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.

Been Green: It’s the little things that count

A little more than a year ago, we started a new project to compliment our established metal recovery program in the salvage/recycling department.

We send all of our electronics to a responsible electronics recyclers, but before they go out the door our goal is to cut off every cord from every device. Since the product is at the end-of-use cycle, it doesn’t need the cord. It is quick and easy to do with wire snips. The cord has something valuable inside the rubber insulation and that is copper. Our metal recovery recycler melts the rubber leaving the copper. In addition, any type of electrical cord and wire and electronic cables are included. We sell the cords, wires and cables to reclaim the value of the copper.

In 2010 we have sold over 45,000 lbs. of cords, wires and cables which provided Goodwill $21,000.00 in additional funding for our mission and created a part time job in our salvage/recycling department.

A huge plus is the efficiency and low cost of the project. It takes very little space and the transportation costs are low due to the dense weight of a gaylord box (large cardboard box) filled with cords, wires, and cables.

For several years we have had a metal recovery recycling program collecting metals. We have metal collection bins at our Holt Building in Nashville, the Berry Road facility in Nashville where the salvage team is located, and recently added a collection bin at a Goodwill warehouse in Nashville. In 2010 we sold 468,000 pounds of metal for more than $33,000 in revenue.

Goodwill kept more than one half million pounds of steel or mixed metals, copper and aluminum of end of life products, from going into the landfill. Instead it is shredded and repurposed into new products.

Although an old USB cable or a non-working extension cord may seem small, it is a very valuable commodity.

In addition to donating to Goodwill, what other tips and practices do you use to recycle and divert items from landfills?

 

Career Scoop: Conquering Computers

By Tom Lee, Career Solutions Trainer

Whether we intend to or not, we all make assumptions. A chef assumes anyone could scramble an egg. A mechanic assumes anyone should be able to change a flat tire, and a computer instructor might assume anyone, in today’s world, can use a mouse and access the Internet. I plead guilty to the latter and confess that’s exactly how I felt three years ago.

Teaching Intro to Computer courses at Goodwill has been a real eye opener… fortunately, in a positive way! In the three years I have been training clients at Goodwill, I have come to the realization that not everyone has access to a computer and may never have had access to a computer until coming to Career Solutions. But having access to the equipment doesn’t mean one knows how to use it. Just like having all the ingredients readily available to bake a cake doesn’t mean someone can bake a cake!

I have met a variety of individuals all over the middle Tennessee area who are computer deficient, if not illiterate. Many cannot use a mouse; many don’t know what a desktop is; some don’t have e-mail and have no idea what an attachment is; and an alarmingly large percentage have never heard of Google!

But despite all this, these individuals share one commonality. They recognize their deficiency and have a desire and thirst to learn! They want to absorb as much as they can in the given time period to make them more marketable, and especially, more computer proficient. It is this drive and determination that I so frequently experience and witness and that makes what I do so rewarding.

We all have weaknesses. Recognizing those weaknesses is important. Setting a plan or goal to address that weakness and improve it is even more vital. It might be as simple as taking an Intro to Computer course at Goodwill. And as I tell my students, don’t worry about breaking the computer. You won’t… and even if you do, life will go on!

What are your improvement goals? How are you growing your skills?