Category: The Goodwill Blog

The Instituto de Buena Voluntad, Goodwill’s affiliate organization in Uruguay, celebrated 90 years of history on Friday, November 13. The organization located in Montevideo, Uruguay, was founded in 1925 by Methodist pastor Earl Smith. Early Buena Voluntad leader Antonio Loureiro, was sent to Boston to learn the Goodwill model directly from the source while he prepared to return home and assist the new organization. After spending a year in training in Boston, he returned to Uruguay to help lead the new program.

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Like millions of workers, my day starts with a commute. While the mere mention of the word, “commute” is enough to make most workers groan, my ride is a daily highlight because it takes me past a list of must-see Washington, DC sites, starting with the Marine Corps (Iwo Jima) Memorial, and continuing with Arlington National Cemetery. Whether it’s Veterans Day, Memorial Day or any other day of the year, as my thoughts drift from the wife and kids to my daily to-do list, these adjacent memorials never fail to give purpose to my day by reminding me of the sacrifices made, and being made, by people who have served in the armed forces and their families.

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Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont’s (Charlotte, NC) Career Leadership Academy for Youth (CLAY) was recently profiled in the Charlotte Observer. The goal of CLAY is to prepare area youth for jobs in today’s market. Eligible participants include high school and college students ages 14-21 who face academic or financial challenges, are pregnant or parents, first-generation high school or college graduates, have legal involvement or are without parents in the home due to incarceration or death.

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Justin Hon was able to use his self-presentation skills in conjunction with additional job training from Goodwill Industries of Southern Oregon (Medford) to find work after facing challenges related to his criminal history. As a result of his job placement, he is now able to be more involved in the lives of his children. Read more and watch as he shares his journey to self-sufficiency.

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If you want something done right, you’d better do it yourself. This is a hard idea to swallow because it means putting a lot of elbow grease into everything you do, but, if you think about it, isn’t that the only way you’ll be perfectly satisfied with the outcome? Take clothing, for example, it’s rare to find a shirt that fits you exactly right on the first try. Even if it fits in the store when you by it brand new, after running it through the wash once or twice it can fit very differently! Why not whip out that sewing machine and turn it into something that is just right for your body. You’re unique. Your stuff should be unique, too!

READ MORE from Making it Yours: Found to Favorite

With the 2016 presidential election dominating national media coverage, it was almost easy to forget that there was an election this week. The polls had been open for three hours when I received my “I Voted” sticker, and I was voter number 127. I’m not sure how many registered voters are in my precinct, but there are more than 150,000 in my county. An estimated 25 percent came out to cast their vote – the fewest since 2007.

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With the 2016 presidential election dominating national media coverage, it was almost easy to forget that there was an election this week. The polls had been open for three hours when I received my “I Voted” sticker, and I was voter number 127. I’m not sure how many registered voters are in my precinct, but there are more than 150,000 in my county. An estimated 25 percent came out to cast their vote – the fewest since 2007.

READ MORE from Didn’t Vote? You Aren’t Alone

On October 22, Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina (Winston-Salem) held the Women’s Employment and Empowerment Symposium to serve female veterans, service members and others in the community. The first-ever event welcomed about 30 participants.

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For months Congress has delayed completing work on a host of key matters.  From the budget, debt limit, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Trust Fund shortfall, and highway funding, Congress delayed and passed short term measures that did little beyond keep the lights on and heighten the anxiety. As time ran out and pressure

READ MORE from Let’s Make A Deal

The Goodwill blog's career and financial advice posts have all moved to GoodProspects®, but you can still get great advice on your job search, learn about career fields and connect with virtual career mentors. Here are some recent articles published this month—read each piece, share your thoughts, and join GoodProspects to take advantage of everything at Goodwill's online career navigation portal!

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Last week, recent Emmy winner and “Trainwreck” star Amy Schumer collaborated with Goodwill Southern California (Los Angeles) to empower women through fashion. In conjunction with the comedian’s Style Fund, LA Goodwill job seekers were offered the opportunity to attend the Style Empowerment Workshop. Thirty participants enjoyed a morning of celebration and transformation with fashion stylists, and hair and make-up professionals. Each guest took home a complimentary professionally styled outfit and accessories and a new found confidence – to help them tackle the working world and create a brighter pathway to success for themselves and their families.

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Can’t afford to remodel your entire kitchen or closet? If you watch lifestyle television shows, you may get the feeling that getting organized and making over your spaces is out of reach for your budget. Here are a few ways you can organize your life and do it affordably! 1. Maximize your space first. You

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