According to the Urban Institute, 25 percent of American households do not claim benefits for which they are eligible. In tough economic times, many of us can greatly benefit from public benefits. Whether you are looking to pay your medical bills, increase take-home pay, afford reliable transportation, or earn education credentials, public benefits can help you cover the basic needs for you and your family.
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Starting over in a new career field can be scary, and the prospect of returning to school to learn something new can seem overwhelming. Rest assured, even though you may not have previous experience in the career field you're looking to enter, you likely have skills that can help you be successful in your future job. The health care industry will be adding a lot of new jobs, making it a popular choice for individuals entering the workforce for the first time as well as workers looking to make a career change.
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For many, Memorial Day marks the start of summer, and is a day for barbeques, trips to the beach, and time with family and friends. However, the true meaning of Memorial Day (once known as Decoration Day) is to remember the soldiers who have died in service to our country. But soldiers are not the only ones who make a sacrifice -- their families often have to make sacrifices as well. Organizations around the country are banding together to help our troops and their families gain the resources to meet their needs. If you're a military member, military spouse or veteran, the Goodwill in your community can work with you to create an individualized plan to help you identify and set realistic and achievable goals.
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May is Older Americans Month when Americans take time to show their appreciation and support for older individuals who enrich and strengthen local communities across the country. While many of us recognize the enormous contributions of older Americans, “companies are also increasingly focusing on this segment of the American workforce and are offering older workers more flexible work options and helping them better balance work and family issues," says Deborah Russell, Director of Workforce Issues for the AARP, a nonprofit organization for people over 50. Read on to learn about Goodwill's tips to help older workers find employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency.
For recent college graduates, May can be a time of both excitement and dread. Enthusiasm over building a new career can be tempered by the reality of paying off student loans and handling the never-ending bills. Creating a financial plan can help new graduates manage the stress associated with managing money. Whether you've recently received your diploma or know someone who has, there are many resources available to help individuals start the new chapter of their lives on the right financial foot.
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April 27 is Administrative Professionals Day where offices across the country take a day to recognize the secretaries and assistants who help their organizations run efficiently. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , secretaries and administrative assistants hold about 4.3 million jobs in today’s economy, making administrative professionals the largest segment of the office workforce.
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On April 22, people around the world will celebrate Earth Day by volunteering with organizations and initiatives that help create positive impacts on the earth. At Goodwill®, we encourage you to think beyond this single day of making a difference and try to create a positive environmental impact each and every day.
Today, Congress passed a final budget deal to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year that ends on September 30, 2011. If signed by the president as expected, the final deal includes an across-the-board cut of 0.2 percent. In addition, several funding sources that local Goodwill® agencies care about will be further reduced.
I have been asked by you to write on thrifting, but as I think about the subject it seems almost too simple. I don't think anyone needs to be inspired to thrift in 2011. Thrifting is, of course, the practical alternative in a downturn economy. It just makes sense to shop at the lowest price point and to re-purpose that which has been used before. And, as much as I could treat the subject from my own personal perspective, I feel the need instead to focus on the issue of donating.
Saving for a rainy day is conventional wisdom that is too often ignored. In these times of uncertainty, having funds to tide a family over during a period of joblessness is more important than ever. With the right strategies, you can begin to put money aside before the storm clouds start to appear.
Companies today are thinking more seriously about their impact on the planet, making new environmental commitments that will require new workers. Proctor & Gamble made a commitment to power all of their factories with renewable energy within the next ten years, and Walmart pledged to sell $1 billion of fresh produce sourced from 1,000 small- and medium-sized farmers, just to name a few. As the economy becomes greener, you can position yourself to make your career greener, too.
April is National Volunteer Month, when we celebrate the work that volunteers do year-round. During National Volunteer Week (April 10-16), organizations across the country will recognize their volunteers for helping them achieve their mission. As Goodwill Industries International's national volunteer specialist, I often hear stories about the dedicated volunteers giving their time at Goodwills in the U.S. and Canada. However, one program has allowed one financial institution's employees to turn their skills into a life changing volunteer opportunity: Good Assets, a financial education program funded by the Charles Schwab Foundation.
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