A P U B L I C AT I O N B Y G O O D W I L L O F N O R T H F L O R I D A

Looking Good for Goodwill

WINTER 2014

Local media personalities put their best foot forward at annual celebrity fashion show

Left: Our em cee Nikki K imbleton sh her Goodw ows off ill fashions. Right: Bob Thayer and Jodi Bryant

Stylists from the Paul Mitchell

School get our celebrity models

Fifteen local celebrities took to the catwalk in 2013 for Goodwill Industries of North Florida’s lively and illuminating annual fashion show. More than 650 supporters gathered at the Morocco Shrine Center in early November for the 13th Annual Striving to Succeed Luncheon & Fashion Show to celebrate another successful year at Goodwill and marvel at values to be found at Goodwill Thrift Stores. Modeling fashions selected from Goodwill stores throughout the region, the television,

runway ready!

radio and print media personalities embraced the spirit of the event and engaged the large audience with their enthusiasm. Nikki Kimbleton, anchor of The Morning Show on WJXT TV-4, combined her special charisma and understanding of the Goodwill mission — as she has for the past five years — to capture the shared excitement over Goodwill’s ability to create employment through community donations. Also back for an encore was local wardrobe stylist Megan Walker, who selected

and assembled the outfits that wowed the crowd with their range of style and quality. Hair and makeup stylists from the Paul Mitchell School prepared the models for their turn on the runway. Through their participation in the event, guest celebrities helped publicize Goodwill’s work and created awareness of how unneeded and unwanted items, from clothing and household goods to books and collectibles, can be turned into job training and employment opportunities.

Revenue 2013

A Message From The President

$297,157 $4,982,479

$221,506 $24,038,785

Annual Report to the Community 2013 was an exciting year for Goodwill Industries of North Florida on many fronts. We grew our programs, achieved our strategic goals, and set in motion initiatives that will enable us to reach a new level of service to the community. These achievements were made possible by the generosity of our donors, the dedication of our employees, and the commitment of our Board to enhancing our vision for creating jobs and connecting people with employment. At the heart of our success is the tremendous support of our community. In 2013, 571,000 donors chose Goodwill as their donation destination, a new record high. These donations of clothing, collectibles and household items allowed us to generate double-digit sales growth at our Thrift Stores, which in turn supported the addition of 56 new positions in our retail division. Increased revenues also helped support an outstanding year at our six Job Junctions. The employment centers served more than 56,000 people, and more than 12,200 job seekers were able to find employment through Job Junction services, again making Goodwill of North Florida one of the most successful Goodwills in the nation. As our impact continues to grow, so does our commitment to maximizing the value of every donation we receive. Our eCommerce division, for example, greatly increases the exposure of our merchandise to potential buyers

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through online listings. By the end of 2013, our first year of participation on shopgoodwill.com, we ranked 17th out of 88 Goodwills using the site. And that’s just the beginning. We’re expanding our headquarters, tripling the eCommerce square footage, and we plan to triple its workforce over the next five years. Another example of how we’re stretching the value of donations is through new and expanded stores, as well as more effective branding and advertising, to attract more shoppers and donors. Perhaps even more exciting than what we’ve accomplished is what lies ahead. Having achieved the objectives of our previous strategic plan a year early, we have adopted a 2014-2018 plan in which we propose to take our programs to the next level. In addition to job creation, training and placement, we’re going to begin offering opportunities for individuals to qualify for higher-paying jobs by obtaining an Associate’s degree or professional certification. At the same time, we’re going to expand our commitment to job creation for the most economically vulnerable people in our communities. Our goal is to create another 400 new jobs in five years through our business units, bringing our total number of Goodwill employees to 1,000. We call it leadership with a purpose — a purpose that provides hope, improves lives and supports the vitality of our communities. We hope you’ll support us in achieving our vision!

Donated Goods Contracts

WorkForce Development Misc.

Expenses 2013 $6,520,124

$15,935,137

$5,258,441 Payroll & Related

Operating

Occupancy

Goodwill of North Florida 2014 Board of Directors Jodi Bryant

Chairperson

Guy Marvin, IV

1st Vice Chairman

Cindy S. Stover

2nd Vice Chairman

Jeanne M. Miller

2nd Vice Chairman

Jeanne Goldman

Secretary

Eric Eastland

Treasurer

Robert H. Thayer

President & CEO

Michael Anapolsky James F. Bailey, Jr. Lou Black Rodney R. Brace Angela M. Brown Patrick D. Coleman Tim Davlantes, M.D. Bob Ellis Kirk Hansen Marc Hefner

Curtis Henson Dan King Deborah A. Knauer, Esq. James Lanahan Ron Mallett Steve Mathews John Murray Jeffrey S. Neace, Esq. Frank C. Watson

Celebrities! Fashion! Action!

2013 Fashion Show Generates Excitement for the ‘Values’ of Goodwill

The 2013 celebrity models included: Tracy Collins - Goodwill of North Florida Daniel Austin - Jacksonville Community Council Inc Melanie Lawson Minor - WJXT 4 The Local Station Mike Barz - Action News CBS47/FOX30 Christina Greene - Action News CBS47/FOX30 Toni Foxx - WQIK 99.1 FM Mark Kaye - WAPE 95.1 FM Eden Kendall - Gator Country 99.9 FM Warren Skeels - TigerLily Media Virginia Chamlee - Jacksonville Magazine Karen Brune Mathis - Financial News & Daily Record Jacob Long - First Coast News NBC12/ABC25 Heather Crawford - First Coast News NBC12/ABC25 Todd Roobin - Jacksonville Office of Film & Television Charlene Shirk - Charlene Shirk Productions

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2013 Achievers of the Year The 650 Goodwill supporters who gathered to celebrate the “Achievers of the Year” Awards at the annual Striving to Succeed Luncheon and Celebrity Fashion Show were deeply moved by three inspiring stories of personal achievement and renewal.

and services. Each achiever’s story was unique, yet each captured the essence of Goodwill’s mission to provide opportunities for people who need a helping hand to overcome obstacles and enhance their self-worth through employment.

The 2013 award recipients were selected from more than 12,000 individuals who have found employment through Goodwill Industries of North Florida programs

Meet James, Junior and Veronica, three exceptional people you won’t soon forget.

James Stewart

Junior Joyner

Veronica Rose

When James Stewart left prison, he was determined to make something of his life. He was skilled in repairing leather goods of all kinds, from shoes to baseball gloves, but he knew finding a job wasn’t going to be easy. In addition to having a felony on his record, “I didn’t have computer skills, or interview skills, or a resumé,” he says. Then James found the downtown Job Junction. Every weekday for more than six months, James was among the first clients through the door in the morning and the last to leave in the afternoon. Goodwill job specialist Kendal McCoy was impressed. “I saw James bring consistency to the table for six-plus months, and he still had a smile on his face,” he says. “I knew it was just a matter of time.” And he was right. Gus and

Junior Joyner’s story is one of fulfilled promises — and promise. Junior came to Goodwill in 2009 through Duval County Public Schools’ Palm Avenue Exceptional Student Center, and eventually he landed a full-time job in the Laundry Department. Junior’s enthusiasm, kind heart and willingness to help others impressed his supervisors, who noticed a special determination in their young employee. That determination came from a promise he made to his mother, Anna, that he would help support the family after his father passed away. “Goodwill has helped Junior through a lot of trials and tribulations in his life,” Anna says. “He has responsibility, and I think that has matured him.” Anna has been able to fulfill a promise for Junior, too. Junior’s father

For Veronica Rose, a small act of giving has grown into a life-changing process of healing. A little more than a year after her 7-year-old daughter, Jasmine, died of a brain tumor, Veronica was making a clothing donation to Goodwill when she decided to reach out and ask for a job. Soon after, she was hired for a position in the call center, then moved to human resources, and then to eCommerce. All the while, her quiet, efficient work ethic was attracting notice from Customer Service Vice President Dorenda Kelsey. In April 2013, Dorenda called Veronica into her office to offer her a position as donation center supervisor. A bond was formed that allowed Veronica to open up about the tragic loss of her daughter. “I don’t think I realized how much Goodwill was

Co. Shoe & Luggage Repair offered James a job, and now the company is seeing the same level of dedication James showed during his job search. “Job Junction gave me confidence and Ken taught me to believe in myself,” James says. “By believing in myself, I can do anything.”

had pledged to buy his son a class ring, but he died before Junior graduated. Anna bought the ring, which now serves as a constant reminder to Junior of his father’s love. “My daddy, he’s looking down on me right now,” Junior says with the ring on his finger and emotion in his voice. “And he’s saying, ‘I’m proud of my son because he’s making good choices in life.’”

helping me deal with what I was going through,” Veronica says. Between focusing on her job and raising her two other children, Alexis, 12, and Melveanna, 7, Veronica has been able to channel her enduring love for Jasmine into determination to bring out the best in herself and in others. “We try to wow our donors, but Veronica has really wowed me,” says Dorenda. “She helps remind me why we’re here.”

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Goodwill CEO Bob Thayer, Chairperson Jodi Bryant, honorees Junior Joyner, Veronica Rose, James Stewart and Goodwill CAO Karen Phillips.

“Dot Com” Collins Joins Goodwill A long-time friend and supporter of Goodwill of North Florida, Action News entertainment reporter Tracy Collins joined the organization in July 2013 as Vice President of Public Affairs. Known to many Jacksonville television viewers as “Tracy Dot Com” on the FOX30 news team, Collins brings her singular combination of personality, enthusiasm and community knowledge to Goodwill, where she oversees government relations, community partnerships and outreach. Her focus is on educating key audiences about the mission of

Goodwill and the positive economic impact the organization has in North Florida. “The more I learned about Goodwill, the more I fell in love with the mission of helping people in need to find meaningful and rewarding employment,” says Collins, a dedicated Goodwill shopper and a celebrity model in the annual Goodwill fashion show. “It’s great to work for a company with a cause you believe in and where you really feel like you’re making a difference.” Collins earned her “Dot Com” nickname as a reporter at the Florida Times-Union, where she worked on the newspaper’s online product before turning to radio and television. She will continue to appear on television every Friday morning as the “Cool Schools” reporter on Action News This Morning.

WJXT 4 The Local Station Helps Goodwill Create New Branding Campaign Goodwill’s success is due largely to a business model that’s ingenious in its simplicity. Collect donations from the public, generate income by selling the items, and then use the money to create jobs and help people find work. Recently, Goodwill of North Florida began an initiative to strengthen its brand by helping the public better understand the connection between its donations and the organization’s ability to help people improve their lives through employment. “We saw a need to create a branding campaign that not only highlighted donating and shopping but also educated and informed the community as to why Goodwill should be their ‘donation destination of choice,’” says Karen Phillips, Goodwill of North Florida’s Chief Administrative Officer. “By conveying our message more effectively, we believe we can increase our donations and in turn create more jobs.”

Goodwill received help with the initiative from WJXT TV-4, which created a branding campaign that focuses on the full range of digital media devices, including smart phones and tablets as well as desktop and laptop computers. Spearheaded by Goodwill board member and WJXT Vice President and General Manager Bob Ellis, the creative team at WJXT noted that a growing number of consumers interact with businesses, including non-profits, through mobile devices, and it created materials that can be effective in those formats. The centerpiece of the campaign is a motion graphic that conveys the donateshop-jobs cycle around a stylized blue-andwhite globe. Says Phillips, “The campaign will be promoted electronically and digitally, which aligns with improvements to our Web and mobile sites that are making it easier for the public to access our services.”

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Award Recognizes Goodwill for Reaching to the ‘Cloud’

Clean out your closets! Donations are accepted at our Thrift Stores and Donation Centers. Visit our website to find a location nearest you www.goodwilljax.org To schedule a home pick-up for furniture and other large items please call (904) 389-0383

Goodwill Industries of North Florida has firmly established itself as an information technology leader among Goodwill chapters nationwide — as well as the region’s business community in general — through its adoption of cutting-edge, cloud-based computing. The local Goodwill has “cut the cord” from glitch-prone computer servers, resulting in better performance, increased capabilities, and significantly lower technology costs. By partnering with iVenture Solutions to wirelessly connect its stores and offices in the “cloud,” Goodwill has earned recognition as a tech innovator among all types of companies, not just non-profits. The organization’s adoption of cloud-based computing technology received “Best Use of Cloud” honors in the 2013 BizTech Innovation Awards, sponsored by the Jacksonville Business Journal.

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Left: Goodwill IT Manager Adam Thayer and Chief Operating Officer Jim Wadsworth were honored by the Jacksonville Business Journal for “Best Use of Cloud.” Below: The “Best Use of Cloud” Award Goodwill of North Florida is a “very progressive company,” Jeff Prediletto, sales manager for iVenture Solutions, told the Journal. “Since they initially migrated to the cloud, they’ve been adopting more and more technologies.” Instead of relying on wired connections to transmit data across the Internet to Goodwill network servers, the new wireless system exchanges information through iVenture’s private cloud, which is faster, more reliable, and, in the long run, much less expensive. “By moving our network to the cloud, we’ve gone from a capital-intensive model for IT spending to a consumptionbased pricing model,” explains Adam Thayer, Goodwill’s IT Manager. “And that, in turn, allows us to take advantage of exciting new technology that supports our business goals at a much lower and more predictable cost.” Building on the cloud-based infrastructure, Goodwill in the past year became one of the nation’s first retail chains to switch to iPad tablet devices to handle all check-out transactions at its thrift stores. In addition to replacing old-style cash registers, more than 90 iPads have also replaced time clocks and store computers. Goodwill’s Chief Operating Officer Jim Wadsworth summed it up for the Jacksonville Business Journal by saying, “In terms of ease and efficiency, it makes a tremendous impact.”

Job Junctions Go High-Tech The growth of information technology is often seen as creating opportunities for high-tech workers, but Goodwill of North Florida is showing how IT can also help people find jobs of all kinds. Two of Goodwill’s six Job Junctions have been outfitted with high-tech tools and services to help job seekers view more openings, learn more skills, and connect more effectively. In addition, the Lenox Avenue and Jacksonville Beach locations feature a television that runs training videos, and a classroom with a television that is available for community partners to use at no charge for meetings and training. Cloud-based technology is helping job seekers at other Job Junction locations, too. Goodwill is now using iPads and iMacs throughout the organization to enable

participants to enroll for services, submit resumés, conduct job searches, apply for employment, participate in interviews, and utilize American Sign Language (ASL) and other interpreter services, including an application that improves accessibility for people who are blind or visually impaired. “Everyone who visits the sites, including people from Goodwills around the country, is amazed by the technology and how well it supports our mission,” says Linda Lewis, Vice President of Workforce Development. “It’s an extremely costeffective investment in our ability to help people improve their employment skills and find jobs.”

Job Junction goes digital! Services include community resource room, iMacs, iPads, two digital job boards and employment specialists to help clients with job training and placement services.

Students Learn Life Lessons in ‘Bag It Up’ Drive

Goodwill encourages parents to teach their children about recycling and donating through the ‘Bag It Up’ program.

With the belief that good citizenship starts early, Goodwill Industries of North Florida and 10 St. Johns County elementary schools participated in the 17th Annual Bag It Up Drive to collect gently used clothing, books and toys for Goodwill. Five schools achieved a participation rate of 60 percent or more in the spring 2013 drive, earning each of their schools a $1,000 contribution from Goodwill toward academic programs. In addition, students at the winning schools were eligible for a grand prize drawing for a Family 4-pack of tickets to Walt Disney World and a first place prize drawing for a Family Fun Pass for 4 to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.

In addition to winning prizes, students learned how Goodwill helps the community by turning used clothing and other items into good jobs as well as funding for programs that help people find employment.

Winning Schools Liberty Pines Academy 69% Palencia Elementary 65% Mill Creek Elementary 63% PVPV/Rawlings 61% Cunningham Creek Elementary 60%

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Goodwill Sponsors ‘Cool Schools’ on FOX30 What could be more cool than raising awareness of Goodwill’s mission and community impact while supporting the region’s schools and students at the same time? That’s exactly what Goodwill Industries of North Florida was thinking when it became the sponsor of Cool Schools, a special Friday segment on FOX30’s Action News This Morning. Featuring Tracy “Dot Com” Collins, Goodwill’s new Vice President of Public Affairs, Cool Schools highlights a different school every Friday in several live feeds over the course of the morning news show. In each segment, Collins conducts interviews and features various aspects of the schools, classrooms and programs she is visiting. During the fall season, high school pep rallies are often the focus, but elementary

and middle schools also are featured at other times throughout the year. The studio anchors of Action News This Morning mention Goodwill when introducing the segments, and four times each morning the Goodwill logo appears on screen with a voiceover announcing the organization’s sponsorship of Cool Schools. In addition, each segment is recorded and posted online. At the start of each video, Collins informs online visitors about the benefits of donating to Goodwill. Online ads for Goodwill also appear on the FOX30 site. To see a Cool Schools segment and Collins’ promotion of Goodwill online, visit www.fox30jax.com/coolschools and click on the video viewer.

Students pose in front of the Action News van after going live on FOX30’s Cool Schools Duval Charter School football players show their Panther Pride live on FOX30’s Cool Schools

Just as there are things you

, there are things you

Goodwill of North Florida Achieves ‘Exemplary’ Status from CARF International Certification by CARF International, an independent accreditor of human services agencies, is a rigorous process that takes place every three years at Goodwill Industries of North Florida. As the gold standard for Goodwill chapters and more than 6,500 other organizations, CARF certification signifies to partners, contributors and clients that an agency is committed to quality, value and optimal service outcomes. After an exhaustive three-day examination in November 2013, Goodwill of North Florida

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scored exceptionally high across nearly 1,000 standards and received a rare “exemplary” recommendation by the CARF examiner. The status was affirmed by the CARF International report issued in January 2014. “Our examiner was impressed with the quality, innovation and outcomes in virtually all aspects of our organization,” reported Linda Lewis, Vice President of Workforce Development, who led the CARF certification process team. “He noted only three minor recommendations, which, given the scope

and thoroughness of the examination, is an outstanding endorsement of our effectiveness and professionalism.” Lewis said the examiner was particularly impressed with Goodwill’s leadership in the cost-effective use of technology to support and grow program services. In addition, the examiner expressed high regard for the quality of the organization’s Board of Directors. “Every single stakeholder in our organization can take pride in results of the CARF examination,” Lewis said.

A Strong and Dynamic New Web of Goodwill Goodwill of North Florida has built a national reputation for results-driven innovation — and now it has a Web presence that supports its dynamic vision. Launched in the summer of 2013, the new website captures the vitality of the organization through vibrant design, and it educates visitors about Goodwill’s mission and excellent outcomes. “The new site is bright and engaging and tells our story much more effectively,” says Karen Phillips, Goodwill’s Chief Administrative Officer. “It integrates our eCommerce initiatives and makes it easier for people to find our stores, donation centers and Job Junction locations — all of which supports our organizational goals of increasing donations, sales and job creation.” To support the trend of rapid growth in online sales, the site makes it easy for visitors to link to Goodwill of North Florida’s offerings on shopgoodwill.com, Amazon, ebay, half.com, and alibris. The site also directs visitors to the Goodwill and Bluetique Facebook pages, where they can keep abreast of Goodwill-related activities, see the latest items being featured in Goodwill’s online stores, and engage with the Goodwill community.

Celebrating Success, Goodwill Laundry Enters New Growth Phase More than six years since opening its doors, the Goodwill of North Florida Laundry Services business unit has achieved many of its original goals. It has improved lives by providing meaningful jobs to people with employment challenges, it has consistently delivered high quality service to satisfied customers, and it has built an experienced workforce with proven management expertise. Supported by that strong foundation, the Laundry Services division is now entering a new and exciting phase of its development— major growth in volume and jobs.

“We’re adding an important new customer that will triple our business and enable us to double the size of our workforce,” reports Joe Hall, Vice President of Operations. “Since we established the laundry in 2007, it has been our vision to use it as a vehicle for creating jobs and improving the lives of people who might otherwise never know the personal fulfillment that comes from being gainfully employed. We have certainly accomplished that goal, and now we’re taking it to the next level by greatly expanding the number of job opportunities we provide.”

Building Projects Continue Goodwill’s Growth With one new location opened in 2013 and two more planned for 2014, Goodwill of North Florida is continuing to expand the number and quality of thrift stores to meet the strong demand for its wide selection of gently used clothing and merchandise. Opened in early 2013, the new St. Johns Bluff store on Beach Boulevard is the largest in the region at more than 16,700 square feet. The store incorporates all of the elements that make for an optimal Goodwill location

DOWNTOWN 333 E Monroe St Jacksonville, FL 32202

including a spacious floor plan, plenty of parking, a covered drive-through donation center, and ample room for back-of-the-store operations. The St. Johns Bluff store will be followed by two new 15,000-square-foot stores in 2014: one in North Gainesville and one in Orange Park. The Gainesville store is new construction being built one-half mile from the existing store at NW 13th Street, which it will replace. In Orange Park, the newly constructed store will

be at the intersection of Blanding Boulevard and Knight Boxx Road in rapidly growing Clay County. Another project completed in 2013 was a new donation center in Ponte Vedra Beach. Opened in August, the new center replaces an older facility, providing more space and a convenient, covered donation drive-through. The new site will help accommodate increased donations at the location, which is the busiest in the Goodwill of North Florida network.

WESTSIDE

SOUTHSIDE

JACKSONVILLE BEACH

GAINESVILLE

ST. AUGUSTINE

6841 Blanding Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32244

5711 Bowden Road Jacksonville, FL 32216

1036 Beach Blvd Jax Beach, FL 32250

3520 SW 34th Street Gainesville, FL 32608

2005 US 1 South St. Augustine, FL 32086

PLEASE CONTACT OUR MAIN OFFICE TO SPEAK TO A REPRESENTATIVE AT ANY OF OUR JOB JUNCTIONS: 904-384-1361

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Bluetique Events Create Excitement Over Low-Cost Upscale Fashions Bluetique, Goodwill’s upscale concept store in Ponte Vedra Beach, created a big buzz in the Jacksonville fashion community in 2013 with two events aimed at increasing awareness of the high-quality, low-cost boutique. Opened by Goodwill of North Florida in 2011, Bluetique offers a tremendous range of designer-quality clothing, shoes and accessories for just a fraction of boutique prices. Merchandise includes preowned designer clothing and accessories, supplemented with new merchandise purchased from Las Vegas and New York trunk sales for boutique retailers. Although the store has a growing clientele of loyal customers, one of Goodwill’s goals for 2013 was to further increase awareness and boost sales. Store managers also wanted to increase the number of “likes” on Bluetique’s Facebook page launched in December 2012. The two events that helped achieve those goals were Fashion On The Fly, a contest for the area’s top fashionistas, and Blue Sunday, a runway fashion event timed to beat the Black Friday rush. Fashion on the Fly Held in late April, the Fashion on the Fly event challenged the area’s top fashionistas to vie for prizes by assembling a killer outfit from Bluetique merchandise in 30 minutes or less. Participants included high profile influencers — such as fashion bloggers, stylists and broadcast personalities — with strong social media followings. Each of the 11 teams was given an outfit theme ranging from “first-date dinner and a movie” to “walking the red carpet.” The ensembles were judged by local celebrities, and prizes were awarded for first, second and third place, as well as a People’s Choice Award for the stylist with the most “likes” on Bluetique’s Facebook page. After the event, the ensembles were available for sale at the store. VIP guests enjoyed wine and hors d’oeuvres and were able to preview and purchase new spring arrivals while socializing with participants and celebrity judges.

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Top: Celebrity judges voted the outfit on the left first prize. The outfit on the right won People’s Choice Award. Left: Models strutted the runway completely decked out in Bluetique fashions for Blue Sunday. Above: Guests were given 25% off to do their Christmas shopping during Blue Sunday.

Participants were encouraged to promote the evening via their social networks including posts on Facebook, Twitter and Vine, using the event hashtag, #Bluetique. A soaring success, Fashion on the Fly achieved its awareness goals by generating a huge spike in sales and social media activity. Sales were up 155% during the week of the promotion, which generated 150 new “likes” over a seven-day period. Blue Sunday The Blue Sunday event in late November was also a major success, giving Bluetique its best sales day since the grand opening party two years ago. A private holiday party for more than 100 board members, friends and family, Blue Sunday featured well-known local

personalities outfitted head-to-toe in Bluetique fashions. Working the runway were Freedom Boat Club owner Lisa “The Boatanista” Almeida, local fashionista Susan Brice, The Smile Stylists Drs. Jason and Colleen Olitsky, RE/ MAX Unlimited Realtor Wanda Petersen, The Players Championship Executive Director Matt Rapp, and Sei Bella Wardrobe Stylist and personal shopper Beth Sullivan. The emcee for the event was Goodwill Vice President of Public Affairs Tracy “Dot Com” Collins. The event sparked a publicity boost for Bluetique when models and guests started pulling out their smart phones to brag about their fabulous name brand finds at eyepopping prices with social media posts, photos and comments.

From Training to Tax Help, Programs Support Aspiring Workers Through a diversity of programs, Goodwill of North Florida is able to reach a variety of population segments with specialized needs for finding and retaining employment. Here’s an update on three programs that were especially active in 2013: Beyond Jobs Through a Walmart Foundation grant of up to $152,000, Goodwill of North Florida provided job training and placement services to women in 2013 as part of a program called Beyond Jobs. Eligible women received a complete career assessment, including job training, placement services and additional support to help them achieve economic security and advance in their careers.

At the end of 2013, more than 220 women had been helped by the two-year program, which will run through June 2014. Nationwide, 49 Goodwills received $7.7 million in Beyond Jobs grants. Once participants are placed in jobs, they receive support to retain them, to further their education, and to advance in careers within their chosen industries. Palm Avenue Work Enclave One of the programs at Duval County Public Schools’ Palm Avenue Exceptional Student Center is an initiative that provides vocational education to students who have completed their graduation requirements. Goodwill of North Florida has been privileged to participate in the program by providing work experience for students in its laundry operations. Twelve students participate weekly in the program at Goodwill during the school year and about 10 students participate during the summer. The program gives students real-world work experience as well as school

credit. Many of the program graduates have expressed a desire to work full-time for Goodwill after graduation. In fact, one of the 2013 Achievers of the Year Award winners, Junior Joyner, has done exactly that. MyFreeTaxes A third program that experienced significant success in 2013 was MyFreeTaxes, which provided free state and federal tax preparation and filing assistance for qualified individuals. Through a $20,000 grant from the MyFreeTaxes Partnership, Goodwill of North Florida assisted 63 taxpayers with their 2013 tax returns. Taxpayers with income under $57,000 were able to visit Goodwill Job Junctions to receive computer instruction for completing their taxes online. The MyFreeTaxes Partnership is sponsored by Walmart with support from Goodwill Industries International, National Disability Institute, and United Way Worldwide.

$2,000 in a Shoe? $3,000 at the front door? Honesty is Perfect Fit for Goodwill Customer and Employee What would you do if you found $2,000 tucked inside a shoe on a sales display? Or $3,000 in an unmarked envelope under a bag of clothing? Within a couple of weeks in November, a Goodwill Donation Center employee and a Thrift Store customer both demonstrated remarkable honesty when it counts the most — when nobody is looking. The first incident occurred when a Goodwill employee arrived at work in the morning to find two bags of donated items sitting in front of the entrance. When he picked up the bags to bring them inside for sorting, he noticed a carefully placed envelope lying flat on the sidewalk underneath. He picked it up, entered the donation

center, and put it aside on the desk to deal with later. When he finished with the donated items, he came back to the envelope, lifted the flap, and was astounded to find $3,000 in cash. The employee immediately called his supervisor to report his discovery. “He said, ‘You are not going to believe this.’ He was really blown away,” said Dorenda Kelsey, Vice President of Customer Service. “The fact that he never hesitated to do the right thing shows how much our employees respect what we do here at Goodwill and how far that money can go to help other people.” That respect for the importance of Goodwill’s work extends to customers, too. The second incident of extraordinary

honesty occurred at a Thrift Store in late November as a customer was shopping for shoes. She picked up a shoe for a closer look and discovered that something was stuck inside. She reached in and, to her astonishment, pulled out $2,000 in cash. The customer immediately took the find to a store employee, who in turn called her supervisor with the exciting news. “It’s not uncommon for us to find a small amount of cash or a bag of coins among our donated items,” Kelsey said. “But these two incidents were very unusual because of the size of the donations and the way they were found. It really says something about the character of our employees and our customers.”

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