See what's going on at Goodwill this May...
|
| 
Goodwill's 2014 Annual Report is Now Available Online 
Goodwill Industries of the Valleys has made an overwhelming impact on the communities in its 31 county, 13 city service area and the individuals who live there. In 2014, not only did Goodwill serve 87,755 individuals and place 3,662 in competitive
community employment, but it also helped the environment by keeping over 13.5 million pounds out of area landfills.
This year Goodwill went "green" with the annual report by making it an interactive online document. Along with reading about the Graduate of the Year, DJ Ferguson, you can hear him tell how Goodwill helped him get back to work after dropping out of school at 16 to take care of his mom and grandmother.
To view the interactive report,
click here.
For more information on 2014 Annual Report, contact:
Elizabeth Milne, Marketing and Community Relations Manager
Email: [email protected]
Office: (540) 581.0620 ext. 174 | Cell Phone: (540) 613.2481
|
New Goodwill Outlet Opening in Staunton
Goodwill is opening an Outlet store in Staunton. The Outlet will be located on the Goodwill Staunton Jobs Campus at 1106 Greenville Avenue, in Staunton, just down from the existing Goodwill Store. The new Outlet store will offer daily, last chance deals to community, as well as merchandise that will be sold by the pound. The existing Staunton Goodwill store will continue to offer customers the traditional Goodwill shopping experience.
"Goodwill Outlet Stores provide a shopping experience for our customers that is a little bit different than they are accustomed," states Mindy Boyd, Vice President of Donated Goods. "The outlet is a no fills, bargain shopping experience. Inventory is refreshed throughout the day, and customers are sure to find lots of deals."
Goodwill stores provide critical funding to help support job training and employment programs in our communities. Goodwill serves youth, adults, and seniors who have disabilities, disadvantages, and those who have lost their job due to company closing or layoff. In 2014 Goodwill Industries of the Valleys helped thousands of people and placedover 3,600 individuals into competitive community employment within the 31 county, 13 city service area in Virginia.
This will be the second Goodwill Outlet store for Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. The first is located in Salem.
For more information on the Outlet, contact:
Elizabeth Milne, Marketing and Community Relations Manager
Email: [email protected]
Office: (540) 581.0620 ext. 174 | Cell Phone: (540) 613.2481
|
Goodwill Announces GoodGuides' Youth Mentoring Program Community Day 
(Roanoke)
Goodwill GoodGuides Youth Mentoring Program is hosting its "Get to Know Your Neighbor" Celebration on Saturday, May 16, 2015 at the GoodGuides Community Garden from 10am - 3pm. The Garden is located at 3902 Shenandoah Avenue, Roanoke, VA 24017. The youth participants invite the community community to come and celebrate with them as they unveil their new Community Garden sign, while also getting to know what resources are available for the families in the community.
There will be free food, drinks, music, games, and activities for youth of all ages. Community members will be able to secure a garden box in the garden, at no charge, which they will tend to themselves and enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables for their own families. Local businesses and churches are also invited to set up vendor tables during the event to share with the community what services they have to offer.
The GoodGuides Youth Mentoring program serves youth between the ages of 12 and 17. The youth benefit from the guidance of adult mentors that help them build career plans and skills to prepare for school completion, post-secondary training and productive work.
The Goodwill GoodGuides program began in 2009 with a $19.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Delinquency Prevention. Goodwill Industries International dispersed that original grant to 56 independent Goodwill agencies in 38 states around the country.
To learn more about Goodwill programs that help youth, adults, and their families reach their full potential, click here.
For more information on the GoodGuides Community Day, contact:
Kelly Coleman, Vice President, Marketing
Email: [email protected]
Office: (540) 581.0620 ext. 107 | Cell Phone: (540) 525.5728
|
Goodwill Promotes Professional Fellows Program in North Africa Through Department of State Exchange
(Roanoke)
Goodwill Industries of the Valleys
is hosting Moulay (Hassan) Alablouni, Project Manager at Amal Women's Training Center in Marrakech Morocco, through the Department of State's Professional Fellows Program (PFP). This two-way exchange embraces the power of individual citizens to find creative solutions to challenges they face in their home communities.
During his month-long fellowship, Alablouni will spend time with members of Goodwill's Leadership Team and their staffs to discuss the various business and support areas within the organization. In addition to support areas in corporate office, such as Human Resources, Marketing, and Finance, Alablouni will also spend time learning about Donated Goods model, including the retail stores, and program services that help people get back to work and gain greater independence. From all of this, Alablouni will submit a report about his visit to Legacy International detailing his findings and what ideas he can take back to his country and his organization.
Alablouni hopes to improve his grant writing skills, meet and network with other associations, and exchange ideas with individuals who have a different perspective. His aim is to learn from them and give them insight into his own experience.
"It is an opportunity for us to learn about Hassan's country, the Moroccan government and how non-profits, known as non-government organizations there, function and the level of support they get from their government and citizens," states Linda LaMona, Senior VP of services for Goodwill. "It is a way of helping us to understand and develop more cultural diversity."
Goodwill is one of hundreds of U.S. organizations chosen to host Professional Fellows participants from more than 40 countries this spring. At the conclusion of the program, June 2 - 4, all 222 fellows will gather in Washington, D.C., for the Professional Fellows Congress, a three-day concluding event aimed at preparing fellows to implement follow-on projects upon their return home.
Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, a United Way partner organization headquartered in Roanoke, serves 31 counties and 13 cities in the New River, Roanoke, and Shenandoah Valleys. Its mission is to help people and families in our community achieve a better life through work and independence. In 2014, Goodwill assisted thousands of individuals and in this difficult employment market placed 3,662 people into jobs in our community.
Since 2010, nearly 2,000 participants from more than 77 countries have taken part in the PFP in cities across the U.S., and approximately 1,000 American hosts have participated in reciprocal exchanges overseas.
For more information on the Professional Fellows Program, contact:
Elizabeth Milne, Marketing and Community Relations Manager
Email: [email protected]
Office: (540) 581.0620 ext. 174 | Cell Phone: (540) 613.2481
|
Goodwill Project SEARCH Graduation Set for June 3rd
(Roanoke City and County, Salem, and Botetourt)
Roanoke Valley Project SEARCH Graduation:
Wednesday, June 3rd at 10am
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Second Floor Auditorium
Commencement Speaker: Dr. Lorraine S. Lange, Roanoke Country Schools Superintendent
Project SEARCH is a one year program that provides education and on-site training to prepare youth with disabilities to be work ready upon graduation from high school. The program, which serves as a workforce alternative for students in their last year of high school, is located at a community health-care facility. Students are chosen for the program by a selection committee made up of individuals from the organizations involved in the Project SEARCH collaboration, including the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Down Syndrome Association, Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, and local school systems.
This is the fifth graduation class for Project SEARCH. In all, thirty individuals have graduated from the program and 21 are working.
"Project SEARCH is extremely important because it provides on-site training to youth with disabilities, in partnership with Carilion Clinic, so they will be work ready upon graduation from high school and the program," states Sylvie Peterson, Project SEARCH Coordinator. "The goal of Project SEARCH is competitive employment, providing the interns with the ability to earn their own paycheck and have the pride of knowing they are contributing members of society. The graduation is emotional for the individuals, families, and all of us at Goodwill. Knowing these young people are now ready for the work world and have achieved greater independence, is inspiring and gratifying."
To learn more about Project SEARCH, click here.
For more information on the Project SEARCH Graduation, contact:
Elizabeth Milne, Marketing and Community Relations Manager
Email: [email protected]
Office: (540) 581.0620 ext. 174 | Cell Phone: (540) 613.2481
|
Get to Know Your Local Goodwill
(Roanoke)
Goodwill Industries of the Valleys is inviting the community to go on a "Real Goodwill" tour to learn about the organization's impact on the community. During the tour, attendees will hear from volunteers, family of program participants, and Goodwill leadership about the "Real Goodwill". Individuals have gained greater independence after participating in Goodwill's training and employment programs will also tell their stories.
"Real Goodwill" tours take place twice a month and space is limited, so the public is encouraged to reserve their spot today to attend.
Tour Information:
All tours begin at 8:30am and last one hour
Tour Location:
Goodwill Industries of the Valleys
Roanoke Jobs Campus
2502 Melrose Ave, NW, Suite B
Roanoke, VA 24017
Upcoming Tour Dates:
May 20th
June 4th
June 17th
To sign up for a tour or future dates, click here.
For more information on Real Goodwill Tours, contact:
Elizabeth Milne, Marketing and Community Relations Manager
Email: [email protected]
Office: (540) 581.0620 ext. 174 | Cell Phone: (540) 613.2481
|
Good Choice Companions Summer Special
(Roanoke and Salem)
Good Choice Companions, a division of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, is committed
to providing quality companion care service to individuals in Roanoke and Salem who need assistance
to remain independent.
During the Month of June, Good Choice Companions is offering individuals in need of service a "Spring Special".
Purchase Two Hours of Companion Care Service and
Get 1 Hour FREE!
Those interested in taking advantage of the special June pricing should call Good Choice Companions at (540) 632.1389.
Qualified and trained companions provide services to seniors and other individuals who need extra assistance; helping them feel comfortable and allowing them to remain independent in their home.
Good Choice Companions can help with many tasks around the house, provide medication reminders, light housekeeping, help with pet care, provide transportation for appointments and errands, and much more. For more information on Good Choice Companions contact: Angie Stanfill, Director of Companion Care, Good Choice Companions Email: [email protected]
Cell: (540) 632.1389
|
Goodwill hosts a variety of Job Seeker Services to help individuals in the community get back to work. Among these services are Job Fairs that are held at several different locations in its service area. These fairs are primarily solo events that feature one employer at a time and they are free and open to the public.
"The job fairs we hold at Goodwill serve a multi-fold purpose, sort of a "one size fits all," states Karen Jackson, Jobs Campus Coordinator. "They build and strengthen partner relationships between businesses and Goodwill, and offer local employers a no-cost opportunity to recruit and directly interface with prospective employees. The real winners, however, are the job seekers, often discouraged by submitting impersonal online job applications, now given the chance to get their faces, voices, and personalities in front hiring managers. Many times as result of the connection initiated by the weekly fairs held at Goodwill, a match is made, satisfying both the employer and soon-to-be employee. There are few words sweeter than, 'I got the job!'" 
Upcoming Job Fairs
Senior Community Service Employment Program - Multi-Vendor
Date: Thursday, May 21st
Time: 10am to 12pm
Location: 2502 Melrose Avenue NW, Ste. B, Roanoke
Description: Job seekers of all ages, make plans to attend the May 21 event.
Employers include: Adecco, Care Advantage, Carilion, Freedom First FCU, Goodwill Industries, Home Depot, Medical Facilities of America, Mountain Valley Transportation, Richfield, The Budd Group, and Wells Fargo.
Service vendors include SERCAP, Deptpartment for the Blind and Vision Impaired, Deaf & Hard of Hearing
New River Valley Job Fair Expo
Date: Thursday, May 21st
Time: 10am to 2pm
Location: New River Community College, Edwards Hall, room 117, Dublin
For more information, visit: https://www.nr.edu/nrvjobfairexpo/
For more information on Job Seeker Services, including Job Fairs,
click here.
For more information on Job Seeker Services contact:
Elizabeth Milne, Marketing and Community Relations Manager
Email: [email protected]
Office: (540) 581.0620 ext. 174 | Cell Phone: (540) 613.2481
|
| General Goodwill Information Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, a United Way partner organization headquartered in Roanoke, serves 31 counties and 13 cities in the New River, Roanoke, and Shenandoah Valleys. Its mission is to help people and families in our community achieve a better life through work and independence. In 2014, Goodwill assisted thousands of individuals and in this difficult employment market placed 3,662 people into jobs in our community. |
|
