GOOD NEWS  
   from  Goodwill
Smiling G
GOOD NEWS from Goodwill is a monthly newsletter designed to highlight events and classes at Heart of Texas Goodwill Industries' Learning Centers as well as various other educational and employment opportunities! Scroll through this newsletter to see what Goodwill has to offer you! Check out our website at hotgoodwill.org
WACO LEARNING CENTER
Ridgecrest Retirement Home Technology Connection
November's Tea, Cookies, and Technology at Ridgecrest Retirement Center was a great success!  Learning Center staff enjoyed talking to seniors about how technology can help them connect and communicate with friends and family.  Our staff will continue their work in December by meeting with residents to provide one-on-one technology assistance.  We look forward to helping older adults improve their digital literacy this Holiday Season.
  

*For dates and times of classes held each month, please click on the Waco calendar located in the Monthly Classes & Events Calendar section of this email*

***On Monday, December 12th, no Learning Center staff will be available for assistance***

***The Learning Center will be closed on Monday, December 26th, in observance with the Christmas Holiday.**
 

Questions/Appointments: Give us a call at 254-753-7337!
TEMPLE LEARNING CENTER
Applying for Benefits
Applying or reapplying for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or CHIP on yourtexasbenefits.com?  Come to the Temple Learning Center to have a Certified Navigator assist you in applying for services!

Free GED Classes
GED classes have resumed at the Temple Learning Center on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  The classes will be held from 9 am to 12 pm. 

 Orientation is offered every Tuesday from 10 am to 12 pm. 
 
Financial Advising Classes
"To Your Credit" with BBVA Compass.  This class will teach you how to better understand your credit history and how it will affect your future.  BBVA will provide all the materials needed to engage you in your financial future.  The class will take place on Thursday, December 15th at 1 pm.

Customer Service Essentials
Join from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 15th for our FREE Customer Service Essentials Class.  This class will provide you with easy-to-remember guidelines for providing friendly and efficient customer service techniques.  This course is a tool developed to help prep participants for the Customer Service and Sales Certification Exam through the National Retail Federation.

*For dates and times of classes held each month, please click on the Temple calendar located in the 
Monthly Classes & Events Calendar section of this email*


**The Learning Center will be closed on Monday, December 12th**

***The Learning Center will be closed on Monday, December 26th in observance with the Christmas Holiday**


Questions/Appointments? Give us a call at 254-773-6424!
BELTON LEARNING CENTER
CPR Certification Class
The Belton Learning Center will host a CPR Certification Class on Wednesday, December 14th at 4:00 PM.  The cost is $40.00, and can be paid by cash or money order.  To enroll or ask questions, please call us at (254) 613-4334 option #2.

The HOP Job Fair
Join us on Tuesday, December 13th, from 9 am to 12 pm for hiring fair for The HOP, a regional public transit system.  The job fair will take place at the Belton Learning Center, and is hosted by the TVC.  
Questions?  Please call us at 254-613-4334.

*For dates and times of classes held each month, please click on the Belton calendar located in the 
Monthly Classes & Events Calendar section of this email*
 
**The Learning Center will be closed on Monday, December 12th**

****The Learning Center will be closed on Monday, December 26th in observance with the Christmas Holiday**
 
 
Questions/Appointments? Please call us at 254-613-4334!
KILLEEN LEARNING CENTER
 
Financial Advising Classes
"To Your Credit" with BBVA Compass.  This class will teach you how to better understand your credit history, and how it will affect your future.  BBVA will provide all the materials needed to engage you in your financial future.  The class will take place on Wednesday, December 7th at 1 pm.  Questions?  Please, feel free to call us at (254)634-0637

Customer Service Essentials
This class will provide you with easy-to-remember guidelines for providing friendly and efficient customer service techniques.  This course is a tool developed to help prep participants for the Customer Service and Sales Certification Exam through the National Retail Federation.  This class will take place on Wednesday, December 7th from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.  

Fork Lift Certification Classes
This class will provide you with the tools to be safe and how to operate a forklift.  Upon completion, you will receive your certificate.  This class will take place on Saturday, December 10th from 9 am to 2 pm.  The cost is $65.00 for safety training, and $25.00 for the hands on driving training. 

** Killeen ISD is now hiring Food Service Workers and Transportation Workers.  Please go to www.killeenisd.org to apply.**


**The Learning Center will be closed on Monday, December 12th**
 
***The Learning Center will be closed on Monday, December 26th in observance with the Christmas Holiday***
 
 
Questions? Feel free to call us at (254) 634-0637!
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Gift of a Job







 
Gift of a Job is a fund-raising campaign aimed at supporting Heart of Texas Goodwill's mission of helping people with disabilities and other barriers to employment.  Revenue raised through Gift of a Job will be used to expand FREE service programs offered to the community.  These service programs are offered at our Waco, Temple, Belton, and Killeen Learning Centers.  Learning Centers provide FREE employment services and job readiness training to anyone seeking assistance.  Programs include: job search/placement, job interview preparation, resume writing, customer service classes, computer skills training, GED preparation, and many more.
To participate, when you shop at any of the Goodwill retail stores, simply add a $1 donation to your purchase.  
Monthly Classes &
Events Calendars
Click the appropriate link below to view the class and events calendar for the Learning Center in your area.





Getting to Know Our Mission Services Team

Connecting you with the dedicated team working hard to fulfill our Mission at Heart of Texas Goodwill



Megan Hutson
Community Loan Center 
Liaison

Megan joined Goodwill in August of 2016 to service Community Loan Center of the Heart of Texas, a new program administered by Heart of Texas Goodwill.  The Community Loan Center of the Heart of Texas (CLCHOT) is a separate non profit, with a goal of offering a new, innovative small dollar workplace loan program to contracted employers to offer to their employees as a benefit.  The program is offered at no cost to employers.  Currently, Waco ISD and the City of Waco are actively involved in the program.  An employee may chose to take a loan up to $1000, granted they have been employed for 3 months.  The employee has 12 months to make payments, which are done through payroll deduction.  The entire process is meant to be barrier free and streamlined.  To learn more about the program, check out CLCHOT's website, clchot.org or call 254-753-7337.


CAREERS IN RETAIL

Do you currently work in or have experience in the retail, restaurant, or hospitality industry? Ar you ready to turn you job into a career? If you answered "yes" to both questions above then check out Careers in Retail! This initiative focuses on helping participants gain the leadership development skills necessary to advance in their position and provide employers qualified individuals to fill mid-level jobs within the retail, restaurant, and hospitality industries. To find out more, please
click here .
 
If interested in applying for the Careers in Retail program, please click here for the application and return it to any of our Learning Center locations. If you have any questions about the program, please email  careersinretail@hotgoodwill.org or visit your local Learning Center.
 
For more information about this month's classes, please check your local Learning Center's calendar.