My Story – Keith Buckley

When Keith came to Goodwill, he brought a history of substance abuse and a criminal background with him. He embraced the chance to make a change in his life, rising through five promotions to be an assistant director of plant operations. Today, he says he enjoys the opportunity to give new people the same chance he was given to succeed.

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Join the Goodwill® on the Hill Virtual Advocacy Day!

Today, Goodwill® advocates from around the country will visit Capitol Hill and meet with hundreds of lawmakers to advocate for federal investments in programs that leverage Goodwill and benefit the people we serve, and the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). You can take part in the Goodwill on the Hill Virtual Advocacy Day to make your voice heard!

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Goodwill® Advances Mission in Florida with Support from Volunteers

A cadre of more than 300 volunteers dedicated 25,000 hours in 2012 to spreading the mission of Goodwill Industries-Manasota (Sarasota, FL). Ambassadors from the program routinely speak with service clubs, faith-based organizations, professional associations, youth groups and others to build awareness of Goodwill’s programs and services, as well as Goodwill’s contribution to the community.

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My Story: Jia Fang Deng

Jia Fang Deng was diagnosed with a degenerative condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis Arthritis. After his friends and family started to remove themselves from his life, Jia recognized he needed to make a change. Jia received training and learned skills that made him employable. Now, he works with students with disabilities to teach self-sufficiency to others.

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Empowering People to Work Depends on Inspiring Change

In the spirit of Goodwill Industries Week, a time when Goodwill® celebrates the power of work, I’d like to take a break from my usual focus on the week’s pressing issues in order to consider important lessons we can learn from Goodwill’s origins. Just as it did for Progressive Era pioneers like Helms, today's success depends on vision, faith, luck and leadership.

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Health Care Industry Training Enables Path to Self Sufficiency in California

Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County (Long Beach) is now in the seventh year of its Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide training program. Between 2008 and 2012, nearly 900 people have been trained through this program, an 11-week program combining classroom instruction with hands on clinical training. These students in cohorts of 10-20 people receive the clinical training by Long Beach School for Adults instructors with weekly tests. They then attend an employer’s breakfast — set up “speed dating” style — that allows them to meet one-on-one with employers looking to hire.

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