The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) provides critical tax relief for low income workers and working people with disabilities. Goodwill strongly supports the EITC and is cosponsoring an event on Thursday, January 24, on Capitol Hill that will help educate policymakers and congressional staff about the importance of this key credit for American workers.
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Christopher had a desire to be independent and earn his own money, but his disability posed an obstacle in finding and maintaining long-term employment. After connecting with Goodwill, his confidence and attitude began to improve. He now believes in his potential and says, "Because I am successful at work, I feel better about myself."
Through numerous life and health challenges, Goodwill has been a constant in Joy's life. She says, "I can feel myself smiling, laughing and healing, and I truly feel cared about. This place is my therapy."
Young child hangs from monkey bars.Children at the Gordon Smith Child Development Center, a project of Goodwill Easter Seals of the Gulf Coast (Mobile, AL) will soon have a brand new playground to enjoy. In November, children at the center enjoyed a “design day” as they put crayon to paper to design their dream playgrounds. With a significant investment from the PNC Foundation, volunteers and organizers from KaBOOM! will help make these drawings a reality. Elements from the children’s drawings will be incorporated into the final design for the new community playground, scheduled to be constructed in January.
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Daniel Owens was recovering from a relapse of his bipolar illness and living in debt when he came to Goodwill in Medford, OR. There, he connected with training and financial stability programs that helped him return to the workforce, and gained the support to start his own video production company.
When Samantha came to Goodwill, she had no work experience. "Goodwill has taught me to be a team player and to take pride in my work," Samantha says.
This week, Congress reconvened in a lame-duck session in order to wrap up unfinished business. Its most pressing responsibility is finding a solution to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years in order to avoid automatic spending cuts that will otherwise take effect at the beginning of next year. Goodwill supporters can take action now by urging Congress to support a balanced and bipartisan approach to deficit reduction.
READ MORE from Tell Congress to Remember Key Job Training Programs in Fiscal Cliff Discussions
Steven suffered permanent injuries in a car crash and, without a job, felt hopeless and like he wasn't contributing to society. After connecting with Goodwill, he regained hope and found employment that allows him to feel fulfilled and earn a paycheck.
Today, Thanksgiving Day, most of us will take a brief moment to pause to reflect upon and to be thankful for important things like freedom, food security, places to call home and jobs. The harsh reality is that many people in the U.S. lack these basic needs today.
READ MORE from Looking to Help People This Thanksgiving? Be an Advocate for Change!
Aaron from Omaha, NE, asks, "I'm currently looking for full-time work. Because of a physical disability, I require some modifications to my workspace. At what point should I bring this up to my employer? I have good qualifications and want to make sure they give me a chance."
READ MORE from Finding a Job with a Disability: Explaining Workplace Accommodation Needs
