Thank You!

A Message from Goodwill’s President and CEO, David Lifsey

It may seem strange to some employees of other businesses, but among the things for which I know many of us are grateful this holiday season is the opportunity to continue working with our Goodwill and with each other. We are a business changing lives for the better, and that gives each of us an opportunity to rejoice. And while being grateful may seem like a lost art sometimes, I hope during this season each of us has the opportunity to tell someone we are grateful for them whether they are family, friends or co-workers. We are especially grateful for those of you who support our Goodwill whether you donate your gently-used items, shop at our stores, have taken advantage of the services we offer through Career Solutions or have hired one of our ready-to-work graduates. We say thank you for all you do to help others. What better gift to give at any time of year!

He not only found a job, he found much more. Meet Jose Ortega …

There is patience and kindness in his voice as he works with clients trying to master their computer skills and need help with their job search.  “All you need to do is register on this log-in page,” he tells a woman in the computer room in the Spring Hill Career Solutions Center, “and then you can begin your search.”

Jose Ortega was once one of those who needed help finding a job.  As he rolled in to meet with prospective employers he had more than one say they didn’t have a good fit for his skill set.  Ortega says he believes all they saw was someone in a wheelchair.  What they didn’t see was the talent just waiting to be tapped.

When Jose and his family moved to the Nashville area to escape the mean streets of south central Los Angeles in 2004 they thought they were leaving the violence behind.  And after a violent encounter almost took his life, Jose came to Goodwill for the help he needed to find a job.  He not only found a job, he found acceptance, success and reward.  Watch why Jose Ortega was named the recipient of the 2011 Goodwill 110% Award.

EVERY DAY IS CYBER MONDAY ON ONLINEGOODWILL.COM

by Anne Marie Sisk

Shop Till You Drop Without Ever Leaving Home!

Gift giving can lead to the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat depending when you do your shopping.  Finding a parking space at the mall may be the biggest victory, but not finding the right color, size or style of an item for someone you’re shopping for might feel defeating.  So why not stay home?  Forget the fight for a parking space.  Don’t worry about the jostling.  Instead, log on to onlinegoodwill.com where you can bid, browse and buy and check off every name on your list.

Onlinegoodwill.com has more than 1000 items from the most sought-after brands to the rare collectible.  Not only that, but we list as many as 300 new items daily.  Talk about shopping!

So, find those special gifts for the ones you love, while helping change lives by shopping on onlinegoodwill.com.  The proceeds from the sale of every item on the site go towards our Career Solutions programs.  By the time 2011 ends, our Goodwill will have provided free training and job services to more than 11,500 Tennesseans.  Thank you to our onlinegoodwill.com shoppers, our donors and those who support Goodwill’s brick and mortar stores.

Find great gifts for incredible prices:

Nikon D3000 18-55VR Camera Kit NIB item 9005179 ends 12/5.

Wilson Leather #8 Dale Jr. Jacket size M item ends 12/6.

Happy shopping!

Saying ‘Thank You’ Just Doesn’t Seem Adequate.

Jennifer Kalifa, Donations Manager

 Saying ‘thank you’ just doesn’t seem adequate.  How can I, how can all of us at Goodwill, thank you enough for all the donations you give?  Without you, our donors, Goodwill could not fulfill its mission of providing free employment and training services throughout Middle and West Tennessee.  Without you we could not serve the more than 11,000 Tennesseans who will visit our 17 Career Solutions Centers for help with their job search.  Without you we could not employ 1,600 Tennesseans who work throughout the 46 counties served by our Goodwill.  Without you, lives could not be changed.

 Just how do your gently-used items help Goodwill serve its mission?  The items you donate are immediately put to good use.  They are processed and transported to each of the 30 Goodwill stores in Middle and West Tennessee.  More than 85 percent of the revenue from the sale of each piece of merchandise is used to provide mission services.   

 To read about some of the people who’ve been helped because of the generosity of you, our donors, and to calculate what your donations mean to others, please visit our website.  Add up what each piece of clothing, every household item or electronic donation means in terms of free job services.  You’ll see that you really do change lives.  And for that we say, “Thank you.”