to inquire or pledge your support to continue the excellent tradition of support that has been established over the past five years.

On Friday September 9, 2005, Goodwill of Central Arizona attended the Valley Forward's Environmental Excellence Awards held at The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale at Gainey Ranch.

The Valley Forward Association initiated the Environmental Excellence Awards to recognize the outstanding contributions to the environment of the Valley. The program serves as a benchmark for promoting livable communities, conserving natural resources, and sustaining our unique environment for future generations.

Goodwill has worked hard to maintain our reputation as an environmentally friendly organization and was honored to be recognized as environmental stewards by Valley Forward and SRP, receiving the Environmental Stewardship SRP Award - Award of Merit for our recycling efforts in one of the most competitive categories! Goodwill CEO & President, Keith Mason was present to accept this prestigious award.

Goodwill is proud to be considered amongst such a highly distinguished group of environmentally conscientious organizations!

Goodwill recently held its most successful job fair this year. The Workforce Development Department with support from the Goodwill Business Advisory Council, hosted the August 16th job fair at Goodwill’s e-cademie High School. Thirty-eight Valley employers participated and were on site to meet with the 310 job seekers in attendance.

Attendees at the job fair enjoyed a live broadcast from Power 96.9 Radio, examples of business attire provided by Goodwill’s Retail Department, and access to the Goodwill Career Center for additional employment opportunities and information about Goodwill's programs and services.

Participating employers included Lowes, Checker Auto, Allied Barton Security, Gateway Community College, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Army National Guard, and more. “This was the best job fair so far, I’m totally impressed” stated Betty from the Bryman School. Ruth from Barlow Distribution commented, “This was my first job fair, I’m absolutely thrilled. I’ll definitely attend future events!”

Although she returned to school after the birth of her son, becoming a teenage mother brought many challenges to Vanessa’s life. The struggles she faced had eventually made it unmanageable for her to finish high school.

In October 2004, the dream of completing her education soon compelled Vanessa to seek assistance from the Goodwill Gilbert One Stop Career Center. After meeting with a Goodwill Career Advisor and assessing her situation, Vanessa was enrolled in the Maricopa Workforce Connection (MWC) Program.

With guidance and support from Goodwill, Vanessa initially took classes to complete the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) Exam, but then realized that her goal of obtaining her high school diploma wasn’t as out-of-reach as she once believed. The steps she had taken to make her goal a reality had helped her build the confidence she needed to pursue her high school diploma.

With focus and hard work, Vanessa succeeded at obtaining her high school diploma. She then set new goals and decided to continue her education in the nursing field. In July 2005, she successfully graduated the Emmanuel Nursing Assistant Training Program. Now as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Vanessa has a new goal - to become a Licensed Practical Nurse.

Congratulations to Vanessa on her perseverance to accomplish her goals and determination to continue her education.

Behind the scenes of everything that happens at the corporate offices of Goodwill is a team of individuals who manage the details within each department and make sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently.

Susan Boss, Donna Bradford, Dana Crews, Michelle Meier, Elizabeth Moreno, Teri Mylott, Christina Stec, and Joyce Wells comprise the Administrative Support Team providing services to the Goodwill organization.

In 2004, Dianne Hanson, Chief Operating Officer, set in motion an assessment of the administrative support services at Goodwill. With the amazing growth that Goodwill has experienced, she knew that the quality of support for each department needed to increase in kind. Valerie Brown, Senior Executive Administrator was then appointed to implement the project.

Through a cross-departmental process, the administrative support services group has built a solid foundation based on continuous improvement through team building, training, and cross training.

Valerie Brown stated, “ It continues to be a privilege to work with such outstanding individuals, who are committed to the team effort of Administrative Support Services as well as to the mission and goals of Goodwill of Central Arizona. They each serve a vital function in the success of the entire organization and I am very proud of every member of this team!”

On August 11th, nine Goodwill professionals from across the U.S., graduated as Career Development Facilitator Instructors (CDFI) at the Goodwill Industries International Member Services Center in Rockville, Maryland.

The CDFI Certification gives instructors the credentials to teach the 120 hour CDF curriculum to their peers, promoting high quality, customer focused services, as well as establishing standards of professional practice; ensuring that consistent standards are applied to the career services that Goodwill provides.

One of the nine graduates of the instructor program was Goodwill of Central Arizona’s own Jennifer Baier, Rehabilitation Services Program Coordinator, who was certified as a Career Development Facilitator (CDF) in 2003. “I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the 4-day training course and become certified as an instructor. I will now have the chance to work with other workforce development professionals who would like to obtain their CDF certification”, said Jennifer.

The curriculum Jennifer will be teaching will certify individuals as CDFs and recognize them as being proficient in 13 major competency areas: Helping Skills & Case Management, Labor Market Information & Resources, Assessment, Diverse Populations, Ethical & Legal Issues, Career Development Model, Employability Skills, Training Clients & Peers, Program Management and Implementation, Promotion & Public Relations, Technology, Consultation, Evaluation & Continuous Quality Improvement.

Deborah Mencl joined Goodwill as Vice President of Workforce Development in August 2005. Previously, she spent 15 years in workforce development with National for-profit corporations, consulting, training, and managing contracts with state and local departments of human services and workforce boards. Prior to her career in workforce development, Deborah spent 10 years in the private business sector, 2 years with a state media association, 6 years with government, and 1 year as a stay-at-home mom.

Deborah stated that, “Involvement in workforce development combines business skills and doing something that has a positive affect on people’s lives - Goodwill is an outstanding example of making the most of the dollars to help the most people.” “The employees of Goodwill are dedicated to the mission of Hope, Jobs and Futures – they have the biggest hearts and are a joy to be around.”

Robert Tindall joined the Goodwill team in August 2005 as the Vice President of Human Capital Development. His background includes experience as a Management and Organization Development Consultant and a Senior Human Resources Professional. Robert holds a Masters Degree in Human Resources and Organization Development and a Bachelors Degree in Human Resources and Organization Behavior from the University of San Francisco and he attended the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business Executive Human Resources Program.

The alarm clock sounds at 6:30 a.m. After spending another 30 minutes dreaming of my utopian world, I’m ready to roll out of bed and head to work. This is not just any day; it’s a special day, it’s another day to help make a change in the life of a youth.

I pull into work, find the closest spot I can to the office entrance, and make my way to my desk. As I approach my desk I can already see the red light on my phone illuminated. Someone is in need of my assistance. Maybe a participant needing a bus pass or a job, a parent needing a program to help their troubled teenager, or an agency looking for more information on the services Goodwill provides. No matter the reason that little red light shines; the feeling I had yesterday rushes back to me, the feeling that this is another opportunity to make a difference.

In checking my voicemail I find a message from a single father that wants to know what I have found out about training programs for his son. I’ve just recently enrolled his son in one of our youth programs. As soon as I pick up the phone to return his call, my phone rings and it’s him. As a case manager, having a parent be this persistent is rare, but quite refreshing and somewhat relieving.

After concluding my telephone conversation, I let out a frustrated sigh. This parent is typical of most parents I have worked with. They want their teenager to obtain employment and are not so concerned about them completing their secondary education. My client is 16 years old, he has only completed the 8th grade, and he is being raised by a single parent. I attempted to explain to the father that although he may not desire his son to complete high school and obtain his diploma, at least allow me to assist him obtain a General Equivalency Diploma (GED). It is the father’s belief that his son’s only need for a GED is if he was going to be sitting behind a desk all his life. And why shouldn’t he have resolved to feel this way, it has worked for him.

Without a high school education my client's father has done a good job of providing for his family's needs and keeping a roof over their heads. I tried explaining to the father that I really just wanted to help improve his son’s future and that could only be possible if his son was encouraged by both of us to complete his education. At the conclusion of our conversation the father said that if I wanted to help them I would help by getting his son a job.

A little discouraged, I sit starring at my computer screen rummaging my brain for some resource that could possibly meet my client’s academic needs and his father's need for him to find employment. Then I remember a program that spends a year taking youth through GED preparation while providing construction trade training. I contacted this program and discovered they are currently recruiting and the next recruitment day is on Tuesday. Being that it is Friday afternoon I rush to contact my client's father to give him the good news and make arrangements for his son to meet me at my office on Tuesday morning.

At the end of the day, I know there are many clients on my caseload in similar situations. They all believe that employment is the key to unlocking their futures, but don’t realize that employment is the door and education is the key. The constant struggle of the case manager is getting our youth to subscribe to this way of thinking long enough for them to complete high school or obtain a GED. Today, I made one large step in the direction of making a difference in the life of one youth participant and Monday morning that little red light will shine again.

I couldn't help but write you this short message regarding Michael [in the Goodwill Career Center]. He is so intelligent, helpful, professional, and kind. The world needs more people like him. It is very heart touching and rewarding to know that you have people that are willing to help and care for others. They’re not just doing their jobs, they care.

It’s so wonderful to know that GOODWILL gives back to society with all that people donate to Goodwill and that you have made programs to help people succeed in society.