Austin Goodwill Blogger Team

Goodwill honored by The Quality Texas Foundation

2011-07-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

Goodwill Industries of Central Texas received the prestigious Quality Texas Commitment Level Award for Excellence, this past June 28^th during the 2011 Quest for Excellence conference in Dallas. The award was given for demonstrating good performance and commitment to a systematic approach to organizational management and performance improvement.

The seven assessment criteria used to identify high performing organizations included: (1) Leadership, (2) Strategic Planning, (3) Customer Focus, (4) Knowledge Management, (5) Workforce Focus, (6) Process, and (7) Results. The award was accepted by Zachary Haines, Director of Performance Excellence, and it is a follow-up to last year’s Engagement Level award.

“Quality Texas and the Baldrige criteria are the best roadmaps to ensure a high performing organization,” he said. “In order for Goodwill Industries of Central Texas to achieve our mission and serve our clients, customers, and donors, we strive to continually measure, benchmark, and improve every aspect of our organization.”

The Quality Texas Foundation is a non-profit corporation that evolved from a concept introduced by Governor Ann Richards in the early ‘90s, to educate, train, assess, provide feedback and recognize organizations committed to a journey of excellence based on criteria modeled after the National Baldrige Award. In other words, it is a framework for assessing and improving an organization.

“The feedback we receive from Quality Texas is essential for our continuous improvement and the Commitment Level award is a sign of our dedication to quality,” concluded Haines.

E-Waste Control: A Bold Step In The Right Direction

2011-07-21T08:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Lisa P. Jackson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, unveiled the “National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship”(press release). For all of us who care about the environment, this is a huge deal; both a triumph for the EPA and an essential effort of Obama Administration towards a more conscientious future.

Accompanying Lisa Jackson in the event was Martha N. Johnson, U.S. General Services Administrator, and Nancy Sutley, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair. To launch the initiative they were joined by Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Inc., Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint, and Mark Small, V.P. of Corporate Environment, Safety and Health of Sony Electronics Inc. They each signed a voluntary commitment to EPA’s industry partnership aimed at promoting environmentally sound management of used electronics.

Jerry Davis, CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Texas was in attendance along with Christine Banks, Vice President of Environmental Business Services to support the effort and confirm our position on an issue that we have championed from the start: recycling. Whether is electronics or clothes or furniture, we have a commitment to our planet to play it right and to decrease the amount of waste that ends up in the landfills.

The strategy, as Administrator Jackson presented it, is not about halting progress, but about responsible management of everything that goes out of style. This industry moves at an astonishing pace, and we leave behind almost 2.5 million tons of used electronics annually, as a nation.

Goodwill is a founding partner of the Dell Reconnect computer recycling program and we could not be prouder of this achievement. Protecting the environment and creating jobs at the same time - that is what we are about. It is so important to us that it is engraved in our values. Since 2004, when the partnership with Dell began, we have recycled 190 million pounds through the program, and we are confident that we can do much more.

To learn more about the National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship.

To learn more about Dell Reconnect.

Raise the Roof

2011-06-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

We know most of you are laughing at us for inciting visions of a bad 80s dance move with that title but then the rest of you probably did the dance move. Cheesy pop culture reference aside, raise the roof is exactly what Austin Goodwill did this week at the location of our newest retail store in the Southpark Meadows shopping center.

Today when we checked in on our Southpark Meadows Construction Cam, here is what we saw:

Continue to watch the progress of our newest store with us through the "Southpark Meadows Construction Cam” as we keep you updated with pictures of the entire construction process.

Remember during construction of the new store the donation site you normally see at this location will not be available. Be sure to find an alternate location that is convenient for you during the construction and continue to support Goodwill's mission with your donations.

Lastly - Don't forget to mark your calendars! This Fall our Southpark Meadows attended donation center will open as a full retail store. We will have more information on our Grand Opening celebration as the date nears. Stay tuned.

Goodwill, Good friend - Janis Guerrero Thompson

2011-06-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Goodwill lost a good friend on Tuesday, June 7th. People have been interested in our organization’s rapid growth over the last five years, and Janis was one of the main reasons. I was unaware when she joined the board just how much her skills at planning, her connections in the community, and her inimitable way of making an important (if unpopular or unexpected) point would guide us, but they did.

I don’t think I’m alone in coveting her abilities. Her obituary spoke highly of her dedication to our community’s children and minorities, groups we see in abundance as we try to solve the problem of unemployment among groups considered disadvantaged. Janis was always involved in our events as well.

I seem to recall her showing up at our annual Ghoulwill Ball fundraiser dressed as a bumblebee, or was it Tinker Bell?

Janis served on our Board of Directors six years. When she retired from the Board, I was hoping to have a chance to hire her to run a new program. I let her know that about two months ago and my request brought out her usual beautiful smile and words of appreciation.

You touched so many of us, Janis, in so many ways.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Memorial Services for Janis Guerrero Thompson:

A Rosary will be held at Harrell Funeral Home 4435 Frontier Trail Austin, TX June 9, 2011 7:00-7:30 p.m. Services will be held at St Mary Cathedral Austin, TX. June 10, 2011 at 10:00 a.m., Friday, June 10, 2011.

In lieu of flowers, please consider these ways to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Janis Guerrero Thompson:

The Janis Guerrero Thompson Scholarship Fund

Janis devoted a lifetime to the education of children and, particularly, to opening doors of opportunity for students who face challenges while working to realize their dreams. You can contribute by making a gift online or by contacting Laura Duran at the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium at 512-368-2956.

Honor Janis' mission to provide opportunities by supporting Goodwill

Janis envisioned a world where every person had the opportunity to realize their dreams. At Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, we believe that not only does everyone deserve to reach their dream but everyone matters. Each person is valuable, capable, and worthy. Honor the life of Janis Guerrero Thompson by continuing her mission to provide those opportunities to all. Learn more about how Goodwill strengthens our community by helping Central Texans find jobs and how you can get involved at austingoodwill.org.

We (almost) have walls!

2011-06-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what you can get done in so little time. Just 43 days ago we announced the groundbreaking on our newest retail store, soon to be in the Southpark Meadows shopping center at Slaughter and South First.

Today when we checked in on our Southpark Meadows Construction Cam we were pleasantly surprised to find that we now have walls to our new store, albeit they might be a little drafty at first. Take a look for yourself:

Continue to watch the progress of our newest store with us through the "Southpark Meadows Construction Cam” as we keep you updated with pictures of the entire construction process.

Remember during construction of the new store the donation site you normally see at this location will not be available. Be sure to find an alternate location that is convenient for you during the construction and continue to support Goodwill's mission with your donations.

Lastly - Don't forget to mark your calendars! This Fall our Southpark Meadows attended donation center will open as a full retail store. We will have more information on our Grand Opening celebration as the date nears. Stay tuned.

Computers=Opportunities

2011-05-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

With most job openings and applications posted online, how does someone without computer skills find a job?

That’s what Valeria, a young mother looking for a job to support her family, was wondering.

In addition, she had no work experience and no high school diploma, which made looking for a job difficult. Not to mention she was a full-time mom and had little resources for childcare. But once she got connected with a Case Manager in Goodwill’s WIA Youth Services Program, funded by Workforce Solutions—Capital Area, she was able to kick-start her job search situation in just 8 short months.

She started by working with her Goodwill case manager to find affordable childcare so she could begin her first step--earning her GED. At the same time, she also studied for and earned a certification as a medical administrative assistant. With those educational achievements under her belt she went on to her next step of looking for a job to help build her job experience.

But she needed to learn how to use a computer in order to search and apply for positions. Watch this interview with Valeria to see how her computer skills helped her find a job:

Working on-one-one with her Goodwill Case Manager, she quickly learned important, lifelong computer skills that helped her earn an internship working as an administrative assistant at a local business. Upon her completion of the internship, she continued to put her computer skills to work by becoming a cashier at a Goodwill Store, a positions that she holds today.

Goodwill has until May 27 to raise $10,000 to build a computer lab that will help to teach important computer skills to people like Valeria! Workforce Solutions has generously given us half of the funds we need to build this lab, but we need to raise more to build the complete lab. Click here to donate today!

Groundwork

2011-05-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

May 25, 2011

There is some visible groundwork going on at our Southpark Meadows store!

What does my donation to Goodwill do?

2011-05-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things that you may (or may not) know about how your generous donations have an impact on our Central Texas community:

Supports Employment in our Community-- Your donations to our more than 30 locations, including our newest one in Fredericksburg, are sold in our stores to raise funds for our mission of helping your friends and neighbors find jobs, earn paychecks, support their families and become independent.

Impacts the Environment-- Donating allows others to reuse and repurpose items you no longer need. Each month, we divert more than 230 tons of electronic waste alone from area landfills.

And let’s not forget:

-Makes your closet, dresser, and garage look nice and organized
-Gives you a tax-deduction (don’t forget your receipt!)
-Makes more room for your new items
-Gives you a good feeling because you’re supporting employment in our community

There’s more!

Gives you 30% off at participating Gap stores-- From May 19‐29, Gap and Goodwill stores in Central Texas will accept clothing donations and in return give you a discount on your next Gap purchase! Click here for details

The H-word

2011-05-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

By Jerry Davis

Most people probably don't know that the original of "handicapped" comes from the act of begging, "cap (hat)-in-hand." Its always been a derogatory, if descriptive term, conveniently applied to many people. When used appropriately, it's come to mean the societal or physical condition that is standing in the way of a person's independence--not the condition of the person himself. Not that it's ever used appropriately, except in social service classrooms.

We could go a long way towards improving Austin with some simple actions. I've just returned from a vacation to Thailand, and had a brief stop in Tokyo to change planes. In both airports many seats (maybe 10%) were designated as "priority seat(s)." There was a pictorial representation of 5 groups who were encouraged to use them: religious ministers, the elderly, people with disabilities, pregnant women, and people with infants.

The connotation that these people weren't an inconvenience or exception, but rather a "priority" is a quantum leap ahead of their frequently perceived state. Another simple idea is to embrace ramping rather than stairs.

This part of the airport was not in a section where temporary carts were allowed--so that didn't enter into the picture. Rather, it was simply an efficent and artful way of moving people to a different level. Everyone. Together.

Green Group Volunteer Activity

2011-05-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

By Amy Rames

A pair of gloves, tables filled with end-of -life computers, and a little elbow grease—that’s what it takes to be a Goodwill GreenWorks volunteer.

Through this fun (and often times therapeutic!) program, we get groups of 10-30 people to drop in for a few hours to take apart computers for recycling or for resale at our Goodwill Computer Works store. The time that groups spend doing this helps to benefit the environment and Goodwill’s mission.

Just this week, we’ve already had a group from IBM and today Charles Schwab come by to help us out. It’s the dedication of companies and individuals like that, which have helped us to recycle more than 230 tons of electronic waste per month. (yes, I said per month)

Volunteering is about helping the community, but when you think about it, it does a lot more than help a charity. For businesses, it’s a great team builder and if you find the right opportunity, it’s a way to participate in a hands-on professional development activity.

So, contact Goodwill at volunteer@austingoodwill.org and let us know what type of volunteer opportunity you’re looking for—we’re happy to work with you!

(pictured at top: volunteer group from IBM; pictured at bottom: volunteer group from Charles Schwab)

Making Progress

2011-05-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

We are making progress at our new Southpark Meadows store.

May 11, 2011

Southpark Meadows Construction Cam

2011-05-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce the construction of our newest store in Southpark Meadows, on the corner of Slaughter Ln. and South 1st..

This Fall, our Southpark Meadows attended donation center will open as a full retail store, where you can shop, donate and support Goodwill’s mission! During construction, the donation site you normally see will not be parked there, but you can take your donations to our next closest location at 9801 Brodie Ln.

You can now watch the progress of our newest store with us through the "Southpark Meadows Construction Cam.” We will keep you updated with pictures of the construction process.

Help us celebrate the construction of our new store!

Groundbreaking- Monday, April 25

Your Personal Mission

2011-05-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

By Amy Rames

Yesterday, I learned that one of my old next door neighbors from when I was a kid recently fought cancer and won. Now he's on a mission to prove to himself that his strength is back, and also to give hope to other people out there battling cancer. And he's doing that by hopping on his bicycle and riding from Chicago to Panama and back, raising awareness along the way.

After hearing the news, I sat down with Richard Lopez, you might remember him from last year's Hall of Honor Client Awards and as the recipient of the Goodwill Industries International Acheiver of the Year Award in 2010. He was preparing to give a speech about his story to our neighbors at the Goodwill Industries of Southwest Oklahoma and North Texas. So far, he's traveled from Washington State to Washington D.C. to share his story. Like my old neighbor, he's determined to spread hope to folks in similar situations as well as raise awareness of the power of work.

This got me thinking about the impact that one person can have. Of course, you don't have to travel far and wide to work toward your personal mission, like the people I mentioned. You can easily do that from right here in Central Texas.

So, tell me, what is your personal mission? I'd love to hear from you!

Good ol' Texas Weather

2011-05-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

In what state does it go from being 50 degrees to being 100 degrees in a matter of days? Oh yeah, the great state of TEXAS!

So, I had just moved all my winter clothes to the guest bedroom closet and have been getting clothes out of there the past two days! The thing I love about shopping at Goodwill, other than my employee discount, is the fact that you can find jeans, shorts, sweaters and tank tops at any time of year. Texas' weather is constantly changing and if tomorrow I decide I want to go shop for a new pair of jeans I can find an affordable pair in Goodwill; and later turn them into cut off jean shorts (aka jorts) for the summer!

You can find all your changing weather needs at Goodwill!

The Good Give

2011-04-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

A job means food on the table and a roof over the head, but it's so much more than that--it changes lives. Your support of Goodwill goes a long way in helping people here locally to gain self-sufficiency and independence through employment. And right now, it's never been easier to help with our The Good Give campaign! Now through April 17, you can make a donation in stores or online to support Goodwill employment programs that help people find jobs. Watch this video and see how Goodwill's services helped James:

Fredericksburg Grand Opening!

2011-04-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

You're Invited!

What:Goodwill Grand Opening Celebration
Where:1420 East Main Street, Suite 700 Fredericksburg, TX 78624
When:Saturday, April 16 8:45AM -3:00PM

The celebration will also include food, drinks, and entertainment from face painters and balloon artists (see schedule below). Attendees and shoppers will be able to register to win great prizes, and the first 100 people in line will receive a free gift!

Your giving is so good

2011-04-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

In preparation for the Good Give donation drive, I did a big spring clean this weekend! After almost a full day of cleaning, I had 4 large garbage bags full of items to take to Goodwill. Now you ask..."What makes my giving so good?"

Well, I'll give you 5 reasons that your giving is so good:

Your donations are sold in the retail stores in order to fund Goodwill's mission of providing job-related services and opportunities for people with barriers to employment

Your donations help fund services such as helping youth on their career paths and helping people in our community with interview training, resume writing, job searching and more

Your donations and the revenue brought in from them stays right here in our community

You are keeping items out of our landfill by putting them to good use or recycling them

When you donate you can enter for a chance to win a $6,000 closet makeover from California Closets

There are so many more reasons why your giving is so good, but those are just a few!

So get your spring cleaning done and donate to your local Goodwill THIS Thursday, April 14-Sunday, April 17 and enter for your chance to win a $6,000 organizational system!

Natural Disaster in Japan

2011-03-11T08:48:00.000-08:00

Our heart goes out to those affected by the recent hurricane and tsunami in Japan.

When events like this happen, many turn to local nonprofits to learn ways that they can help. While Goodwill’s mission is to serve individuals in our local community by providing employment services, we certainly want to make sure that the individuals affected by these recent events are assisted.

Below is a list of organizations that provide disaster relief. If you know of a disaster relief organization that we missed, please leave a comment!

DISASTER RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS

American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.cruzrojaamericana.org/

Operation Blessing
http://www.ob.org/

Catholic Charities
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/

Christian Disaster Response
http://www.cdresponse.org/

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
http://www.crwrc.org/

Church World Service
http://www.churchworldservice.org/

Convoy of Hope
http://www.convoyofhope.org/

Lutheran Disaster Response
www.elca.org/disaster

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
www.pcusa.org/pda

Salvation Army
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

United Methodist Committee on Relief
www.gbgm-umc.org/umcor

Goodwill's Hall of Honor is Tonight

2011-03-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

By Amy Rames

Goodwill's Hall of Honor Client Awards Banquet is tonight and it is by far one of my favorite events!

The Hall of Honor is about honoring success and celebrating Goodwill's mission at work. We will be honoring 4 individuals--Calvy, Heather, James and Gabriel. Each person has a very unique story, but the one thing they have in common is their determination to succeed in the face of a barrier that made finding a job difficult to acheive.

I'm the lucky one that got to sit down with each one of them to hear their story. I can't imagine trying to find a job while living in a shelter or on the streets, but two of our honorees can tell you all about it. Another honoree has successfully navigated her job search while being a single mom working on her GED. I know each honoree went on quite a journey to get to where they are today, and tonight is their night to be honored for their hard work.

Click here to watch a YNN news story highlighting one of tonight's honorees, Gabriel. Be sure to visit Goodwill's website at http://www.austingoodwill.org/ on March 4 to view videos about each honoree.

Invest in our youth and our community

2011-02-28T06:26:00.000-08:00

By Jerry Davis

Families all around central Texas and the country are tightening their belts...and it now looks like the federal government is going to do the same. A few weeks ago, HR 1 was introduced by Congress proposing more than $100 billion in spending cuts.

Budget cuts are understandable, especially in today's financial climate, and I know we all have to make sacrifices, however let's make sure we cut what makes sense. We are not going to grow the economy if people don't have jobs. A lot of folks are out of work and are scrambling to find a way to take care of their families and their most immediate basic needs - job training is essential. $3.87 billion of the proposed $100 billion is specifically related to job training cuts - something which would move us 10 steps back.

Goodwill helps people who need it the most, find jobs. We served over 14,000 people just last year. Many of them needed job skills training and thanks to federal funding we were able to meet their needs. This short term government investment allows an individual to learn job skills that provide them with the ability to take care of themselves and their families in the long term, all the while building a strong community. This is the wrong time to cut this funding.

The cuts would also devastate our youth programs. In conjunction with Workforce Solutions - Capital Area we work to keep kids in school and help those who have dropped out learn the skills to sustain themselves. The drop out problem is a reality, but we can't give up on our kids. For many youth in our community, Goodwill’s support is the difference between independence and being homeless or in prison. Leitha, a single teenage mom who dropped out of school would have countless struggles without Goodwill's help. She earned her GED, received health care training and can now provide a better life for her son while continuing her education. What an amazing gift she has given her little boy.

Your support can make a difference in the lives of so many of your fellow Central Texans. Please contact your local congressperson and Senator Cornyn and Senator Hutchison and urge them to not cut this crucial funding. We understand they have to make some tough decisions, but these are not the right budget cuts to make. Click here for contact information for your local representatives.

Splash of Color and Fun!

2011-02-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

By Janelle Otero

Let me start by saying I absolutely adore accessories! So, when I feel like an outfit needs color, texture or just that "extra something" accessories are my go-to. Although I love handbags, earrings and belts, I would have to say my favorites are shoes and necklaces!

So today I went by the North Lamar store to check out their shoe selection! I found some pretty fun choices, not all my size, but still fun and all at great prices!

What is your favorite accessory?

Show the Love Winners Announced!

2011-02-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Central Texas! We love you, too!

We received 14 entries during our "Show the Love" campaign, which invited the community to get creative and make a valentine to Goodwill through writing, singing, tweeting--or whatever their heart's desire! All entries were judged today by our fabulous judging panel. With so much talent in Central Texas, it was a tough decision for our judging team!

This year’s winners are (drumroll, please):

1- Quiltee Carol (Submission 4 through Blogger)
2- Kim (Submission 11 through Email)
3- @kfireball (Submission 13 through Twitter)
4- Isaac & Stacey (Submission 14 through Email)

Congrats to all of the winners and thanks to everyone that submitted an entry! Check out all of the entries by clicking here.

Winners will receive one of the following prizes:

A couple’s massage from Myo Massage
A dinner for two at Carmelo’s
Amy’s Ice Creams gift cards
Goodwill gift card
Texas Stars Hockey tickets

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Show the Love

2011-02-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

By Janelle Otero

Amor, amour, liebe, amore...however you show your love! We are asking you to get creative and submit your creative Valentine telling us why you love to shop or donate at Goodwill! Now through February 14 at midnight, you can show the love for Austin Goodwill for your chance to win:

-A couple's massage from Myo Massage

-A dinner for two

-Amy's ice cream

-Goodwill gift card

So, tweet it, film it, sing it, Facebook it, Email it or comment here-whatever your heart desires! See complete rules here.

Thank you to our sponsors:

Better Use

2011-01-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

By Janelle Otero

Of course, everyone always remembers all the parties, all night studying sessions, memorable athletic events and things of that nature from their college years, but one thing I always remember are the end of semester move outs. I will never forget the piles and piles of clothes, furniture, electronics and trash that would pile up in the dumpster outside of our dorm rooms. People would just be either too lazy to take them to Goodwill or unaware of where these items were going once they were picked up from the dumpster. Either way, these items were piled up there at the end of every semester.

Thankfully, I had a roommate who, like me, wanted to clean up our dorm room and take anything we didn't need or want anymore to Goodwill! Another one of my close friends always wanted everybody's clothes because she was a great seamstress and would make them into new clothing pieces that everyone would later be envious of. Since I graduated from college, Goodwill has partnered with the University of Texas to supply bins for students to fill up!

Not only are you helping our environment when you donate to Goodwill, but you are also helping our community! Check out this video on how Goodwill can put your donations to better use!

Halftime

2011-01-18T10:38:00.000-08:00

By Jerry Davis

It was 1974, and I was the junior that had managed to bum the "once a season ticket" to see the Ohio State Game from a a senior on my high school football team. I remember 3 things from that day.

- First, it was a blast to wear a KFC bucket on your head and shout at strangers from the window of a car (no, I was still 18 months away from my first beer, if you could call 3.2% beer).
- Second, Ohio State played Southern Methodist University, and though OSU won, the SMU fullback ran wild all day. (Today, that fullback is my colleague, David Bostick, the CEO of the Fort Worth Goodwill).
- Third, it was a foregone conclusion that OSU would beat everyone, and Archie Griffin would gain 100 yards. So, we became bored until an extraordinary half time moment when the Ohio State Marching band was introduced.

A senior was to march that day—not so unusual—but he was from Shelby, Ohio (my hometown)—very unusual. That got our attention. He was proud, perfect, and actually, quite ordinary for the band. We were on our feet the entire time screaming for this guy we didn’t know. The intricate patterns amazed me, as did the military precision displayed. The band mate from my hometown did an excellent job staying in-step. Well rehearsed, he couldn’t see the field he was marching on or the band mate in front of him because of his visual impairment.

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see the band in person at the Sugar Bowl. Like we did for our townie that day in 1974, we screamed and cheered the band on.

My Non-Resolution

2011-01-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

By Amy Rames

I am not a believer in resolutions. Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re great because they motivate you to make positive change in your life. But for me, I think it’s just the word ‘resolution’ that has a stigma and I’m not quite sure why. While I won’t call it -that word- I have already started out 2011 (and it’s only early in the year!) by cleaning out my closet and making a small donation to Goodwill.

Being such a small donation—some clothing that I didn’t wear anymore and a few books—I didn’t really think it would make much of an impact. So, I took it to Goodwill’s donation calculator. And as it turns out, my small donation is estimated to provide more than 3 hours of job search support to an unemployed or underemployed individual. Pretty neat.

Next, I’m tackling the area underneath my bed. Eep!

Mission Magic

2010-12-23T14:46:00.001-08:00

By Jerry Davis

Every year, I'll bet you get a special card in the mail. You may get a few cards or a lot of cards, but one stands out. At home, my parents sent me the usual Christmas Birthday card (it's true) but the message touched my heart in a powerful way: "Best present we ever got." I'm very blessed.

I also get cards at work. Most are very warm and thankful, but again, one stood out. It said, "thanks for the gift of a job for 9 years." I stared at that for a long time.

I remembered the person, an immigrant from a Balkan country, who spoke almost no English. What a precious gift a job can be.

For all the employers who ever hired a Goodwill graduate, please accept my thanks and know the impact you made, spoken or not. Bless you.

Feeling Safe About Your Donation

2010-12-20T06:48:00.000-08:00

By Jerry Davis

The holidays are the busiest "ask" time for all non-profits and with news of identity theft and embezzlement people start to wonder...who can I trust with my donations?

Speaking for Goodwill only, here are some preventative measures we take to protect your donations of money and goods from theft by anyone we employ, including me:

We have had an annual audit for over 50 years. The auditor is chosen by the board and spoken to by the board in private. For many, many years, our audits have been "unqualified," another word for "clean."

The board/staff are selected with stringent criteria that prevent conflicts of interest and the hiring of relatives.

The board evaluates itself, its individual members, and yours-truly annually.

There is an anonymous telephone line, with messages delivered to the Audit Committee Chair, where you may offer any complaints of unethical behavior (1-800-624-9178 ).

We have an active loss prevention program (have you seen the cameras?) and strict money-handling procedures.

Every claim gets a prompt, thorough investigation through uninvolved parties.

Our intentions are documented in a number of ways. Join Guidestar and view our recent IRS Form 990 or that of any other non profit. You can see who's on the board, what key people are paid, what our mission is, who are relationships are with, and how effective we've been in delivering our mission. You can link to our 990 from our website, as well.

The generous support of people like you has allowed us to put 5 people in our community to work every day. You can trust us. Happy holidays.

Unemployed During the Holidays

2010-12-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

By Amy Rames

Being unemployed during the holiday season is tough. And according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Central Texas as of Sept 2010 is 6.8 percent. While that is better than the State of Texas’s unemployment rate, that still leaves several Central Texans out of work this holiday season.

And that's why Goodwill is here for this community. We don't just help unemployed Central Texans find, get and keep their job, we help to provide a long-term, sustainable solution to poverty, resulting ultimately in stronger families and a stronger community.

Watch this video about Leitha, who used Goodwill's Job Help services to find success in the workplace:

It's easy to help. Just make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here.

Playing soccer without a leg

2010-12-02T07:16:00.000-08:00

By Jerry Davis

My good friend Dennis Borel, the Executive Director of the Coalition for Texans with Disabilities, asked me to play in a friendly soccer game on the capitol lawn recently with the Haitian Men’s Amputee Soccer Team. We both love soccer and he knew I’d enjoy it.

The team is on a tour to promote one of the ways Haitians are helping themselves recover from so many recent disasters. Not many people probably consider the value of recreation to promote health, mental and physical combined, and soccer is a fine tool.

Looking around the field, both teams had a diverse group of players, but we didn't hold back! When one of my colleagues bumped a Haitian player that day at the capitol and the player flopped on the ground like he had been killed, it really upset my colleague. For me, it was pretty funny. The Haitian player acted just like the men I compete against in the Austin Men’s Soccer League every weekend—what a whiner! What a guy just like the rest of us.

Take a look at this piece done so nicely by Paul Brown, News 8 anchor about the Haitian Men's Amputee soccer team.

Behind the scenes!

2010-11-18T03:35:00.000-08:00

By Janelle Otero

This past Tuesday, we shot our CW Austin commerical with the CW Star, Kendall! It's always so much fun shooting commercials!

This commercial talks about our Computer Works store and our computer recycling program. You also have a chance to meet Kendall at the Computer Works store on Saturday, December 4! Look for this commercial on the CW Austin!

AND Check out these pictures from behind the scenes!

Happy Veterans Day!

2010-11-11T07:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Veteran's Day from Goodwill Industries of Central Texas!

Veterans, do you want to be more competitive in the job market? Let us help!

Technical Skills Certification:

We offer financial assistance to participants to help them achieve
certifications in a high growth/high demand field:
• Automotive
• Medical
• Clerical
• Electrical/HVAC
• More

Veteran Outreach and Employment Services Program:

Serves Gulf War I and II Veterans and their dependents. Through one-on-one job coaching techniques, we will develop a customized job placement plan which will focus on:

• Resume Building
• Mock Interview Training
• Application Training
• Computer Training
• Technical Skills Certifications
• Customized Job Leads
• Referrals to Community
• Resources and Programs

Veteran Eligibility:
• Be a Veteran who served in the active military, naval, or air service
• Discharged or released under conditions other then dishonorable
• Be a Persian Gulf War Veteran who served in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation Enduring Freedom

For more information contact:
Goodwill’s Veteran Outreach and
Employment Program
512.748.1367 or 512.748.1357

The Importance of Mentors

2010-11-09T06:55:00.000-08:00

By Janelle Otero

Just over a year ago, I became a youth mentor to a 7 year old girl. I will never forget the first time I met with her, she opened the door and said "You are the best ever!" with a huge smile on her face! She did not even know me yet and was already appreciative of the time I was going to spend with her.

In the past year, our relationship has had its ups and downs, such as her big move to a new area of town and new school, behavioral issues at school and the influences her high school age brother and sister have on her. Although, some of these situations have been difficult for me because she looks to me to be her role model and a good influence on her life, they have also been more than rewarding. She has gone from telling me how she can beat up boys to telling me about her A+ on a test-that change is my motivation.

We spend a few hours weekly together and I have seen her become more interested in school, more friendly towards others and open to new ideas and experiences.

There are plenty of youth in our community that could use a role model and even a friend that they can confide in. If you know a youth that could benefit from this or would like to be a mentor, check out Goodwill's GoodGuides program!

Spring Cleaning?? How about Fall Cleaning!

2010-11-04T06:06:00.000-07:00

By Amy Rames

Why do I hang on to things that I never use or, even worse, that I don't even remember that I have?? No clue. And I found out this weekend that I was VERY guilty of this practice when I spent a few hours of the weekend cleaning and organizing my closet.

Starting off with two garbage bags that I marked with 'Donate' and the other 'Trash,' I dove right in. I really wasn't expecting to pull out more than one bag for donations, but as I began popping open bins and sorting, I found that I was hanging on to a lot of stuff that I never actually used. I ended-up with 6 bags of donations--some comforters, lots of clothing, and some home decor.

And as it turns out, Fall is a great time to do this sort of cleaning and organizing. I now have more room in my closet for hiding my holiday gifts for friends PLUS it's a great way to start-off this coming season of giving.

Ghoulwill Ball

2010-10-27T05:07:00.000-07:00

By Melinda Clary, Ghoulwill Ball attendee

This year will be my 3rd year to attend Ghoulwill Ball and I cannot wait! This event is always a great night with amazing/creative costumes, hoppin' music, great food, etc. And, speaking from someone who has won an item or two in previous years, the silent auction is phenomenal as well! Goodwill is fortunate to have several local as well as nationwide companies donate to the auction every year, so there's always a great diversity of items....and all the proceeds go to the mission of Goodwill, so what could be better?

I hope to see you there!

(Melinda on far left)

I love the '80s! Simple Alterations Complete the Look!

2010-10-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

By Amy Rames

So, this year's theme for our Ghoulwill Ball Costume Fundraising Event is "The '80s Resurrected." With visions of ponytails to the side, big earrings, and really every John Hughes movie ever made, I headed to Goodwill. There, I found this BREATHTAKING vintage purple dress for under $20!! How could anyone have donated this little number?!?!!

Anyway, while absolutely fabulous, I figured it could use a little extra somethin,' so I broke out the sewing machine, cut the bottom of the dress a bit and did a simple hem. It made a big difference, take a look:

Then I just added a little fluffy skirt underneath and viola!! The perfect '80s prom dress for the Ghoulwill Ball. :)

Enter if you DARE!

2010-10-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

Do you have an awesome Halloween costume, a camera and an e-mail account? If you said yes to all three things, then you should enter into the Goodwill Online Costume Contest!

Just complete these 5 simple tasks by October 18 to be entered to win:

Put together your spook-tacular costume

Take a picture of you in your costume

Email it to Halloween@austingoodwill.org by October 18

Look for your picture in the “Goodwill Costume Contest” album on Facebook

Tell your friends to “like” your photo to increase your chances of winning cool prizes

A Creative Film for Creative Austin!

2010-10-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

By Marcie Jones, Graphic Design Specialist

All through college, I thought of Austin as THE place to live if I wanted a city that was as creative as I was! Here I am and obviously, I was right! It seems there are always at least a couple gallery openings, film premieres or concerts going on in any given week!

And Goodwill is part of the awesomeness that is Austin’s creative scene!

On October 14, 2010 Goodwill is screening the award-winning documentary, Marwencol, at our Community Center.

A little bit about the film:

“After a brutal assault leaves him brain damaged and broke, Mark Hogancamp seeks recovery in Marwencol – a miniature World War II-era town that he builds in his backyard. When his stunning photos of the town are discovered by the art world, Mark is forced to choose between his fantasy life and the real world he’s avoided since his attack.”

This movie had my attention from the first second to the last. It is a truly intriguing story, contemplative yet heart-warming.

All I can hope is that you will come join us for the screening of this magnificent film and participate in the creativity that we all sometimes take for granted.

We have it here in our city, so come and enjoy it!!!

Screening of Documentary Marwencol

Thursday, October 14, 2010
6:30-9:30 pm
Goodwill Community Center
1015 Norwood Park Blvd.

Free food, beer and wine.

Seating is limited.. RSVP to events@austingoodwill.org

*Must be 21 and up to attend.

No Coffee-runs here!

2010-09-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

by April Curtner, Graphic Design Intern

While I was in school, I heard my fair share of negative stories from fellow students about internships; tales of running menial errands, coffee fetching and doing NO design work. What most students in my field want and need from their internship is that oh-so-valuable job experience that's required to even be considered for an interview. And I completely lucked out when I was chosen by the marketing team at Goodwill to be their intern last spring.

I was put to work one day on creating new backgrounds for their Twitter account. Since then, I've gone on to create billboards, advertisements in nearly every publication in Austin, internal logos and all the collateral that accompanies them, and so much more! You name it, I've designed it for Goodwill. Seeing something that you've created displayed 40 feet wide on a billboard that hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people see everyday is really something!

Beyond all the great design work I'm getting to do, I've also been able to take part in other branches of the marketing department as well, including brainstorming for upcoming events, and helping to come up with creative ways to promote our mission and events via television, radio, and also through various social media outlets. I'm getting a pretty well-rounded education, and having a great time while doing it!

On top of all this priceless experience, my team at Goodwill has also been thorough in teaching me what they know, incredibly patient with me while I learn, and genuinely concerned that I feel welcome here. I would definitely recommend a Goodwill internship to anyone who wants to experience all aspects of marketing and graphic design, and wants to be welcomed as a valued member of an already stellar team!

Listening to You!

2010-09-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

By Zachary Haines, Director of Performance Excellence

One of the most important things we do at Goodwill is listen. If someone comes to us for help finding a job, case managers listen to make sure they understand how we can best help them. As we work together, we’ll occasionally ask you to complete surveys so we know how to improve our services in the future. We listen to our partners and other community agencies to make sure we’re working cooperatively and exceeding their expectations. We listen to our employees so we can be one of Austin’s best places to work.

Throughout the year, we also listen to the folks in our community that shop and donate at our stores. Your donations and purchases provide much of the funding we use to serve the community, so it’s important we listen to and understand your viewpoint. We do this in a number of ways. If you’ve dropped off a donation at Goodwill recently you were offered a donation receipt with a space for comments. If you’ve made a purchase, check the bottom of your receipt. You can fill out a short, fun, online survey and be entered to win a monthly gift card drawing.

This year, for the first time, we’re also hosting a community focus group. We’re asking shoppers and donors to join us at this informal session at the Goodwill Community Center on October 7th at 6:30pm. Attendees will receive a $25 Goodwill Gift Card, and snacks and beverages will be provided. Space is limited, so please send your rsvp email to rsvp@austingoodwill.org. Thanks for letting us listen to you, Austin!

10 Things You Might Not Know About Goodwill

2010-09-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

By Amy Rames

Your generous support of Goodwill helps us to better serve and strengthen the Central Texas community. Our mission is to provide job services that help individuals find jobs, but here are a few other things that Goodwill brings to communities. Some you might know, but some might just suprise you:

1.) Goodwill recycles 230 tons of computers and electronics EACH MONTH in the Central Texas area, thanks to our partnership with Dell Reconnect.

2.) People with different backgrounds, with different education levels and from all throughout Central Texas utilize Goodwill's job services and trainings to find, obtain and retain employment in this community.

3.) Last year, Goodwill helped 5 people each working day locate a job in our community.

4.) Goodwill has a computer museum, dedicated to the restoration and preservation of vintage computer equipment.

5.) Our retail stores are only one of the ways that we raise money to fund our mission. We also have our Goodwill Staffing Services and Goodwill Commercial Services business divivisions that help provide valuable business services to employers in the community, create jobs as well as raise funds. [By the way, for every $1 spent, $0.88 goes back into your community!]

6.) We throw the best Halloween Party! Our annual Ghoulwill Ball is coming up this October 29 at the Driskill Hotel. Click here to buy your tickets now!

7.) We have a WIA Youth Services Program, funded by Workforce Solutions--Capital Area, that is focused on helping youth stay in school, return to school, prepare for, find and keep employment.

8.) Goodwill offers a large variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups. We have everything from mentoring an at-risk youth with our GoodGuides Program or demanufacturing a computer for recycling through our Greenworks Program. We probably have something here that will work with your busy schedule.

9.) Goodwill has been in the top 10 of the Austin Business Journal's "Best Places to Work" competition for 3 out of the last 5 years.

10.) In addition to our 6 Job Help Centers in Central Texas, we also have Placement Specialists at schools and stationed at other nonprofits to better serve the community with our Job Help Services.

Lakeway Grand Opening!

2010-09-13T07:42:00.001-07:00

By Jerry Davis

September 18 will be a big day for us. We’ll open a new store in Lakeway, a great community northwest of Austin. To some, this may seem like an odd choice.

Located in the 78738 and 78734 zip codes, Lakeway has the 4th and 15th wealthiest zip codes in the Austin area, according to a list in the August 6 Austin Business Journal. Some probably don’t associate this sort of demographic with a Goodwill store. When I checked the list more closely I learned that we have a store or combination bookstore-donation center in 12 of the top 25 zip codes in the region, and they all receive a great deal of support from residents. Truthfully, this information didn’t figure into our deliberations, but it helps us to better understand and adjust to the community’s needs.

The fact that we began to explore opening the first full retail store in this community because of an outpouring of support from area residents for a closer full retail speaks for itself. This spurred us to begin the process of working with local representatives about building and entering the area. And, after a long planning process and much deliberation and discussion with local representatives, it has all come to the grand opening of our newly built store on September 18.

With the opening of every single store, we are able to put more funds toward our mission through the donation and resale of your gently used goods. We are looking forward to having a great presence in this generous community, which will in turn, help us to provide job help services to even more Central Texans with barriers to employment.

Read more about Goodwill entering the Lakeway community in our upcoming newsletter, hitting mailboxes later this month. Not signed-up? Visit our website at http://www.austingoodwill.org/ to stay connected.

Grandpa Plays in the NFL

2010-09-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

By Suzanha Pena

The only grandpa to play quarterback in the NFL this season!

Do you know who I’m talking about? If you do, then you gotta give him some credit because that’s phenomenal and he’s still got it…or at least this particular fan hopes so. And come Thursday night, we’ll know for sure.

Yes! I’m talking about Brett Favre! And yes! I am one of those fans that is excited that he’s back for another season with the Vikings and…I enjoy the drama that was surrounding it! Whatever to promote the NFL and the Vikings team! I’m all for it because that’s what keeps things interesting!

After all, why am I writing about this and how am I going to spin this so that I can promote Goodwill into this blog? Well, I’ll tell you.

It’s because my friend found me an official NFL Vikings #4 Favre jersey from an Austin, Texas, Goodwill retail store for under $10! What are the odds? Especially since he only played for the Vikings last year!

Are you ready for some football?

Happy Labor Day!

2010-09-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

Wishing you a safe and happy Labor Day from everybody at Goodwill Industries of Central Texas!

Click here to see how people have changed their lives through the power of work with help from Goodwill!

My Story: Charles Mwamba, From Another Perspective

2010-09-01T06:20:00.000-07:00

By Robin Llewellyn, Environmental Business Services Director

Want to know how your Goodwill donations make a difference? One of our employees, Charles Mwamba was recently featured on the Goodwill Industries International website telling his story of how Goodwill programs and services changed his life. Click here to read.

After Charles told his story to Goodwill Industries International, I wanted to share his story from my perspective with you all:

Charles came to Goodwill with limited English, but with an attitude of determination and willingness to learn! He has now mastered all aspects of his job performance and has gone above and beyond with helping out on special events and coming in on his days off to assist with production in our department. He has gone from communicating with sign language to stepping up and taking charge with valuable input. His English skills have improved so much that I am encouraging him to apply for a lead position on our team! The fact that English will be one of many languages that he will master is amazing to me.

Charles is never late or absent. He performs all aspects of his job with grace and ease and he does not have an easy job. Our department recycles over 100,000 pounds of metal and between 75,000 and 90,000 lbs of plastic each month. Charles processes a large portion of this himself every month. He is a stellar employee and a cornerstone of our department. We are so very fortunate to have him at Goodwill.

Thank YOU, for helping us put someone like Charles to work in our community!

Hook 'em Horns! \\m//

2010-08-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

Football season is just around the corner! I don't know about you, but I am ready for the sea of burnt orange and the hook 'em horns everywhere! One of the great things about our stores is that you can go into just about any of 'em and find gently used UT gear or memorabilia. Sometimes if you are lucky, you will even get to see one of the best coaches of all time in the stores too! Mr. Darrell K. Royal and his wife stopped in at our Oak Hill Grand Opening back in July! Unfortunately, I was not at the store while he was there, but our Vice President of Commercial Services talked with him and even snapped a quick picture! Thanks for stopping by Mr. and Mrs. Royal!

So stop in at your local Goodwill for some great UT finds! Hook 'em Horns!

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
-Darrell K. Royal

Savings accounts REALLY can save!

2010-08-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

I have lived in the same South Austin apartment complex for almost four years and I am currently going through a big move to North Austin! I lived in South Austin for the convenience of being close to school-St. Edward's University. Now that I am not there and I work in North Austin, I have seen my gas costs spike and my sleep time also decrease greatly!

As much as I love the downtown convenience and uniqueness of South Austin, I decided to make the move to North Austin. I chose an apartment that reduces my travel time to work from an hour to 10-15 minutes!

I was so much in awe at the cut down on driving time and gas costs, that I didn't really pay attention to the general costs of moving that I was about to incur. Am I reallly saving money? I searched for hours to find the cheapest movers in Austin to move JUST my big items, which ended up being about the same as every other moving company. Also,as I have been signing my lease, switching over my utilities and setting up television and internet, etc. I have had to pay set up charges, security deposits and who knows how many refundable fees!

But what really saved me is my savings account! I have an automatic deposit from everyone of my paychecks into a savings account that I do NOT touch. This helped me immensely with all the fees, deposits and costs of moving! I really, really suggest that everybody start a savings account for those costs that you are expecting or even the ones you aren't!

Vintage at Its Best

2010-08-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

April Curtner, Graphic Design Intern

I'm a long time vintage kind of gal. I love to put modern twists on nostalgic classics; whether its pairing a vintage tailored blazer and chunky lucite jewelry with jeans and a pair of Chucks, or a romantic 40's style dress with a pair of modern strappy high-heeled sandals. I've been known to spend an entire day driving all over town to sift through possible treasures from decades past. I know all the "hot" spots around town to look for some kickin' pre-owned clothing, and if you're looking for one-of-a-kind vintage for a steal, you just can't beat Goodwill. Sure, there are some other places around town where you can find some pretty choice retro gear, but you're probably also going to pay out the wazoo for it too.

Just recently, a friend and I stopped by the Goodwill store on South Lamar to kill a few minutes while waiting for other friends, and found ourselves lost in fashion bliss. I think we could have spent HOURS in there ogling and modeling all the super glam dresses, shoes, hats and handbags. In the few minutes we were there, I managed to snag a slinky little dress, a hot little black leather clutch, and some seriously fabulous floral print pumps for about $20 bucks. You just can't beat that! Even though we were just having a girls night with pizza and scary movies, I was all set for a big night out on the town!

Whatever your style is, whether its 60's Mad Men chic, 80's rad retro, modern day vogue, or, a little bit of everything, you're sure to find a look at Goodwill that will leave you looking fabulous with money in your pocketbook to spare!

Community

2010-08-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

I personally love to people watch, whether I'm running Town Lake or sitting in an airport. Mainly just because it passes the time, but my favorite place to people watch is at Goodwill stores. We have a VERY wide variety of great people that shop in our stores, come in for job services and donate to our stores and it always makes me smile to see that we are truly part of our COMMUNITY.

People tend to make the assumption that people wanting to buy inexpensive clothes shop at Goodwill, which is not always the case. We have people from all over central Texas, from all income levels and of all colors that come to our stores and job help centers. There are people that vintage shop, shop for costumes and props, shop for unique items, shop the bid cases for rare items and some people that just love the hunt! I love the diverse group of people that come into Goodwill, whether they are coming in for services, to shop or to donate. I hope you always leave with a smile on your face knowing you are a part of a great community!

Brand U.

2010-08-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

Brand U. is one of my favorite campaigns that we do at Goodwill! Why? Because not only do we get to interact with two of our amazing shoppers and/or donors, but we get to give them a MAKEOVER!

I was never really one of those little girls that was into playing with my friend's hair, but I have ALWAYS loved to watch makeover shows! It doesn't matter to me whether it was a home makeover show or a makeover of a person, I love them all! I love to see the before and after!

Brand U. is going on RIGHT NOW through August 22 in stores, so make sure to register at your local Goodwill! Click here for official rules and pictures from last year!

So Much More

2010-08-10T07:02:00.001-07:00

By April Curtner, Graphic Design Intern

When I tell people that I work for Goodwill as a graphic designer, a lot of people envision that my main involvement is in our retail stores. In reality though, the only time you'll probably ever see me at a Goodwill store is if I'm shopping there on my day off. Goodwill is SO much more than our stores. There's an entire fleet of people that work to make our mission possible. I, along with many others, work at our Community Center, the hub of Goodwill Industries of Central Texas.

An important part of obtaining our mission is to create awareness of Goodwill, and to make sure that our name is seen and heard as much as possible throughout the community. Just in my little niche of the Marketing Department alone, we are responsible for designing and producing all the signage you see in and around our stores, billboards that you drive past on the highway, advertisements in newspapers and magazines, stickers, t-shirts, pens, buttons, web banners, all corporate collateral; including logos, business cards, brochures and letterheads, as well as all collateral and signage for special events such as the Ghoulwill Ball, and for the many conventions that we're involved in. For example, I was recently in charge of designing all the collateral for our Ebay book selling division, called BookWorks. We were participating in a writer's convention, and needed a logo, business cards, brochure, bookmarks, and a HUGE stand-up display. It was a challenge, but really rewarding to create something from scratch and then see the final product in use.

If that sounds like a lot, remember that I'm only talking about the responsibilities of the Graphic Design portion of the Marketing Department. There's also an Events Coordinator, Online Marketing Associate, a Communications Specialist, and a Marketing Director, and we're just one of many departments here at Goodwill.

I'm continually surprised by how Goodwill finds ways to impact people's lives in big ways. I'm still learning a lot about just how involved Goodwill is, and how much amazing work they do within the community!

Team Building with Bowling? YES!!

2010-08-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

By Marcie Jones

Is 97 a good bowling score? Is 107? Most would say “No!” but I would say “YES!!” Really I don’t care what my score is, as long as I am having fun.

A few weeks ago, I approached our CEO about starting a Goodwill recreational bowling team. I had to fill out something called a "Get What You Want Form". Basically, I just state what I would like and what the pros and cons are.

Pros: Build team morale! Get some exercise! Increase presence of Goodwill!

Cons: Nada

The coolest thing about bowling with my pretty fabulous co-workers, is that I get to see them outside of work. Everyone is more relaxed and we are not talking about due dates! Getting to know people on a more personal level helps us connect and understand one another at work.

We started out pretty tame, but by the 4th frame, we were yelling and cheering each other on! And I got a new nickname of "Miga Taco".

But you can just call me Miga.

Are my tattoos ok?

2010-08-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

By Charles House

One of the first questions I get asked about in New Hire Orientation pertains to Goodwill's policy on tattoos.

Goodwill's policy states that as long as the tattoo in question is non-offensive, does not contain profanity and is not gang-related then it is permissible.

I personally think, employers have to approach the issue concerning tattoos with an open mind in order to provide a work environment that welcomes employees. The competition to attract and retain skilled workers has resulted in corporate cultures that strive to demonstrate the value placed on individual and group contributions. There is increasing attention paid to offering a company culture and benefit package that supports a variety of lifestyles. Should someone with a visible tattoo be treated any differently?

Personally, I think it depends on the employer's industry and the type of job.

For example, the odds are that a four-star hotel may not want the concierge to have large tattoos of skulls and crossbones on the back of each hand. But the same hotel may have less concern if a dishwasher in the kitchen has those same tattoos because direct contact with the hotel's customers is minimal.

The key for employers is to have a written policy that employees are required to read and sign, and then to enforce that policy consistently. That way, employees are not able to claim that the policy was applied differently to them. The policies should be based on sound judgment that is in the best interest of the business. That means that employee and customer interests also need to be considered before the policy is drafted.

At Goodwill, all employees are notified of the policy on tattoos and are then required to sign a form, which goes into their employee file, that states they understand and will abide by the rules. I love that our organization understands that good employees come in all shapes, shades and sizes…and some come with ink!

Letter from "Another Satisfied Goodwill Shopper"

2010-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

July 6, 2010

ATTN:Marketing Department
Goodwill Industries of Central Texas
1015 Norwood Park Blvd.
Austin, TX 78753

Re: More reasons to donate and shop at Goodwill

On your business return card attached to the donation receipt, you list three possible components of Goodwill's mission...all of which are valid and worthy objectives for your organization, and clearly its most important ones.

But that's not all the good Goodwill does. As an enthusiastic longtime supporter, I consider Goodwill a great community resource that also provides an excellent solution for one of our worst problems.

We cause huge waste in this country by discarding things that could serve someone else. Goodwill provides a platform for reselling these items and keeping them out of the waste stream.
I use Goodwill both ways: to donate items that still have useful life in them and to shop there. I find great treasures at my neighborhood Goodwill (on 183 and Anderson Mill). Just one example: it’s a wonderful source of baskets I use as presentation containers for gifts to friends and family at Christmas-and some of the gifts themselves for that matter.

I don't know how you could incorporate the "good recycling" aspect of the Goodwill experience into your mission statement, but in my view, it's another strong reason to support your organization and its efforts.

Another Satisfied Goodwill Shopper!

FOX 7 Idol Auditions!

2010-07-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

Ok, so anybody who knows me knows that I do NOT have a good singing voice! I would be one of the clips that "Idol" shows of the rejected singers. BUT if you have a good singing voice, now is your time to shine! And not shine because you are standing in line outside of the Frank Erwin Center on August 11, waiting for the "Idol" auditions.

YOU could be skipping to the front of that line, thanks to Goodwill, FOX 7, KISS FM and KASE FM. FOX 7’s Austin Idol is back and for the first time in five years, the winner is guaranteed a first round audition right here in the Austin!

So if you think you have what it takes come on out to the Goodwill Community Center on Saturday, August 7 for your chance to skip the line!

Auditions details:

WHEN – Saturday, August 7
Registration held from 9-10am.
Auditions begin at 10:30am.

WHERE - The Goodwill Community Center (map)
1015 Norwood Park Blvd. (corner of 183 & I35)
Austin, TX 78753

HOW - For more information click here!

Commercial Services Mail Solutions

2010-07-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

By Amy Rames

I know, when you think of Goodwill the first thing that pops into your head is cost-effective business mailing solutions, right? Well, probably not. But that’s one of the many professional services that we provide through our Commercial Services Business Division, which is another way that Goodwill raises funds for our mission.

Have a direct mail? Event invite? Finally got that annual report project off your plate and ready to send out to the community? Goodwill can take your printed piece and send it out to your address list, with a 24 to 72 hour turnaround. Not too bad. We can do both large and small runs and offer a wide variety of mail services, like mail list management, bulk mail, automated fold and insert and more.

PLUS, my favorite part about it is that the mailroom is run by the Goodwill Industries International Achiever of the Year, Richard Lopez. So, give Richard a call at 512.637.7123 the next time you have a large or small mailing job and he and his team can walk you through the process and offer expert advice. And you will be helping to support employment in our community.

Get Richard’s story during the Lights. Camera. Help. Film Festival this Thursday at 7PM at the Mexican American Cultural Center, where his short documentary will be shown. Tickets are on sale now!

Way to go, Richard!

Goodwill Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

2010-07-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

By Jerry Davis

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which gave people with disabilities better access to resources and services, including job opportunities.

While people with disabilities have made great strides since this landmark civil rights law was signed, this group of Americans still has a higher than average unemployment rate at more than 14 percent, and they make up about 22 percent of our workforce, compared to nearly 71 percent of people without disabilities (According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Goodwill Industries of Central Texas has served people with disabilities for decades. Through our Community Rehabilitation Program, we provide the job training and the career support that people need to find jobs, earn paychecks and take care of themselves and their families.

People with disabilities have skills and talents just like other workers and offer a unique perspective that brings diversity to a workplace. Contrary to popular belief, many people with disabilities require little to no accommodations to do their jobs.

Goodwill believes that people with disabilities are an asset to the workplace, and we encourage employers to be more inclusive of people with disabilities in their hiring practices.

You're Invited!

2010-07-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

By Goodwill Industries of Central Texas

TOMORROW the Goodwill retail store in Oak Hill will move to a larger and more convenient location, and we are inviting the community to celebrate with food, activities, prizes and entertainment for the whole family!

Goodwill’s Grand Opening Celebration
Ribbon cutting ceremony beginning at 8:45 am
7100 W. US Hwy 290, Suite C
Austin, TX 78736 [map]

Visit Goodwill’s newest location with friends, family and neighbors for a chance to win great prizes, such as gift cards and a free giveaway to first 100 customers. The celebration will kick-off with a ribbon cutting with community leaders at 8:45 am!

This new location will offer the community a larger, more convenient location to shop and donate. The funds generated from our retail stores translate into job training and search assistance, case management and more. Click here to learn more.

Keep in mind: Goodwill’s location at 6705 Hwy 290 West in Oak Hill will be closing with the opening of this new store.

'It feels good to be paying bills'

2010-07-22T08:00:00.001-07:00

By Amy Rames

Yes, I heard it with my own ears. When I sat down to interview with James, who utilized Goodwill’s Job Source Program to help himself find and retain a job, he said, “A lot of people wouldn’t say this, but it feels good to be paying bills.” Personally, I am not a fan of the whole process of receiving and paying bills and have never associated good feelings with them.

But for James, who was having difficulty locating a job because of an extensive criminal background and spotty work history, paying his bills just feels good because he now has a job to make it all possible. You definitely have to respect that.

And paying your bills should feel good because it’s a sign of your independence and self-sufficiency. Now, I’m not saying that I’m going to throw an ‘independence party’ every time that I pay my electric bill, but I’m definitely going to sport a small smile and remember not to take the moment for granted.

Read James’s story by clicking here.

Managers Have it Rough

2010-07-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

By Jerry Davis

It starts with the label: "management." It is about dealing with things effectively. There is real importance and required skills in ordering, purchasing, building, deploying...but all of these involve people, and people cannot be managed--at least not indefinitely. All managers have another manager managing them, perpetually (ensuring?) the system continues.

With less effort than you'd imagine, we adopted two ideas in 2009. 1.) We would become a learning organization. 2.) We would develop leaders.

A lot of attention is placed on change and how if fuels growth. Clearly, growth is the opposite of death, so that has to be good, but change can be fueled by impulsiveness and fear, or learning, and learning creates good growth. I choose that adjective deliberately. All employees, whether they are full-time or part-time, are engaged in a learning plan they have developed to promote their growth. All have a required number of hours per year, the net effect costing thousands of dollars. The investment has already started to pay off.

Leadership can be taught and shouldn't be confused with charisma (though I wonder these days if it can be bought and taught, too, in ready-to-use superficial doses). You can teach a person to listen, study, birth an idea, communicate its value, develop the resources, rally support, execute the promise, and then question it all for the sake of continuous improvement. It is an inside-out process, not the outside-in needs to manage things. To succeed, it must never end.

Our organization isn't perfect. Teaching it to avoid managing and embrace leadership, as the rule, has been ugly, at times. And you can't build many things with a sledge hammer, and you certainly can't lead with that kind of tool. But good change is happening. We have recaptured a Top 10 position in the Best Places to Work competition. Mission effectiveness is up. Operations are humming in an extraordinarily challenging environment.

Leadership hand in hand with community suppport allows us to be so successful in the Central Texas community. I think we're on to something big.

7 days, 7,000 fans, 7 party suites!

2010-07-15T15:16:00.001-07:00

By Janelle Otero

Austin Goodwill is trying to reach 7,000 fans on Facebook, and we need your help to reach that goal!

The Texas Stars hockey team is donating seven party suite nights to Austin Goodwill Facebook Fans! Each winner will experience VIP treatment in the private party suite, where they'll get 20 premium seats, a $200 food and beverage credit and 5 free parking passes! Hurry and fan Austin Goodwill today-you only have until July 19!

Search for Austin Goodwill on Facebook or click here.

Canes, Blindfolds, and Braille, Oh My! Part 2

2010-07-09T10:54:00.001-07:00

By Courtney Mack, Community Rehabilitation Program Specialist

Imagine yourself standing in the middle of a kitchen you have never seen or been in. You have no idea how large this kitchen is, where the fridge is, the stove is, the sink is, etc. You have never cooked on this stove top before, have no idea what the model is, no idea where the trash can stands, no idea where the hand towel sits, don’t know where to find the utensils, the spices, or even the pots and pans.

That's how my coworker Sarah Brody and I felt when we were ushered next into a kitchen blindfolded and expected to cook scrambled eggs. This was just one of the many activities that we participated in at Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center's day of blind immersion training.

Lucky for us, the instructor was kind enough to escort us to the stove and show us how to feel for heat and how to keep the pan on the stove top. This was probably the most difficult task of the day for me as I had no idea if I was splashing the eggs all over the place and if they were even cooking. We were taught how to tell if the eggs were done through sound, consistency, and smell. We only made some scrambled eggs, but it made us both think about how difficult simple cooking could be!

And the day wasn't over yet. Sarah and I then navigated our way to the second floor of the building to take part in 'Computer Training' class. For the first half of the class we both followed along non-visually using JAWS (Job Access With Speech), a screen reader software for those with little to no vision to successfully navigate the computer. JAWS can be a very difficult program to learn due to the extensive number of keyboard shortcuts and commands needed to operate a computer successfully non-visually.

Our last class of the day was 'Industrial Arts' (IA). Sarah and I were very nervous about this class because all we knew was that we would be operating heavy machinery…blindfolded! Sarah and I were both introduced to the instructor, Kirk Hibbitts, who prepped us both before entering the room full of machinery. Sarah was very brave and volunteered to go first. I was able to take off my blindfold and watch as she bravely stepped up to the giant electric saw. Kirk showed Sarah how to measure a piece of wood using a special tool, and then he showed her how to place the wood under the saw and how to operate the machine. After only 1 practice run, Sarah bravely used the saw and cut a piece of wood! After, I was able to do the same exercise, but seeing as I had already visually watched Sarah operate the machine, it was much easier for me my first time around. It was truly amazing to see how much work it took for us to cut a piece of wood, when all the other students are expected to actually build items like toy chests and jewelry boxes.

After the day was over, my entire body was sore and I was completely emotionally exhausted. Relying on senses other than vision was a true challenge and a once in a lifetime experience. This training helped both Sarah and I better understand the everyday needs and obstacles faced by the blind community. After such a unique and truly wonderful experience, we hope to be able to better assist and serve our clients.

Canes, Blindfolds, and Braille, Oh My! Part 1

2010-07-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

By Courtney Mack, Community Rehabilitation Program Specialist

This past June, Sarah Brody, Assistive Technology Specialist, and myself were invited to attend the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center (CCRC) day of blind immersion training. Criss Cole is a vocational rehabilitation training facility for adults to help them achieve employment and independent living skills. Sarah and I were thrilled and honored to be asked, but had no idea what we were in store for!

Our first objective of the day was to partake in 'Orientation Mobility Training.' This training is designed to help persons with limited vision or no vision to efficiently travel on a day to day basis. For example, this class teaches individuals how to use their cane, how to use the bus system, and how to operate out on the streets. This proved to be a challenging experience and we weren’t even out in the middle of a busy intersection or trying to board a bus. Without sight, it forced us to relay on our other senses. For example, when I was half way down the hallway I could hear a low buzzing noise and thought it was right in front of me. Turned out it was a vending machine half way down the hall.

After our training, we navigated through the halls to 'Introduction to Braille,' which was the class that I had the most fear surrounding. Surprisingly, it turned out to be the most enlightening. In the past I would stare at a document printed in Braille and see nothing but a sea of dots. After this class; however, I finally started to understand the placement of each dot, the organization within the page, and the fairly simple 6 dot system. Braille is a code to represent the English Language. Like Sign Language, each country has their own form of Braille.

And this was just what happened that morning! Stay tuned for a future post on the last half of my day of blind immersion training.

New Name + New Promotions=More Fun

2010-07-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

Some of you may have seen that we recently renamed our Twitter and Facebook accounts! They are now both Austin Goodwill to match our website and blog! Finally, all of our names match and are much easier to search for and tweet to!

Along with our new names is coming awesome new promotions. Very soon we will reveal a great offer to our Facebook supporters! There is also currently a pretty cool thank you to all the people "liking" Austin Goodwill on Facebook!

So hurry over to Austin Goodwill on Facebook and Twitter to stay connected with Goodwill!

Tweet us @AustinGoodwill

Find us on Facebook: Austin Goodwill

Loss is Never Easy

2010-07-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

By Goodwill Industries of Central Texas

Our Goodwill Family has suffered heartbreaking losses in the past week. This might be happening in your life currently or your organization. You may be wondering how to respond or what to do.

At Goodwill, we have an employee assistance program. We shared this with our own employees, but thought we would share a link as a resource to our community, too. It is from the Compassionate Friends website, which is an organization that provides support to those who have lost their children (the information is helpful for any type of grief as well).

Sometimes hearing about a friend or co-worker’s loss brings up our own unresolved grief from the past. This is common. At Goodwill, our employee assistance program is available for all employees – to provide counseling, support, information and resources. For community members, there are many resources available to assist too, such as Hospice programs or loss-specific support groups.

Please let us know if we can be helpful to you in any way.

Do your gardening with Goodwill!

2010-06-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

With summer here and all the rain we have been getting, there has been a lot of talk about gardens and planting shrubs and flowers. So, since I am ALWAYS on a budget, I went to look for some gardening supplies at my local Goodwill!

I was very pleasantly surprised to find a lot of gardening tools! Everything from a cute gardening hat to a water hose! I don't want to bombard you with pictures, but some of the items I found were: a water hose, garden netting, planters, seeds, gardening hat/outfit and sunglasses. Check out pictures of a few of the items I picked up to use on my future garden. Now, hopefully I can find the time to create my own little garden!

When do you become a teacher?

2010-06-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

By Jerry Davis

I had been out of college for one year and working in the medical rehabilitation field when I was approached by an experienced colleague, Lydia, for my advice. She was contemplating how to improve the function of an elderly woman’s paralyzed arm and knew I had been developing some competency in a particular method. That was in 1982, I still remember the moment that she asked. She placed an expectation on me and I responded, interested, and involved in the moment. I don’t remember any kind of ego-rush. But it was a milestone, unplanned and significant.

I wandered into this thought today for a few reasons. The first was that Coach John Wooden died last week. If you grew up in the seventies (or the sixties), you understand what a teacher that Coach was and still is. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” is still my favorite Wooden-ism. The other was his unabashed love for his wife. At least from afar, this was a model of what a good marriage can be: a partnership, a friendship, and a love affair. The second reason, I’ll tell you now, is that I have been married for 30 years as of two weeks ago.

A few final thoughts. I think most teachers know when they became a teacher, but they aren’t inclined to emote it. They know when they are effective, when they connect, and when they helped a person grow themselves. I know that Wooden, as a high school teacher, felt this profession was a high calling and he loved it. I don’t recall ever reading him bragging about the effect he had on others.

I wonder if we know a real teacher before they know it themselves? I wonder, also, if it isn’t the example of the teacher’s life more than the words?

Congratulations to the Best Class Ever 2010!

2010-05-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

I am proud to have been able to represent Goodwill in this elite group of really terrific people this year as we graduated from Leadership Austin’s Best Class Ever 2010! I learned so much about our city, myself and others through this process. It was a great experience and I realized how many people here in our community provided their time to make each class educational, fun and present for the 55 members.

I am also glad to be a part of an organization that encourages this opportunity. Goodwill supported me through this experience by allowing me to miss an entire day of work each month in order for me to participate in this program. And while I’m there learning, they, especially my staff and bosses kept things going until I could get back into the office.

I encourage people to go through this process. I attended the Austin Asian-American Chamber’s recruiting event for Leadership Austin because we are a diverse community and need full representation of it in any organization. If anyone would like more information, please go to http://www.leadershipaustin.org/.

Plugged In

2010-05-27T09:09:00.001-07:00

By Jerry Davis

I am a board member of Workability International’s Americas Group (WI) and Goodwill Industries International’s Member Services Center hosted one of our board meetings there not too long ago. Our agenda included revising our hemisphere’s strategic plan, as well as making sure we were in alignment with the international plan.

There are four regions (“groups”) around the world and WI affects more than 3 million people with disabilities worldwide and engages 7,000 employers. Meetings like this remind me of two things: how much we Americans have in common and how much we do not. Examples:

$200 and a goat can make someone independent in some parts of the world

Much of the world doesn’t expect an immediate return-on-investment when it comes to social change, or even dialogue.

Learning and gradual change, are allowed to proceed naturally and completely. And impatience seems to be one of our hallmarks.

This isn’t meant to be negative, because we, too, have much to be proud of in our use of technology, business solutions, and creative drive. At the same time, I’m learning to slow down to talk and think a little longer. I’m afraid that in my frenetic search for “best practices” I may be missing “next practices,” as they slowly evolve far away from Texas. And, truth be told, some of these ideas could do a lot to employ Texans. That’s why we’re plugged in, and are learning more about goats, among other things.

Romp Around!

2010-05-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

It had been a while since I had gone shopping, since the weather in Texas has been so hot and cold, I was able to continue wearing a mixture of my spring and summer clothes. The 80+ degree weather this weekend really put me in the mood to go summer wardrobe shopping!

While flipping through magazines to see what trend I wanted to look for at my local Goodwill, I noticed a lot of rompers! So my mission was to find rompers. Let me tell you how EASY it was to find such a hot item at my local Goodwill! I found three rompers at just one store! Check out the rompers I purchased! What do you think of this trend?

Tuesdays!

2010-05-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

By Charles House

Every Tuesday in New Employee Orientation we do our elevator speech activity. The purpose of this excerise is to help new employees form and practice a response to the questions they will get from customers:

What does Goodwill do with the money they make?

How does buying something in a Goodwill store affect the community?

What do you mean when you say, "We put people to work?"

So we talk about our Workforce Development Programs (Job Source, Community Rehabilitation Program and Youth Services), and specifically how each of them helps assist the community. Then, I give them time to construct their elevator speech before throwing them to the proverbial wolves. Initially they are a little apprehensive about going out, but after they talk to the first person they usually can't wait to get to the next!

Exhibit A:

Here's a new employee talking to one of my coworkers. I'm sure she's saying something about how the items that she buys at Goodwill help to fund programs that help youth and adults get jobs in our community.

Exhibit B:

Here's another new Goodwill team member talking to our receptionist about how our job help programs are designed to assist people with barriers, like people with a disability, language barrier, at-risk youth or people that don't speak English.

Advocacy Day

2010-05-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

By Jerry Davis

I recently traveled to Washington, D.C. for Goodwill Industries International’s (GII) 4th Advocacy Day. About 30 of our 159 US Goodwills were represented, including Central Texas, and we did something different from all the rest.

Along with four staff members, we brought three people who received our services. If you were a member of Congress or a legislative assistant, who would you most like to hear discuss the importance of reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act, or the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, or how a recent Consumer Protection law actually HURT Goodwill’s efforts?

It really matters when you have been poor, homeless, addicted, and behind bars and you are telling the story. I think the message was delivered effectively to the eight offices we visited. By the way, if you’ve never met with your legislator, consider this: they want to hear from you. They welcome you, and they are extraordinarily dedicated people.

Clients and employees at Advocacy Day

Celebrating Success in the Workplace

2010-05-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

By Amy Rames

One of my favorite things to do here at Goodwill is to speak with people who have been able to overcome their obstacles to employment and locate a job. The hard work and determination involved in each story is truly inspiring and sometimes hard to imagine. I’m the lucky one that gets to see the happy ending, getting a small glimpse at the journey that led them to where they are now.

Willie Johnson is one of the most memorable people that I have had the opportunity to speak with, both because of his inspiring story and his incredible ability to tell it. I met with him a few hours after he got off of his night shift, but he was still ready to candidly speak about how he went from working in the electronics industry to living homeless on the streets of Austin. Our meeting had its laughs, tears, but most of all it sent out a message of hope. And for Willie, a guy that volunteers his free time to mentor youth, that’s an important message to put out there.

You can read more about Willie by clicking here.

Be sure to take a look at this FOX 7 interview with Willie, shot on the day-of Goodwill’s Hall of Honor Client Awards Ceremony in 2009, where he received an award for all of his hard work.

Controlled Chaos

2010-05-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

By Suzañha Pena

Today’s Community Career Expo is only half over, and we’ve already had more than 1,500 Central Texans walk through the doors of our Goodwill Community Center looking for a job. Going on until 3 PM today (it’s about 12:30 PM right now), I wanted controlled chaos and so far everything has been going great. Go team!

Also job seekers, if you haven’t had the chance to come out—there’s still time!!

The community’s support for this Expo has been overwhelming, and I’d like to take this time to thank The City of Austin, Workforce Solutions and The Statesman for partnering with us. This has been incredible!

A Job Fair for Everyone

2010-05-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

By Jerry Davis

I hold a license as an occupational therapist (OT), though I haven’t practiced in 17 years. Keep in mind that I was an OT in the ‘80’s; there was no Americans With Disabilities Act, and architectural changes, adaptive equipment, and augmentative communication devices were being pioneered. It was a cool time for me because I worked at a medical college and we were often the ones to get the new toys and try the new ideas.

One concept always frustrated me, as things often do when you’re in your 20s and have it all figured out: why couldn’t people see that these things, these approaches…were good for everyone? That would bring down the prices, improve the acceptability, and create some prevalence. Obviously, a lot has changed. TV remotes and phone auto-dial are mainstream. Computers can talk and they sound “human.” Bathrooms have grab bars. Doorways are wider. Houses are designed without stairs. Ramps are (most) everywhere. And some job fairs are inclusive.

It is commonly held that 70% of people with disabilities who want to work are unemployed—and we think 7% unemployment is bad in Central Texas.

Tomorrow, May 12, Goodwill holds its 12th Career Expo at the Goodwill Community Center and it is fully accessible. There will be sign language and Spanish interpreters as well as sighted-guides. There will be workshops for people seeking jobs and for the dozens of employers in search of that perfect employee. Make no mistake, though, this is not a job fair for people with disabilities. It’s a job fair for everyone, like it should be. No barriers. See you there!

The Community Career Expo is Wednesday!

2010-05-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

By Amy Rames, Communication Specialist

Austin’s most inclusive career fair—The Community Career Expo—is coming up this Wednesday! Last year’s event brought more than 1,600 job seekers under one roof to meet with Austin’s top employers, so don’t forget to pre-register in order to skip the lines and start networking right away!

Today is your last chance to pre-register as a job seeker, so be sure to visit http://www.austingoodwill.org/ and click on Career Expo before midnight! Don’t worry—if you don’t get the chance to pre-register you can still attend this fully-inclusive job fair!

Employers still have the opportunity to attend and kick-start their recruitment efforts by meeting with job-ready candidates for their open positions. You can join some of Austin’s top employers at the Community Career Expo by clicking here to register!

Catching the do-gooder bug….

2010-05-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

By Marcie Jones, Graphic Designer

I have been here at Goodwill for about a year and a half and boy has that time flown by! Since being here, I have caught the do-gooder bug! Seeing all the awesome things that Goodwill does for people in our community, has really inspired me to give back more.

Last August, my husband and I signed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a Big Couple! There are certainly some challenges, but it’s a really great feeling to know that we are having a positive influence on our little brother’s life. Our “little” is 12 and loves everything related to R&B music. He will break into song or dance at the most random times and loves Spongebob! Our time with him is a break from his normal routine and we try to do fun and educational things each time. Sometimes it is just Wii boxing or tennis and making hamburgers at our house and other times it might be going to Mount Bonnell and getting a sno-cone. Whatever we do, it’s a pretty awesome experience!

I also volunteer for the Hill Country Ride for Aids and am on the board of AIGA.

I know it can seem that doing something as small as volunteering a few hours a month can’t make a big difference- but it can! Austin is OUR community, and taking some time to nurture it will make it a better place to live for my family and yours.

Your Community Career Expo Checklist

2010-05-06T10:09:00.001-07:00

By Ryan Bullock

So the Community Career Expo is coming-up next week, thanks to a partnership between Goodwill, Workforce Solutions-Capital Area, The City of Austin, and the Austin American-Statesman. With all of the networking opportunities, on-the-spot interviews and classes under one roof, it’s important to be prepared! Here is a checklist of things you might want to think about to get ready for the big day!

· Print several copies of your resume. (Having trouble or want to tweak your resume? You can get expert advice at the Expo and head to the computer lab to make changes and print out more copies!)

· Dress for success. Wear clothes that show you appreciate the opportunity to be considered for the position! Wear clothing that fits, dress on the conservative side and be appropriate to the industry that you’re applying.

· Take a look at the employers attending and make a list of what booths you want to hit. Educate yourself on all of the employers on your list, so that you can hold a conversation on the company and industry trends.

· Prepare a quick introduction to use with employers. You will no doubt be introducing yourself throughout the day! This is a great opportunity to let the employer know why you would make an excellent candidate for one of their open positions.

Goodwill Has a Computer Store?!

2010-05-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

By Natasha Kanga, Marketing Intern

Since 2004 Goodwill’s computer recycling partnership program with Dell Reconnect, has allowed the community to responsibly recycle any old computers, parts, or other electronic equipment,

with zero percent of the waste going into landfills. When you consider the 230 tons of electronic waste that come through all the Goodwill locations each month, that’s pretty impressive! But if it doesn’t end up in the trash, where does all that old electronic equipment go? Well, if it no longer works, the device is broken down into parts and recycled. Items that are still in good condition, however, are sold in the Goodwill Computer Works store.

That’s right- Goodwill has an entire retail store dedicated solely to computers. Honestly, I had never heard of Computer Works until I started working here; I guess it’s somewhat of a hidden gem, which is why I’m always eager to spread the word!

Computer Works is great because it has something for everyone. From full desktop systems, laptops, and printers, to cables, adapters, and other accessories, shoppers can find what they are looking for at up to 25%-50% off original retail price. When you buy from Computer Works, your purchase not only helps support Goodwill’s mission, it is also good for the environment. By buying a second-hand product still in good condition, you are ensuring that the item gets used to its full potential. So the next time you need anything computer-related, be sure to check out Computer Works before you go anywhere else!

Still on track!

2010-04-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

By Charles House

So it's been a while since I last checked in with an update on my New Years resolution.

I'll have you know that:

I've stopped serving pizza on all but one occasion

Have managed to get through to a few of my co-workers about switching to healthier lifestyle.

I did complete one month of "nothing sweet or fried or any type of carbohydrates after 6pm."

So I'm still on track to complete my resolution.

Another milestone that I'd like to reach this year, more so by the end of the summer, is to become a certified personal trainer. I want to be able to guide people, through what is by no means an easy road, and encourage them to better themselves.

My dreams is to be a trainer in my own facility. A facility that focuses on helping people break out of their routine and re-establish them with healthier concepts. Maybe my mission statement could be "Putting people to work...healthier." It's worth a shot!

All Dolled Up!

2010-04-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

By April Curtner, Graphic Design Intern

Even though my title says "Intern", I'm still a designer, and it's important for me to dress the part. Unfortunately, at this point in time in my life, I can't afford to go on the shopping spree of my dreams to fill my wardrobe full of designer labels... or can I?

I'm often complimented on the clothes I wear both to work and when I go out with friends. Although I'm always proud to tell people how thrifty I am, no one would ever guess that a large portion of my wardrobe comes from Goodwill. The way I see it, why spend $100 on the same pair of jeans that I can get in perfect condition for $9? There are plenty of people that might wear an outfit once or twice, then donate it to make room in their closet for newer clothes. Me? I keep clothes forever. I'm always accessorizing and mixing things up to create brand new looks with stuff I already have.

On a recent shopping trip to the Goodwill location at 183 near Burnet (thanks to the wonderful ladies I work with for the birthday gift card), I walked out with two nice dress shirts, a super cute summer dress, a pencil skirt, and some awesome retro looking pumps (that looked brand new!), all for 30 bucks! If I would have gone to a department store, or even a discount store, I would maybe be able to get a t-shirt or two for that price. I'm definitely rockin' the "Mad Men" Joan Holloway look today at work!

Thanks to shopping at Goodwill, until I land that awesome design gig, I'm at least able to dress the part of a successful designer!

Celebrate Earth Day with Goodwill!

2010-04-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day around the corner--on Thursday, April 22--Goodwill would like to offer a few easy ways that you can be more environmentally friendly:

Donate your gently used items to Goodwill! When you donate your gently used clothing, house wares and books, you help your environment and community by diverting these items from the landfill.

You can donate computer and computer equipment for recycling to Goodwill. Thanks to a partnership with Dell Reconnect, we can provide this community with FREE recycling for working or nonworking computers in any condition! The donated computers and equipment are either refurbished and resold or broken down into parts to be recycled by Dell’s recycling partners. Each month, Goodwill helps to divert more than 230 tons of electronic equipment from area landfills.

One of the most fun ways to celebrate Earth Day is to shop for gently used items at Goodwill instead of purchasing new ones. Reusing an item extends that item’s lifecycle and prevents it from being thrown away. Goodwill stores are a great place to find gently used items at affordable prices. Click here to find your nearest location.

Donating and shopping at Goodwill is not only a simple way to be environmentally responsible, it’s a great way to help people who need it most in our community. Donations are sold in stores and the revenues fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based services for people with disabilities, those who lack education or job experience, and others facing challenges to finding employment.

10 Questions, 10 minutes

2010-04-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

I am not sure if I overlooked or never got my 2010 Census form, but starting this past Monday you can CALL the U.S. Census Bureau and fill out your Census form over the phone! It took exactly 7 minutes and 15 seconds to get through to a REAL person and fill out the form! No time at all! Great experience and you get it all done and help your community!

Goodwill Industries of Central Texas encourages everyone to complete a 2010 Census questionnaire. It’s only 10 questions and 10 minutes (or less in my case) of your time. An accurate count helps decide how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is distributed to state, local and tribal governments.

To learn more and get phone numbers to call, visit 2010census.gov.

Proud to be part of Goodwill

2010-04-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

By Karen Boyer, Special Events Coordinator

Recently, my husband totaled my car on his way into work. When I first got the call he assured me that he was all right but I was still worried. It wasn’t until I arrived at the scene and saw that there were no injuries that my heart stopped pounding. My first thought was that everything is going to be fine because there were no physical injuries.

What followed was a whirlwind of missed work, carpooling, calls to the insurance company, and family help with rides. I realized that I had double luck. Not only was my husband still healthy but I came out of the situation being able to hold onto my job, only missing a few hours of work, and new transportation. My new car is much more fun to drive than my old one, which I had planned on driving at least another 5 years.

For people who do not have family support, flexible work schedules, or emergency funds, a car accident can mean the loss of a job or more. If you don’t live near a bus stop and your car is totaled, you may end up having to spend a lot of money on taxis or miss work. If you live paycheck to paycheck the extra cost may also mean that there is not enough money for basic needs like food and rent.

Realizing this, I am even more proud to be a part of Goodwill. Right now at Goodwill you have the opportunity to donate to our DollarWorks campaign. The money donated will go towards funding our mission. One aspect of which can be helping our community with their basic needs, like finding transportation to work, when they are faced with barriers to employment.

Every Little Bit Helps

2010-04-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

By Amy Rames

While I was volunteering at one of our stores, I noticed one of our cashiers with a small jar by the register where customers could throw their change to help support our job programs. During down time he would empty the jar and count. "Every little bit helps," he said.

He reminded me of my own piggy bank when I was little. You see, my two big brothers didn't appreciate that change all adds up, and they would throw away their pennies. Literally--they just threw their pennies away in the garbage because they were worth only one cent.

Frustrated by what was happening, I decided to start a change jar that I made my brothers throw their pennies into. After a while, my entire family joined in--I was able to collect mostly pennies with a few dimes, nickles and quarters in the mix.

When the day came that my jar was finally full, my dad and I grabbed it and went into the bank to have it all counted. My jar had $200--needless to say, my brothers never threw away their change ever again.

It really does all add-up. And right now, during our DollarWorks Campaign, we have the entire community getting involved, donating money to support Goodwill's programs that help people find jobs. The more we collect, the more Goodwill can help.

Thanks Central Texas for your support!

Get Beach Ready at Goodwill!

2010-03-31T06:25:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

It's about that time that when you start hearing about swimsuits, pools, beaches and summer vacations! Well good news...you can get beach ready on a budget!

I stopped by our North Lamar store this weekend to take a look at some swimsuits for my trip to Florida! I found quite a few swimsuits to mix and match and I even found some for my boyfriend too! I bought one for me and one for my boyfriend for a grand total of $10!!!

Now it's your turn to get beach ready at Goodwill!

Your Donation Makes a Difference

2010-03-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

By Amy Rames

Yesterday I stopped by one of our Goodwill locations where I overheard this conversation at the register:

Cashier: "Thank you for shopping at Goodwill. Would you like to make a donation to our DollarWorks campaign, which helps to raise money for Goodwill's programs that help people find jobs in our community?"

Shopper: "But I just shopped. Isn't the money I'm spending doing that already?"

Cashier: "Yes, you are right. But when you donate money to Goodwill, it allows us to apply those funds directly to our mission. So, we can skip the resale process and immediately help someone build their job search skills and find a job."

Shopper: "I didn't know that. I'll make a donation."

Our cashier nailed it on the head--our DollarWorks Fundraising Campaign, which will be running in our stores for the next 3 weeks, is a really easy way to immediately make a difference in this community. And no matter how you support Goodwill - donating goods, money, or shopping - you will be making a difference in someone's life.

Take a look at how Goodwill's job services helped Basil find success in the workplace.

Thank you, Central Texas for your support!

The Luck O' The Irish!

2010-03-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

By Janelle Otero

I made the mistake of wearing my one green shirt on Tuesday and tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day!! I needed to find something green to wear, but since I don't wear green too often I didn't want to spend a ton of money! So... I stopped by my local Goodwill to look for something! I found the perfect green item to rock tomorrow! Here are the green items I found. Can you guess which I chose? HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

The Spirit of Goodwill Band

2010-03-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

By Jerry Davis

About five years ago, I made a trip to Miami to visit the Goodwill, along with a handful of CEOs and staff members. This Goodwill is a standout among the 160 in the United States for several reasons. It manufactures the American flags used by the military on its bases and for funerals, as well as battle dress uniforms. If you’ve never seen a modern textile manufacturing plant, it is an amazing site to behold. It also does all the stuffers for the Miami Herald, so if your newspaper is like mine, you know how much “stuff” we’re talking about. It, too, is a big operation.

All the while, however, there was an odd feeling of expectation emanating from the people giving the tour. As for me, I was already impressed, intimidated, and filled with ideas; I was ready to head back to Austin after lunch and start trying some of the new ideas I was learning. So let’s eat, and leave, I was thinking. Then I understood.

We were to have entertainment at lunch. We watched as 5, then 10, then over 20 people set up for a performance. It was a band with every shape, size, color, ability, and instrument you could imagine. And when they played…incredible. Beautiful. Extraordinary. They were great!

Got a call a few weeks ago from the Miami CEO. He told me this band was the subject of a documentary and that it would be featured at SXSW after beating out hundreds of entries. It will be a juried feature! Don’t get me wrong—this is about the members of the band, not Goodwill. That Goodwill brought them together is great, but that’s not the story. I’ve seen the preview and I am hooked.

Click here to get the details of the premiere on Sunday, the 14th at 11:30 a.m. Get there early if you want to see it. Best $10 you’ll spend this weekend.

Somebody is getting rich off of my donations!!!

2010-03-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

By Ana Freeman, Job Placement Specialist II

Last night, I had the opportunity to serve as a discussion facilitator for Austin Community College's Economic Forum. The discussion of the night was Job Creation. Being that I'm involved in Workforce Development, I was interested in what these future graduates had to say.

As I took my seat, one of the students at my table looked at me and then looked at my name badge and said, "Goodwill, huh? I have a problem with your company." I sat there a little shocked for a moment--thinking, why on earth someone would have a problem with us-- and then inquired if he had a poor customer service experience. His reply was very interesting, "No, I've never shopped in your stores before. Actually, I didn't think that my donations were being sold and somebody was getting rich off of them!"

The young man that I was speaking to was irritated because he thought that his donations were going to be "given to the needy."I'll admit, I was a little nervous at first, but I managed to get out, "but sir, your donations DO go to the needy...in more ways than one." At this point, I had a captive audience. All of the students at my table had tuned in to our conversation and I was awarded the opportunity to explain the great company that is Goodwill.

I explained that Goodwill was a not-for-profit agency and told the student that the donations were sold in the stores and the profits were then used for employing people who have barriers to employment, providing job search assistance to people who would otherwise not receive any help, finding housing for the homeless, and case management for those who qualify for our programs.

"So, in essence," I told him, "if anyone is getting rich off of your donations, its the Central Texans who receive our assistance. Not to mention, if you go into one of our stores, you'll see some high quality items at affordable prices, giving our customers a sense of dignity when they shop at our stores." It seemed like he understood where I was coming from at this point, but then I remembered something that Blogger Charles House mentioned in my orientation that made a lot of sense to me and I thought I would share it with him: "Goodwill isn't about giving a handout, but giving a hand up."He smiled and said, "I don't have a problem with your company anymore."

What an opportunity!!!

Good Music. Good Film. Goodwill.

2010-03-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

By Amy Rames

I am a HUGE fan of Austin's big music festivals, and I look forward to them every year. I am a veteran of going 'badgeless' and love the challenge of finding parking downtown (Ok...so love is definitely the wrong word!) But, here we are..SXSW is finally here!!

So you can imagine that I was thrilled to hear that a documentary film , featuring Goodwill Industries of South Florida's Spirit of Goodwill Band, is going to be shown during the film portion of SXSW!

The documentary, called For Once in My Life, has all the makings of being a great pick for your SXSW schedule--it's entertaining, inspiring--and of course--it has great music!

Here's the run-down on the film:

"The 29 members of the 'Spirit of Goodwill' band, who are featured in the film, each face varying mental and physical abilities, such as Austism, Down Syndrome and blindness. As they prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime performance, they face the same challenges that all performer faces--learning to play and sing new music, while coming together as a band."

So, check out the premiere at SXSW on March 14 at 11:30 AM at G-Tech (501 E. 4th Street). Be sure to arrive early if you don't have a badge because it is an official screening and entance isn't guaranteed for those of you going badgeless, like me! Get all the details by clicking here.

Get Lucky at Goodwill!

2010-03-08T12:44:00.000-08:00

By Janelle Otero

For those of you that have a Facebook profile, you must check this out! Goodwill is holding a drawing on St. Patrick's day for (2) $25 gift cards! All you have to do in order to be entered is go to to the "Get Lucky at Goodwill" event page on the "Goodwill Industries of Central Texas" fan page and tell how you "got lucky" at Goodwill!

I have gotten "lucky" at Goodwill more times than I can count! I have found lots of unique items, brand new items and TONS of brand name items. I'm sure many you have seen the items I have found in the stores, so now it's your turn to tell about yours! Click on the picture below to go to the event page!

Community

2010-03-04T08:17:00.000-08:00

By Jerry Davis

If you follow this blog, you know I like to read. I’m about 1/3 of the way into The Outliers, by Malcomb Gladwell. The book begins with the story of an Italian-American village that was an oddity at the turn of the last century. It seems that this community—and only that community—was dying of old age. Not much else. After much research, it was learned that the sense of community was responsible for longevity, low crime, low divorce, and a low incidence of mental illness. In fact, when members left the community, they succumbed to the problems of the general population where they relocated. Odd isn’t it?I wonder what the statistics would show about Austin? We can claim to be #1 in so many things, and we are proud of our strong sense of community.

I wonder if we’re similar?

2010 Spring Fashion Trends

2010-03-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

By Janelle Otero

Recently, my tiny apartment mailbox has been stuffed full with my magazine subscriptions for the month, including many popular style magazines. This weekend I quickly sifted through them all and glanced at pictures and smelled perfume samples. As I was doing this, I noticed a very common theme-spring fashion trends!

If you know me or have read my profile, you know I love fashion and I love shopping-maybe a little too much! Anyways, I was looking at some of the 2010 fashion trends and finding myself unsure if I would ever wear some of them. Some of the big ones I noticed are: pastels, feathered skirts, tie dye, tweed suits, tailored vests,head to toe of one color, country look and polka dots.

The key word with all this is TRENDS! They can come and go as they please and they seem to do so right after you spent $100 on that ONE dress for that ONE outing.

So, first thing this week I went to my local Goodwill to search for some of these trends. The ones I found that I really enjoyed were the country look, feathered skirts, tie dye and pastels. Unfortunately, I didn't have a lot of time this day to look for exactly the look I wanted, but here are the starts to my spring trend wardrobe. What's your favorite spring trend?

Strengthening Our Community

2010-02-24T06:13:00.000-08:00

By Jerry Davis

My first real job after college was working at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo. I was an occupational therapist at the new medical rehabilitation center. The quickest way for me to get to work was to cut through the east side of town. There’s something really sad about northern industrial cities and their “east sides.” On the one hand, they are often extraordinarily run down; on the other hand, their former grandeur, given a moment’s inspection, is very obvious. Flophouses in the area were once the mansions of titans.

I’ve been back to the area several times since moving to Texas and I can’t say it’s had a total renaissance, but it’s had a big one. Many new businesses have moved into the neighborhood. The Toledo Zoo, built by The Works Progress Administration, is again one of the best in the world. Parks have children laughing and playing in them again. There is even a new hockey arena being planned and a baseball stadium that is every bit as nice as our Dell Diamond, all located in a formerly blighted area.

Now, here’s the point of the story. When Goodwill comes to town, people sometimes think it’s a signal that blight has arrived. Many community members think or ask out loud: “What did we wrong?” or “Are things going downhill?” The short answer is “no.” Take a look at these photos below and tell me if we are adding or detracting from the neighborhood. And always remember: the items you donate and the goods you buy strengthen our community with jobs.

Goodwill Community Center

Goodwill Hutto Retail Store

Goodwill Brodie Retail Store

Goodwill Norwood Retail Store

Levi's and Goodwill

2010-02-22T07:32:00.000-08:00

By Charles House

Levi's teamed up with Goodwill Industries International to help people be more conscious of the impact they have on the environment. The eco-friendly initiative encourages people to donate their unwanted clothes to Goodwills, instead of landfills, across America. Goodwill will then use the revenue generated from the sale of the donated clothes to fund programs that help people find jobs. As an employee of Goodwill, and a consumer of Levi's products, I think this is an awesome collaboration. Not only does this help us get our mission out, but it also help preserve the environment, one of the values of our organization. It also shows Levi's continued commitment to the environment and their desire to educate. Levi's is producing items with a new care tag with tips on how to reduce individual impact on the planet.

Here's a sample of one of the new care labels:

As well as a banner ad:

One Mission, Many Achievements

2010-02-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

By Amy Rames

Everytime I have the opportunity to meet one of our clients, hear a success story or see that special bond that develops between a Goodwill Placement Specialist and a job seeker, I feel really good to be a part of something that has such an impact on our entire community.

And providing job help services, like job search help, resume and application building, really does so much more than help someone get a paycheck to help them pay the bills and put food on the table. More jobs mean a stronger, more employed community and a stimulated economy. It means more taxes being paid to strengthen our school systems, to our police and fire departments, less crime and poverty. A job can do a lot for an individual and a community as a whole.

So when our annual Hall of Honor Client Awards Banquet comes around, it's a special time for me and everyone here at Goodwill. For this year's event, we are honoring three clients that have overcome their barriers, including homelessness, lack of education, and substance abuse, to be successful in the workplace and life.

During this time, I am given the special opportunity to speak with each inductee into our Hall of Honor and hear their inspiring stories. You can read all about them on our website at http://www.austingoodwill.org/ after our Feb 25 event. For now, take a look at stories from last year's Hall of Honor by clicking here.

Booker T: Still Making a Difference

2010-02-17T06:40:00.000-08:00

By Ana Freeman, Job Placement Specialist II

Typically, February is known for being African American History month and the month of romance—well, at least it houses the day of romance, Valentine’s Day. So at Job Source, we thought, “How could we turn this into a training opportunity?”

Valentines Day is typically symbolized through the usage of hearts, cupids and chocolates. Archery and Chocolatier courses were not really in high demand, but CPR courses were. Bingo! Now, how did we tie in African American History month, you may ask. Easy, we hosted the CPR certification at the Booker T. Washington Job Source location.

Goodwill’s Job Source program is dedicated to helping people who have barriers to employment find jobs that fit their skills and interests. Sometimes, one of those barriers can be as simple as lack of training. That’s where we come into play; we set up clients with training, specific to their needs.

This month eleven Job Source clients became CPR certified. This certification will help them find jobs in the medical and child development fields, which they are interested in.

Dignity

2010-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

By Jerry Davis

I’ve worked for Goodwill since 1993 and was fortunate, I think, to arrive at the time when we discovered that our stores needed a little extra attention. All across the country, Goodwill organizations have been remodeling ever since. This sets us apart from your typical thrift store, since most of us aspire to look like popular department stores and have been pretty successful at it.

Our Central Texas Goodwill officially re-opened a store in Round Rock on the corner of Mays St. and Highway 79 on Saturday at 8:45 a.m. (although I’ll let you in on a secret—we opened it last Wednesday). I’ve heard the customers tell me things I already know: “It’s big! It’s really bright and clean! There’s so much stuff!” I love that.

Those comments are great, but still do not compare to the best comment I’ve ever heard a few years ago, “I’m not embarrassed to shop here anymore.” That came from a person who didn't have the means to shop in upscale department stores, and shopping in a store with a nice appearance did something for her that our founder would have loved--It gave her some dignity.

Round Rock Grand Opening

2010-02-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

By Goodwill Industries of Central Texas

Visit Goodwill’s newest location with friends, family and neighbors for a chance to win great prizes, such as gift cards, bowling at Mel’s Lonestar Lanes, a computer from the Goodwill Computer Works store, and a free giveaway to first 100 customers. The celebration will kick-off with a ribbon cutting with community leaders at 8:45 am, and there will be entertainment for the whole family all day:

Austin Goodwill Blogger Team

Goodwill honored by The Quality Texas Foundation

E-Waste Control: A Bold Step In The Right Direction

Raise the Roof

Goodwill, Good friend - Janis Guerrero Thompson

We (almost) have walls!

Computers=Opportunities

Groundwork

What does my donation to Goodwill do?

The H-word

Green Group Volunteer Activity

Making Progress

Southpark Meadows Construction Cam

Your Personal Mission

Good ol' Texas Weather

The Good Give

Fredericksburg Grand Opening!

Your giving is so good

Natural Disaster in Japan

Goodwill's Hall of Honor is Tonight

Invest in our youth and our community

Splash of Color and Fun!

Show the Love Winners Announced!

Show the Love

Better Use

Halftime

My Non-Resolution

Mission Magic

Feeling Safe About Your Donation

Unemployed During the Holidays

Playing soccer without a leg

Behind the scenes!

Happy Veterans Day!

The Importance of Mentors

Spring Cleaning?? How about Fall Cleaning!

Ghoulwill Ball

I *love* the '80s! Simple Alterations Complete the Look!

Enter if you DARE!

A Creative Film for Creative Austin!

No Coffee-runs here!

Listening to You!

10 Things You Might Not Know About Goodwill

Lakeway Grand Opening!

Grandpa Plays in the NFL

Happy Labor Day!

My Story: Charles Mwamba, From Another Perspective

Hook 'em Horns! \\m//

Savings accounts REALLY can save!

Vintage at Its Best

Community

Brand U.

So Much More

Team Building with Bowling? YES!!

Are my tattoos ok?

Letter from "Another Satisfied Goodwill Shopper"

FOX 7 Idol Auditions!

Commercial Services Mail Solutions

Goodwill Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

You're Invited!

'It feels good to be paying bills'

Managers Have it Rough

7 days, 7,000 fans, 7 party suites!

Canes, Blindfolds, and Braille, Oh My! Part 2

Canes, Blindfolds, and Braille, Oh My! Part 1

New Name + New Promotions=More Fun

Loss is Never Easy

Do your gardening with Goodwill!

When do you become a teacher?

Congratulations to the Best Class Ever 2010!

Plugged In

Romp Around!

Tuesdays!

Advocacy Day

Celebrating Success in the Workplace

Controlled Chaos

A Job Fair for Everyone

The Community Career Expo is Wednesday!

Catching the do-gooder bug….

Your Community Career Expo Checklist

Goodwill Has a Computer Store?!

I love the '80s! Simple Alterations Complete the Look!