Calvin worked throughout the pandemic as an Office Assistant with MedQUEST, the State of Hawaii's medical coverage program for low-income adults and families, however, his wife lost employment due to COVID-19. During this time, their infant son required regular medical check-ups which was a concern especially during the first year of COVID-19. Because of this, Calvin set a personal goal to complete his Google IT Certificate in order to gain more flexible, well-paid and remote work in the IT field.
Category: The Goodwill Blog
Biden Administration Releases Equity Action Plans
On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government which directed the Federal Government to advance an ambitious whole-of-government equity agenda. As a result, over 90 federal agencies across the federal government, including all Cabinet-level agencies as well as over 50 independent agencies, recently released Equity Action Plans which outline steps being taken to improve equity and racial justice.
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RETHINKING OUR PRIORITIES: EARTH DAY IS EVERY DAY
Unless you’ve been under a rock for a year, you’ve probably noticed everything is getting expensive these days. We’re all paying more for food, gas, rent, utilities– inflation is rearing its ugly head again and hitting us where it hurts. The one good thing about these tight times is that it often makes us rethink our priorities.
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Why Sustainable Shopping Should Include Repairs
I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means for something to be “new.” The most frequent way we hear about it in terms of clothing is something that’s “new with tags.” What I’ve learned from my years of thrifting is that you can find things still new with tags at second-hand stores like Goodwill®.
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HOW SHOPPING AT GOODWILL CAN HELP YOU DO YOUR PART FOR THE PLANET
Municipal solid waste landfills, aka landfills that accept household trash, are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States. In 2019, the United States alone accounted for more than 15% of these emissions – which have been proven to have a detrimental impact on warming temperatures across the globe. This Earth Week, it’s important to understand the truth in these statements, which can sometimes start to feel blanketed instead of something that directly influences our everyday lives. It’s also important to re-learn, or for many, learn for the first time how you can incorporate the ‘3 Rs’ reducing, reusing, and recycling, into your life in a way that benefits both you and the environment.
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Bric Brac, Vinyl Records, and Gaming Systems…Oh My! Goodwill of KYOWVA Recycles More Than Your Typical Materials
When you set foot into the Recycling Center, located at Goodwill KYOWVA’s location on Virginia Avenue in Huntington, you are met with a bustling warehouse. All hands are on deck as employees sort through items, separate them into categories, compress items into smaller bales, and ship them out to various locations.
Biden Marks April as Second Chance Month
The American workforce is experiencing a period of unprecedented disruption where many employers struggle to find qualified workers to fill over 11 million job openings. But for many jobseekers with a criminal background, particularly those reentering the workforce after incarceration, finding employment can be a daunting hurdle to overcome. President Joe Biden recently issued a proclamation marking April as Second Chance Month, a time to raise awareness of the challenges facing people that have been involved in the criminal justice system and to spotlight the important work being done by community-based organizations like Goodwill® to empower these individuals to achieve career and life success.
The GRID: Powered by Goodwill Champions Technology Refurbishment in the Charlotte Area
At The GRID: Powered by Goodwill, a technology store operated by Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, you’ll find just about anything you can imagine that relates to computers and technology—at Goodwill prices! The store carries an unbeatable selection of new, refurbished and donated products, including desktop and laptop computers, printers, televisions, audio equipment, retro games, gaming consoles and more.
Biden’s FY2023 Budget Proposal
The administration recently submitted its FY23 budget proposal to Congress, outlining three core values: “fiscal responsibility, safety and security at home and abroad, and a commitment to building a better America.” The $5.8 trillion proposal budget details for the President’s “Unity Agenda” announced at the State of the Union in February, which aims to tackle the opioid crisis, bolster the mental health system, and fund research for his Cancer Moonshot program. However, the administration declined to outline the costs of elements from the president’s signature Build Back Better (BBB) bill as negotiations may continue. Instead, the proposal includes a placeholder for further action in the form of a “deficit-neutral reserve fund” to pay for key components of what was in the BBB, without providing specifics on the costs of such proposals – such as restarting the Child Tax Credit, Universal Pre-K, or fighting climate change.
Be an Advocate and Participate in Goodwill’s Virtual Advocacy Day
Today, nearly 100 Goodwill advocates including organization presidents and CEOs, mission leaders, communication professionals, volunteer board members, and more will meet virtually with hundreds of lawmakers and staff to discuss investments in America’s workers; changes to the workforce development system; and the impact of tax policies on nonprofits. They will be educating Congress about the role that Goodwill plays in their community.
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Score Spring Style Trends at Goodwill
Is it just me, or does the first warm day get you excited to shop for spring trends? In New York City, Fashion Week just ended, getting everyone excited for fall and winter styles for the upcoming year. This was the first time I’d had the chance to go to some shows in person since 2020, so it was especially exciting to see the fashion community showing up dressed to the nines in some awesome looks that showed they were also ready for spring.
Federal Funding for FY22 is Enacted
Approximately six months into Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), Congress passed an omnibus appropriations bill, funding the government for the remainder of the year, which ends on September 30. Until this point, the government had been running on a series of short-term continuing resolutions, the last of which was set to expire on March 11. While the House and Senate passed the measure before the deadline, another short-term resolution was put in place until March 15 to allow time to prepare the bill for the President’s signature.
