Ambassador Fall 2015

Ambassador FALL 2015

Goodwill Brings Life-Changing Mission, Pocketbook-Saving Bargains to Bellevue

Loyal Goodwill Donor Hails New Pickup Service

Summer Youth Program Prepares Teens for Employment

Ambassador Fall 2015 2

AmbassadorFALL 2015

President and CEO Matthew S. Bourlakas

Publisher Karl HoustonSenior Director of Marketing & Community Relations

Editor and Writer Chris FletcherPR & Communications Manager

Art Director EJ Kerr Manager of Creative Services

Ambassador is a quarterly magazine published by Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc., 1015 Herman Street, Nashville, TN 37208.

For the nearest retail store, donation center, or Career Solutions center, please call 800.545.9231 or visit www.giveit2goodwill.org.

Ambassador provides readers with stories of the events, activities and people who support the mission of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee. We are pleased to provide you this information and hope you will share our publication with others. Please note that the opinions expressed in Ambassador do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official position of management or employees of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

The Goodwill Mission We sell donated goods to provide employment and training opportunities for people who have disabilities and others who have trouble finding and keeping jobs.

Our mission is changing lives.

contentsI Got it at Goodwill

Goodwill Success Stories 2015

Summer Youth Program Prepares Teens for Employment

Breaking Through With Goodwill’s Summer Work Program

Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee earns Three-Year GII Accreditation


Shopper’s Generosity is Music to Employees’ Ears

Goodwill Anticipates Opening of Relocated Jackson Store

Halloween Shoppers Find Plenty of Inspiration at Goodwill

Loyal Goodwill Donor Hails New Pickup Service Home Donations Pickup Service Revs Up

Track Your Goodwill Donations Online

‘The Voice’ of Goodwill

Finding Housing, Making it Home

I Change Lives: Laura Donigian

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2Ambassador Fall 2015 3giveit2goodwill.org

Do you have some fabulous finds in

your home or closet that you purchased at Goodwill? Share

them with us on Facebook, Instagram

or Twitter, and we might feature them in

our next edition!

GREAT FINDS AND DEALS FROM GOODWILL SHOPPERS

igotitatGoodwill

#

Post your great finds:#igotitatgoodwill

Off The Table: After being tipped off by a friend,

@ckmodern bought this mid- century Harvey Probber table

from the Goodwill Outlet. Online research revealed it's worth

more than $12,000.

Tiffani wrote: "Found several

children's outfits just in time for back-to-

school."

Dana wrote: "Couch $49.99, mirror

on wall $7.99, smaller pic $3.99, recliner $29.99, gray

rug $14.99, coffee table $9.99 and decor, all from Ft. Campbell Blvd. Goodwill in

Clarksville, TN."

Tammy Wrote: "My Goodwill find today (at the Columbia store)...

a complete calendar from my birth year! How

cool is that!?!"

Our mission is changing lives.Ambassador Fall 2015 4

I HAVE MY LIFE BACK

AGAIN Thank you!

I HAVE MADE NEW

FRIENDSHIPSThank you!

I HAVE LEARNED I CAN BE

SELF- SUFFICIENT

Thank you!

GOODWILL

SUCCESSSTORIESJULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

For Andy, the keys to happiness

are more than a figure of speech.

They are real keys — the kind that

unlock doors. “When I came to Goodwill, I didn’t have

any keys,” he said.

Once, Andy had been married, with a son, a good

job and a home. But he had a dark secret — addiction.

When Andy separated from his wife at age 37, he lost

everything. For a decade, he was homeless, hopeless and

in and out of jail. Eventually, he got “fed up with being

fed up” and felt ready to re-enter the workforce. But he

found most doors still locked to him.

“The past 10 years made it hard for people to give me a

chance,” he said.

While spending nights at a Nashville Rescue Mission in

2011, Andy heard about Goodwill Career Solutions. As he

was getting used to sobriety, he learned basic computer

skills, interview skills and earned his forklift certification

from Goodwill. His diligence and positive attitude were

rewarded with a job as a Goodwill dock employee and

later with a promotion to box truck driver. Now, Andy

drives all over Middle Tennessee, picking up donated

goods from drop-off points and residents.

“Goodwill takes chances on people,” he said. “They saw

a willingness in me to leave that past behind and get on

with the future.”

Besides keys to a truck, Andy now has keys to his own

apartment. And he has regained the trust of his ex-wife

and his son.

“(Goodwill) gave me my son back,” he said. “It’s given me

the ability to lead the life I led prior to my addiction.”

Andy

– Andy

– Mercedes

– Linda

Ambassador Fall 2015 5giveit2goodwill.org

When Linda’s husband died in

2009, she lost more than her

spouse of 40 years. She lost

her entire way of life. During those four decades, the

homemaker, wife and mother had never held any

other job.

“He left me virtually penniless,” Linda recalled. “I had

to move in with my daughter and son-in-law. As I got a

little past my grief, a friend of mine told me I needed to

come to Goodwill.”

In 2010, Linda visited the Goodwill Career Solutions

center in Union City. She was filled with worry and

self-doubt, because the only office skills she possessed

dated to the 1960s and she had never even turned on a

computer.

She was directed into Goodwill’s Transitional

Employment Services Program, and she soon found

that her counselor and others on the staff were patient

and encouraging. She acquired many useful job skills —

including a working knowledge of computers.

“I couldn’t see there ever being life after (my husband),

and Goodwill just turned that all around for me,” Linda

recalled.

In 2012, she was offered a job as the administrative

clerk in the Union City Goodwill Career Solutions.

Now, she works energetically to further Goodwill’s

mission as a true-believer and example to others.

“The knowledge and confidence I have gained and the

friendships I’ve made because of Goodwill have made

it possible for me to be on my own and self-sufficient,”

she said. “I wish the same thing for all the people who

walk through our doors.”

LindaMercedes Anderson

wanted to help her

mother pay their bills.

She also wanted to make some new friends.

But Mercedes had never held a job before. When

she came to Goodwill Career Solutions in 2010, she

received training in appropriate work behaviors and

skills. Three months later, she was hired as a part-time

processor in the Goodwill store on Hillsboro Road in

Franklin.

Mercedes was assigned a job coach to give her some

extra guidance through Goodwill’s Transitional Em-

ployment Services Program. “I always do my best job

and help my boss-man and boss-lady,” she explained.

Store administrative assistant Maria Myers said

Mercedes brings joy to her co-workers every day with

her sunny disposition. She loves teasing with them,

and her infectious laughter often rings through the

store. Her ever-present smile makes her a favorite of

customers as well.

“Mercedes is a wonderful worker, and if we’re feeling

down she does her best to make us feel better,” Myers

said. “She helps make the workday not feel so long,

because you have a little bit of fun with it.”

These days, Mercedes rides the trolley independently

to get to and from work, making friends along the

way. She helps her mother with expenses around the

house and still has enough money to go to the movies

whenever she wants.

“It’s great working here with other people,” she said.

“Because of Goodwill, I have friends.”

Mercedes

Ambassador Fall 2015 6

hey weren’t quite magic beans, but

they did open up a new world. As

Debbie Grant held the 16-ounce can of

baked beans in the aisle at Kroger, four

teenagers huddled around her, peering at

the can's label and hanging on her every

word.

“It was an ‘aha’ moment,” explained Grant, who is director of

development for Goodwill Career Solutions.

She explained that the teens, who were participants in Goodwill’s

Summer Youth Job Readiness Program, had never shopped for

their own groceries before. The concept of comparison shopping

was especially new to them, and they were amazed to learn that

in this case it was more economical to buy three small cans of

beans than one industrial-sized can.

“This teaches them how to best spend their money, to recognize

cost-per-unit and how to budget. We’re also teaching them about

nutrition, because we want them to be healthy. These are skills

that are going to help them in life and when they get a job."

Later, the young people returned to Goodwill’s Nashville

headquarters, where they experienced another first — cooking

and eating a meal using the groceries they had purchased with

the guidance of a nutritionist. It was all part of the recipe of the

summer youth program, which aims to prepare young Davidson

County adults, ages 14-18, for the working world.

During two month-long sessions in June and July, 24 program

participants enjoyed numerous engaging and educational

activities, such as CPR certification classes, volunteering at Second

Harvest Food Bank, ice skating and touring Belmont University, a

fire station and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

They also were visited by guest speakers. One, a Metro Nashville

police officer, asked each of the young people about their

career goals. Their answers were often specific and ambitious:

environmental engineer, emergency physician, forensic

psychologist.

Elijah, a 14-year-old sophomore at Hillsboro High School, got an

unexpected, first-hand introduction to his ideal profession. When

his grandfather’s doctor told him about the Goodwill summer

youth program, he had pictured sitting in a classroom all day with

no breaks.

“Until I saw the schedule. It said we would visit Channel 5 News,

and that was the first thing I was looking forward to, because I

want to be a sports broadcaster,” Elijah said.

At the TV station, Elijah was impressed by the studio, with its

green screen for graphics, video screens built into the news desks

and robotic cameras with teleprompters. A Channel 5 employee

even showed him where the sports broadcasters worked.

“I thought it was awesome,” he said. “I’d really like to do something

like that.” (See YOUTH on Page 13)

T

EDUCATION, EXPLORATION: Summer Youth Program Prepares Teens for Employment

Our mission is changing lives.

7Ambassador Fall 2015 giveit2goodwill.org

This teaches them how to best spend their money, to recognize cost-per-unit and how

to budget. We’re also teaching them about nutrition, because we want them to be

healthy. These are skills that are going to help them in life and when they get a job.”“

Ambassador Fall 2015 8 Our mission is changing lives.

Breaking Through With Goodwill’s Summer Work Program

Joshua was often ignored by other students

in junior high school because of his autism

and his speech impediment. Because he

was home-schooled after that, he had few

opportunities for socializing, much less work

experience.

One day this summer, the 16-year-old’s

grandmother, Reba Foxall, walked into a

Goodwill facility and asked if they had any

summer programs to help young adults find

work. Joshua got the last available slot in

Goodwill’s Summer Work Program for

16-22 year olds.

About 80 young adults took part in the

six-week program, which teaches them

about the responsibilities of having a job,

including safety standards and the rewards

of earning a paycheck. Some students obtain

permanent part-time employment through

the program. Joshua was one of those.

After receiving training at a Donations

Express Center in Brentwood, he was hired

to work as a donations attendant at the

nearby Goodwill store on Nolensville Pike.

“I thought the training would be hard for

him, but he got along well with the guys he

worked with and his job coach was great,”

his grandmother said. “I think he learned

that he could do more than he thought he

could.”

Goodwill store manager Angeline Bivens

said having Joshua on board has been a

pleasure.

“I think he’s opened up a lot since he’s been

here,” she said. “He has adapted really well,

and he does an excellent job.”

I think it’s important because it gives these young people self-confidence to work and be successful. It’s awesome to watch them go from being scared when they start, and by the end of six weeks they are eager to work again. It’s very fulfilling.” — Leslie Weed, Summer Work Program Manager

“

Joshua is a great example of what the

Summer Work Program is intended

to accomplish, said program manager

Leslie Weed.

“I think it’s important because it gives

these young people self-confidence to

work and be successful,” she said. “It’s

awesome to watch them go from being

scared when they start, and by the end

of six weeks they are eager to work

again. It’s very fulfilling.”

Joshua’s grandmother said between his

new job and continuing speech therapy,

he has made great strides toward

adulthood. He recently got his first

bank account, and he is helping with his

family’s expenses.

But for Joshua, the best reward is his

newfound confidence.

“I was always afraid of getting a job,” he

said, “but now I’m not afraid anymore.”


Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee Earns Three-Year GII Accreditation

oodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee

has received a three-year accreditation

from Goodwill Industries International.

To maintain affiliation with GII, the

165 independent, community-based

Goodwill agencies in the United States

and Canada are required to receive regular accreditation by

demonstrating commitment to quality programs, good corporate

governance practices

and services for their

communities.

In the past, Goodwill

Industries of Middle

Tennessee received

accreditation from CARF

International (founded

as the Commission

on Accreditation for

Rehabilitative Facilities).

But while some of the

work Goodwill Industries

of Middle Tennessee

performs is related to

rehabilitative services,

the majority is not, said Matt Gloster, senior director of Career

Solutions for Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee.

The expertise and assistance CARF examiners were providing

was mostly administrative, Gloster said. The other accreditation

available to Goodwills was from GII. So in 2015, GII examiners

were invited to Nashville.

“Our logic was we would get people who knew Goodwill inside

and out,” Gloster said.

That proved to be the case, as GII conducted a far-ranging

examination, diving much deeper into all areas of operation

than had been done in any previous accreditation process.

Retail, Donations and Career Solutions facilities were all minutely

scrutinized, and investigations ranged from inspection of store

dressing rooms to reviews of financials and meeting minutes to

interviews with employees, clients and board members.

“They did a very thorough going over of who we are and what

we say we’re going to do, to make sure we are in fact doing those

things, and we passed,” Gloster said.

The examiners made some

recommendations for

improvements, all of which have

been implemented. One example

was the creation of a shared

computer portal so that approved

Goodwill Industries of Middle

Tennessee supervisors can view

and track documentation on

safety drills at all locations.

Though the examiners were in

Nashville for only three days, the

preparations that preceded their

visit took many months. And

while this latest accreditation is

valid through March 31, 2018, it

won’t be long before Compliance

Manager Barbara Taylor and her team will have to start getting

ready for the recertification examination in 2017.

It’s well worth the effort. Gloster said accreditation is important

for one simple reason:

“Donors to Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee want to

be sure their donations are being used for the purpose that

was intended and used in an efficient and appropriate way. By

verifying how we manage these assets through sales in our

retail stores, and by undergoing a review of the client services

we provide, we provide assurances to the community that their

generosity is well rewarded.”

G


2014 BY THE NUMBERS


y 8:15 a.m., when the doors officially

opened on the first full-service Goodwill

in Nashville’s Bellevue community,

Betty Sowell had been waiting outside

for five hours. The 72-year-old was

sitting on her walker at the head of a

line that included hundreds of people

and stretched around the building.

“I’ve been coming by here for a long time thinking, ‘When are

they going to open?’” Sowell said. ‘“Then I read about all this

happening today, and I’m just real excited about it because I go to

Goodwill all the time.”

Bellevue Harpeth Chamber of Commerce President Jad Duncan

echoed her enthusiasm during introductory remarks before the

June 18 ribbon-cutting on the remodeled former Toys “R” Us

building at 7663 U.S. Highway 70 South.

“We couldn’t be happier to have an employer like Goodwill come

here to Bellevue, as committed as they are to giving back to our

community,” he said. “And it certainly doesn’t hurt to have this

gorgeous space, which they’ve renovated and done an absolutely

phenomenal job of. The place looks top-notch.”

Sowell, a Bellevue resident used to have to travel to Franklin,

Spring Hill or elsewhere to shop at Goodwill and to donate her

used clothing and household items. She said she was “tickled to

death,” when she learned there would be one so close to home.

And there was another reason for her enthusiasm: She wanted a

job. “I need to be around people, and I want to help people worse

off than me. I like to stay busy,” she explained.

Sowell had been unemployed for six or seven months since

breaking several ribs in a fall and having to give up her

caregiving job. After her shopping trip, she planned to go next

door to the new Goodwill Career Solutions center to investigate

the different types of free job training offered there.

Inside the center, Career Counselor Glenn Brown was busily

preparing for a 12-employer job fair to be held later that morning.

Brown has worked in several positions and locations for

Goodwill, most recently as career counselor in Lebanon, but he

moved to Bellevue and the not-for-profit decided it made sense

for him to open it’s newest Goodwill Career Solutions center

there.

“It’s a dream come true,” he said. “It’s just such an exciting

challenge and adventure. I’ve told people that helping people

get jobs is my drug of choice. When I put someone to work —

especially someone who’s got a significant barrier to employment

— you have to slap the smile off my face.”

One example of why Goodwill’s career counselors take so much

satisfaction in their jobs could be found that very morning in the

processing area at the back of the new Bellevue store.

B



Desiree was taking purses and other accessories from boxes and

hanging them on racks to be sold. Though no one might have

guessed it, she was also turning over a new leaf.

Desiree, 31, got out of prison on April 21. After years of doing

drugs, mistreating family members and letting others care for

her two children, she found religion while behind bars and now

attends addiction recovery meetings, she said.

After spending some time in a halfway house, she and her young

son now live with her grandparents in Greenbriar. Every day she

travels several hours both ways to get to work, catching multiple

buses. She gets by on very little sleep so she can spend time with

her son and her 11-year-old daughter, who visits on weekends.

Desiree cried when asked whether all the sacrifices were worth

it. “I want to prove to everybody that I can and that I’m not the

person I used to be,” she said. “Goodwill has given me faith that I

can be something better.”

Out on the sales floor — Goodwill’s second largest in 48 counties

— shoppers with carts full of bargains crowded the aisles. Many

lined up to show their unique finds to Mary Hance, also known

as Ms. Cheap, a columnist on thrifty living for the Tennessean

newspaper. Hance was giving Goodwill gift cards to those she felt

made the best purchases.

A man showed off the large original landscape painting he

bought for $5. Another had paid $2 for a pair of stereo speakers

worth $40. Several women brought up Vera Bradley purses and

attractive blouses with the tags still attached.

Barbara Powell, a 43-year resident of Bellevue, proudly displayed

an antique Japanese ginger jar she bought for 99 cents. She said

she’d been shopping at Goodwill stores for decades, and her

children are also “Goodwill fanatics.” “I’ve always said I could hit

the Powerball and I’d still be digging at Goodwill,” she said.

After the event, Sheri Weiner, who represents Bellevue on

Nashville’s Metropolitan Council, said she believes the new

Goodwill will be an important asset for the community.

“I am impressed with the opportunity and scope of the job

center,” she said. “Not only will area residents benefit from help

in securing employment, our area businesses have a resource

for employment outreach and on-boarding. It is a win-win for

everyone.”

I am impressed with the opportunity and scope of the job center. Not only will area residents benefit from help in securing employment, our area businesses have a resource for employment outreach and on-boarding. It is a win-win for everyone."

Sheri Weiner, Nashville Metro

Councilwoman in Bellevue

“

We couldn’t be happier to have an employer like Goodwill come here to Bellevue, as committed as they are to giving back to our community." — Jad Duncan

“


customer at the Goodwill store

on Indian Lake Boulevard in

Hendersonville put a new spin on

supporting the not-for-profit.

Store Manager Anna Lindsey said

the man bought an old Sound Design

record turntable from the store’s electronics section in late June

or early July.

“He told me he was purchasing this turn-table because he loved

restoring old things like this. He also stated he was a regular

customer of Goodwill and loved shopping here,” she recalled.

On July 12, the man showed up at the store’s Donation Express

Center, where he donated the same record player back to the

store, fully restored and cleaned.

Though he didn’t leave his name, the anonymous customer/

donor left a note with the record player that read, in part,

“My hope is that it might fetch a higher price this second time

around with additional revenues going to an organization

which serves our community so faithfully.”

He ended the note with a message for the future buyer: “Please

enjoy it and share it with someone less fortunate when you no

longer need it. Blessings, TW.”

Lindsey and her staff found the customer’s gesture inspiring.

“We were really amazed at his generosity and pleased that a

customer sees what we are working to accomplish with this

organization,” she said.

PLAYING IT FORWARD:

Shopper’s Generosity is Music to Employees’ Ears

A


Goodwill Anticipates Opening of Relocated Jackson Store Oct. 20

Construction is nearing completion on a new Goodwill retail

store in one of Jackson’s premiere shopping areas.

The modern and attractive store at 1495 Vann Drive will replace

an older, outdated one at 53 Carriage House Drive. Grand

opening ceremonies are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The 23,000-square-foot facility will feature a 16,400-square-foot

sales floor, numerous skylights and a covered, drive-through

Donations Express Center. It will not include a Goodwill Career

Solutions center, however, as the area will continue to be served

with job training and employment opportunities from the

existing centers at 15-B West University Parkway and 1320 S.

Highland Ave. in Jackson.

“The new store is based on our latest prototype, which is designed to maximize the experience of both shoppers and donors,” said David Jenkins, vice president of retail for Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee. “Other ones like it can be seen in Mt. Juliet and Clarksville.”About 35-40 employees will work in the new building,

including workers who will transfer from the older facility.

(YOUTH, continued from Page 6)

The summer youth program, which is sponsored by

Goodwill and the Metropolitan Development Housing

Agency of Nashville and Davidson County, offers more than

entertainment, though. The teens were sometimes pushed well

beyond their comfort zones. On one day, they sat down for mock

job interviews with professionals from Deloitte Consulting LLP.

Marqualus, a sophomore at East Nashville Magnet High School,

admitted having some anxiety before his turn. “I’m nervous

about overcoming it,” he said. But he garnered praise from his

two interviewers for his energy and responses to questions such

as, “What have you learned about yourself?” and “What are

some areas you could improve on?” Their main suggestion: Don’t

be afraid to sell yourself.

“Working with people is a really good skill, but there are other

things an employer might be interested in, like your attention

to detail, or getting the job done or being a perfectionist,” said

Deloitte Solutions Architect Adnan Hashmi.

Fifteen-year-old Amiyah was singled out for a special honor.

All of the participants prepared short speeches about their

experiences which they delivered during a “graduation”

ceremony on the program’s last day. But she was asked to

deliver her speech one other time — to the board of directors of

Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee.

“It was really awkward because I never met those people before,”

Amiyah said. “I wanted to do a great job, but I was very nervous

and didn’t think I was going to be able to do it.” Amiyah came

through with flying colors, Grant said.

On program graduation day, Good Life Training Manager Samuel

Smith congratulated participants on how far they had come in

such a short time and encouraged them to continue pushing

themselves to greater achievements. He paraphrased author

Norman Vincent Peale: “Shoot for the sky in everything you do,

and even if you miss you still will land among the stars.”

Like most other participants, Amiyah said at graduation that her

favorite part of the program was the friendships she had made.

“I’m sad,” she said. “It feels like it was over really quickly.”


yka Bertrand

wanted to look

like Peter Pan,

but not for a trip

to Never Never

Land. She was

headed to her workplace on Nashville’s

Music Row, where they were having a

Halloween party for employees.

“Since I had to wear it to work, I thought

of it more as an outfit than as a costume,”

Myka explained.

She had a hat, shoes and pants she

thought would suffice, but she needed

a green sweater and T-shirt and a belt

to make her ensemble fly. She headed

to her favorite Goodwill store near

Rivergate Mall in Madison.

Because Goodwill separates clothes by

size and color and has “an abundance of

simple pieces,” Myka felt confident.

“I knew I’d be able to find (the items) fairly

cheap in the color I needed,” she said.

And because she shopped on the first

Saturday of the month, everything in

the store was half off the regular price.

She said she spent $10 for everything

she needed to complete her costume. It

wasn’t her greatest Goodwill find ever —

that was a pair of Seven brand designer

jeans she got for $7 — but it came close.

Her co-workers loved her outfit, and

they were even more impressed when

she told them she got a lot of it at

Goodwill.

“It was like, "Are you serious? I would

have just gone to (another retailer) and

paid a million dollars for a costume."

That was last year. This year, Myka just

got braces on her teeth, so she plans to

go to the Halloween party dressed as

Darla, the dentist’s rambunctious niece

from the movie “Finding Nemo.” She will

be returning to Goodwill to search for a

plaid schoolgirl skirt.

She advises others who are going to shop

Goodwill for Halloween to go in with a

plan, shop on sales days such as the first

Saturday of the month and to think of

their costumes as outfits. That way, they

can re-wear them, and like Peter Pan,

they will never have to say goodbye.

M

IMAGINATION STATION: Halloween Shoppers Find Plenty of Inspiration at Goodwill


“I still wear my green sweater to work,”

Myka said, “and I’m actually wearing my

belt right now!”

Frequent Goodwill shopper Rebecca

Wright keeps an eye out for Halloween

props year-round. With two boys at

home who love to play dress-up, she

often buys plastic masks and swords,

etc., from the toy section.

“It never fails that once Halloween

comes around we find the entire

costume to match the props,” Rebecca

said. “Then you’ve got a costume with

props for under $10.”

Last year, she found a Disney Store

Hercules costume for her now 5-year-

old son Wyatt. It was “a steal at $2.99,”

she said.

The costume appeared to have barely

been worn, and a little research revealed

a similar costume was priced at nearly

$50 online. The sword to match was a

previous Goodwill purchase for just

99 cents.

Rebecca’s Halloween shopping doesn’t

end with her children. The award for the

best Halloween find goes to her husband

Jason who found a heavy, silk Superman

cape for just $2. The tag revealed it

originated from an expensive costume

company with a price of $300.

This year, she already has one costume

out of the way. Her 8-year-old Tyler

expressed his desire to be a Power

Ranger. Their stockpile of costumes for

play time at home made his request easy

to fulfill with a Power Ranger costume

purchased from Goodwill last year. It

matched perfectly with a mask and

sword from separate shopping trips.

With Halloween coming up, Rebecca

suggests that Goodwill costume hunters

be creative and have an open mind.

“Just because it looks like it’s supposed to

be one thing doesn’t mean you can’t turn

it into something else,” she said.

“ It never fails that once Halloween comes around we find the entire costume to match the props. Then you’ve got a costume with props for under $10.”

Goodwill Industries International is partnering with Sony Pictures Entertainment

for the upcoming theatrical release of

“Hotel Transylvania 2,” the sequel to

its 2012 hit animated film. With the

return of a star-studded cast (Adam

Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez,

Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, Fran

Drescher, Jon Lovitz, David Spade,

Molly Shannon, Chris Parnell), “Hotel

Transylvania 2” promises to be another

fun, family experience for Halloween.

Characters from the film will be

featured in a nationwide “Be Your

Own Monster” campaign encouraging

families to shop Goodwill for their

Halloween costumes. Special events

are planned in Nashville ahead of the

Sept. 25 movie premiere.

For additional details visit:

giveit2goodwill.org/halloween


‘ABOUT TIME’: Loyal Goodwill Donor Hails New Pickup Service

Judy Bond has

donated her

gently used

clothing and

small household

items to

Goodwill for

decades, because she believes in the

not-for-profit’s mission of helping people

find work.

But since her husband died, whenever

the diminutive Murfreesboro widow had

large items she wanted to donate — such

as furniture, she had to find another

taker because she couldn’t get them to a

Goodwill Donation Express Center. Then

recently, while shopping in her local

Goodwill retail store, she noticed a sign

advertising a new Home Pickup program

for donations.

“Right there in the store, I said, ‘Hot

diggety-dog!’” she recalled. “The (cashier)

looked up at me, and I said, ‘Pickup service!

It’s about time. I’ll be calling you.’”

Bond did call. And on July 21, two

Goodwill Home Pickup program

employees arrived in a box truck at

her residence. They carefully gathered

up and removed a collection of items

filling nearly half of her living room,

including a large upholstered chair,

some bookshelves and lamps, an antique

sewing machine and a 7-foot-tall, solid-

wood armoire.

The items will be sold in Goodwill’s retail

stores, and the proceeds will be used to

provide job training and employment

opportunities for people in Murfreesboro

and communities across Middle and

West Tennessee.

In just a few months, a fledgling Goodwill

service that picks up gently used

furniture and other household items from

donors’ homes has expanded from a single

Nashville subdivision into communities

across 16 Middle and West Tennessee

counties.

The Home Pickup Program, which

began a year ago as a small test service

in Nashville’s Forest Hills community,

is growing rapidly, Donation Specialist

Jamie Goss said. Expansion began in

late April, and the program now serves

parts of 11 Middle Tennessee counties,

from Clarksville to Columbia and from

Lebanon to Dickson. It also serves parts

of five West Tennessee counties around

Jackson and Lexington. The program

averages 18 to 20 pickups per day. It is

a fairly straight-forward service, Goss

said.

“Basically, if you can’t get it to us, we’ll

come get it from you,” she explained. “The

service is intended for people who have

large items, like furniture or appliances,

they can’t deliver to one of our 80-plus

Goodwill Donation Express Centers.

But we will also come and get smaller

donations like boxes of books or bags of

shoes.”

Senior citizens, people who have

numerous items to donate and those

without automobiles or vehicles big

enough to transfer donations are typical

of clients who use the service, Goss said.

“But it’s also for the average person who

wants to get rid of a kitchen table or a

couch, for example, and for one reason or

another can’t bring those donations to us,”

she explained.

Items donated to Goodwill Industries of

Middle Tennessee are sold in the not-

for-profit’s retail stores, and the proceeds

are used to provide job training and

employment opportunities for tens of

thousands of people across Middle and

West Tennessee.

Goss said donations gathered in the Home

Pickup Program are usually delivered to

the closest Goodwill store, meaning that

they directly benefit the area where the

donor lives.

“So when people donate, they’re helping

their neighbors,” she said. “Their

generosity cycles back into their own

community.”

Home pickups are currently scheduled

primarily Monday-Friday, though

Saturday and Sunday pickups are also

conducted in a few communities. Because

of high demand for the service, those

requesting a donation pickup should do so

at least a week in advance.

More information about the program is available online at www.giveit2goodwill.org/pickups, and pickups can be scheduled through the website or by calling (615) 425-0100.


For Bond, the service is a godsend —

and one she said she plans to use again.

Before her husband died in 2005, they

downsized from a large house to a much

smaller one. She said she is still working

to weed out unneeded furniture and

household items.

Another reason Bond chooses to give to

Goodwill is her son, who was born with

cerebral palsy and other health issues.

She was his caregiver throughout his

life until he died in 2009 at age 36. She

said the experience left her with a deep

appreciation for Goodwill’s long tradition

of helping people with disabilities.

“Goodwill is very good about giving

disabled people a job and giving them a

chance in life,” she explained.

One further reason Bond supports

Goodwill was sitting beside her on the

couch as her home pickup took place.

Kim Warren, Bond’s niece, worked

for Chattanooga Goodwill Industries

for 15 years, founding and promoting

a program that provides free medical

equipment to those in need. The two

now share Bond’s home.

“She has drummed it into my head:

‘Don’t throw that away — Goodwill

wants that. Give it to Goodwill!’” Bond

explained.

Her niece laughed.

“We know the mission of Goodwill, and

that’s what’s important to us,” Warren

said.

Home Donation Pickup Service Revs Up: Now Available in 16 Counties


NO MORE LOST RECEIPTS: Track Your Goodwill Donations Online

ax return preparation is difficult enough

without having to rifle through the

glove box of your car in search of that

elusive charitable donation receipt.

It’s an unpleasant task donors to

Goodwill Industries of Middle

Tennessee no longer need to worry about. In early August,

the organization rolled out a new way to electronically track

donations for tax purposes, while getting a discount on

haircuts in the bargain.

Since early August, instead of handing out receipts that can be

easily lost, attendants at Goodwill’s Donations Express Centers

have been giving donors a flier directing them to a website —

mygoodwilldonation.org — where they can log their donations

throughout the year. They can also retrieve information on

all their donations when needed and print it out to get a tax

deduction from the IRS.

“When the donations attendant hands you a flier, you just

follow the directions in the blue box on front, go online, create

a profile and start logging your donations,” Donations Specialist

Jamie Goss explained. “It’s really easy.”

While a few other Goodwills around the country have

an online receipt program, Goodwill Industries of Middle

Tennessee is the first to partner with a business — Great Clips

T


NO MORE LOST RECEIPTS: Track Your Goodwill Donations Online

— to defray costs of its program. This allows more money

from donations to be channeled toward Goodwill’s mission

of providing job training and opportunities to those with

barriers to employment.

The partnership also gives donors an opportunity to save

some money by using a coupon on the flier to get a $9.99

haircut at Great Clips in Middle and West Tennessee. When

donors register online to track their donations they can get

an additional coupon for a family member.

Goss said donors who are not computer savvy or don’t

have online access shouldn’t worry. Goodwill donation

attendants can still provide them with a traditional receipt

upon request.

‘The Voice’ of Goodwill

An acapella singing contest held Aug. 14 on the supervisor’s

platform in the donation processing area of one of Goodwill’s

Nashville warehouses had employees dancing in the aisles.

Tammy Marcum’s slithery vocal stylings on Tom T. Hall’s novelty,

“Sneaky Snake,” brought lots of smiles and applause, while Emma

Sullivan’s soaring rendition of the gospel anthem “I Want to be

Ready” energized the hundreds of workers on the floor.

But it was Melvin Coleman’s soulful take on The Temptations,

“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” that won the hearts of his co-workers

and the contest.

Coleman, who has worked in Goodwill’s clothes hanging

department for eight months, said he has sung occasionally in

church but never professionally. He was surprised to win the

top prize — a comfy new throw blanket.

“I was just in it for the fun,” he said. “It’s just about being involved.”

When the donations attendant hands you a flier, you just follow the directions in the blue box on front, go online, create a profile and start logging your donations. It’s really easy." — Jamie Goss, Goodwill donations specialist

OUR ONLINE DONATION TRACKER MAKES IT EASY TO:

Request electronic receipts

Create a list of donated items

Determine the impact your donations are making

Provide a tax summary of your donations for tax purposes

“

FAMILY EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM AND GOODWILL CARES:

Finding Housing, Making it Home

hen Lura Griffin hands a family a gift

card from the Goodwill Cares program,

the response is almost always the

same.

“They get very

excited,” she said.

“They plan out what they are going to

purchase at the stores and make time during

the weekend to go shopping and pick out some

items for their homes.”

For many of the families Ms. Griffin works

with, buying their own chairs, curtains,

dishes or even extra clothing seems an

incredible luxury. That’s because the Family

Empowerment Program of the Catholic

Charities of Middle Tennessee, for which Ms. Griffin is one of

three case managers, serves families who are homeless or at risk

of homelessness.

The Family Empowerment Program offers longterm case

management for up to 24 months, one-on-one financial

counseling, housing search and placement, assistance with

educational goals for parents and children, connection to

affordable health care, assistance with goal-setting and referrals

to community resources. Families are directed to the year-old

program by Metro Nashville Public Schools or other social service

agencies.

Goodwill Cares comes into the picture after families have found

a place to live. Many people served by the Family Empowerment

Program have no furnishings whatsoever.

“They can use the Goodwill Cares gift cards to buy just about

anything they need to get their home set up

and inhabitable,” Griffin said.

But the relationship between Goodwill and

the Family Empowerment Program does not

end there.

Griffin said unemployment is often one of the

barriers that prevents families from finding

housing. Griffin said she has frequently

directed unemployed parents to a Goodwill

Career Solutions center for training and help

finding a job.

“People are often referred to our program after a family crisis,

such as loss of income, leaves them behind on their rent and they

end up getting evicted,” she said. “They often just need a little bit

of assistance to return to a stable condition in the community.

Thanks to partnerships such as the one we have with Goodwill,

the Family Empowerment Program is able to give them that

assistance.”

Thanks to partnerships such as the one

we have with Goodwill, the Family

Empowerment Program is able to give

them that assistance.”— Lura Griffin, Family Empowerment Program


“They can use the

Goodwill Cares gift

cards to buy just

about anything

they need to get

their home set up

and inhabitable.”

“

W



How did you end up working for Goodwill?I stumbled upon a description for Goodwill’s

bookstore lead job in 2012 while at the

Downtown Nashville Career Solutions

Center taking classes in job search,

interview skills and resume writing. It just

worked out that I happened to like books, I

had a little bit of experience and the job was

available.

What are some of the challenges you face? I’m sure everyone faces this, but getting

everything done is the biggest challenge.

Our quota of books and media to put online

is a minimum of 800 per person a day. With

additional listers, it can be from 1,600 to

2,000 a day.

What has surprised you most in your time with Goodwill? The amount of donations. Just seeing the

number of people that donate to Goodwill

and its mission is always impressive.

What do you enjoy most about your job?It’s always fun to see how quickly a book is

donated after it’s released. Two days after

the new Harper Lee book was released, we

had one come in. Also, a specific book can

be very popular, then by not too long no

one wants to read it.

Why is your job important to Goodwill’s mission? Ultimately, everybody’s job is important,

because we’re creating more jobs. I train

and lead people in entry-level positions.

Sometimes they haven’t been in the

workforce in a long time, so it’s really good

to be able to help people get back in the

groove of a 9-5 job.

How do you change lives? I’m kind of like a team cheerleader. I’m

always trying to help people see the

positive side.

Laura DonigianOnline Goodwill Bookstore Lead

Laura Donigian is responsible for posting thousands of

donated books and media per day to Goodwill’s online

store, onlinegoodwill.org. She directs a team of four

employees to fill customer orders, answer customer

service emails and complete refund requests. She

coordinates with her team and other departments to

overcome all the many daily challenges of e-commerce.

CHANGE LIVESi

Laura worked a series of odd

jobs, then a temporary position

with a Nashville book publisher.

With three children under the

age of 10, she needed something

more permanent. She had some

college education, but she also

had a felony on her record. “A

lot of times answering ‘yes’ to

the question of a felony on an

application leads to an employer

ignoring the rest of your

application,” she explained. It

was a barrier not only to work —

forcing her to apply only where

felons were hired — but also to

education. Many college degree

paths lead to fields where people

with felony records cannot find

a job. She heard from friends,

and through advertisements,

that Goodwill Career Solutions

could help.


Board of Directors

Chairperson: Fred McLaughlinVice Chairperson: Julie F. Wilson

Goodwill President and CEO: Matthew S. Bourlakas Goodwill VP & Chief People Officer: Betty J. Johnson

Secretary: Chad M. GroutTreasurer: Dave M. Fentress

Legal Counsel: Christopher S. Dunn and Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP

OFFICERS

Woodretta Allen

J. B. Baker

Bryan L. Bean

Steele Clayton

Andrew Davidson

Chris Dunn

Robert W. Duthie

Dave M. Fentress

James B. Foley

Kathryn S. Gibson

Chad M. Grout

Philip G. Hull

Robert B. Kennedy

R. Craig Laine

Ryan R. Loyd

Ty H. Osman

Christine E. Skold

Todd A. Spaanstra

Grant Starrett**

John W. Stone, III

Kathryn I. Thompson

John C. Tishler

John Van Mol

Jeff Young

Donna Yurdin

** Intern

DIRECTORS

Chairperson: Robert W. Duthie Robert McNeilly, III Robert B. Kennedy

TRUSTEES

OUR MISSION

We sell donated goods to

provide employment and

training opportunities for people

who have disabilities and others

who have trouble finding and

keeping jobs.

Documents

Ambassador Fall 2015