The Flare, a student newspaper at Kilgore College, put students to the fashion test from both the Goodwill Kilgore Store and a local  “high roller” store.   The intent was to illustrate to budget conscious college students that high fashion does not always mean spending the big bucks!  Kilgore College students found all the current fashion choices at their local Goodwill store for a fraction of the cost.  Not only are these students finding a great source to update their wardrobes, they are also contributing to Goodwill Industries’ mission of “putting people with barriers to employment to work”!  Now that’s worth an “A” in our book!   Thanks Kilgore College !

View the photo article below by clicking on the link below:

Kilgore Goodwill Article

Goodwill Program Background

 Richard was referred to Goodwill’;s Career and Counseling Services Division through DARS to participate in the Office Depot Training Program. With the aide of his Office Depot Trainer, Shenaqua Coleman( Goodwill Job Coach), Richard learned various work related skills in a customer service environment such as cash register training, store recovery, and customer service skills. Richard also learned social skills, such as how to approach customers, how to effectively communicate with co-workers and management, and how to initiate conversations with individuals without them coming to him first.  Some of these could be considered obvious to most, but to those with barriers such as Richard’s, they are important components of re-training for a successful job placement.

Richard was then transferred to Goodwill’s Job Placement Services. Through the help of Marlynn Lacy,( Employment Specialist), Richard was able to land a job with Wal-Mart on Troup Highway as a day stocker. Since being employed at Wal-Mart, Richard has had perfect attendance, a solid work attitude, and has made new friends!

Richard expressed that this is only the beginning of his employment journey and ultimately wants to become a vendor for various stores. He further explained that he understands that the amount of hard work he puts into a job, the better the outcome and advances he could make.

 We asked Richard the following questions about his experience:

                                                                                                                                                       What has Goodwill / DARS done for you since working with both?

Goodwill / DARS has helped me get myself “out there”. They have helped me with speaking to people, work on my social skills, and work behaviors from a physical standpoint. They have also shown me how to work in a fast paced environment while keeping my stress level / frustration low.

 What were some positive and negative things that you experienced in working with Goodwill and the Office Depot Program?

 Positives: I learned how to communicate with people, physically being able to prove I can work in a retail environment, the opportunity to work with others while helping myself, and all the skills that carried over to my new job (Wal-Mart).

Negatives: I had to deal with the stress of working in a retail environment, negative comments at the beginning of program because I thought I moved to slow, and at times, I felt like I was competing with other individuals in program.

 How did this Program help you transition over to new job (Wal-Mart)?

Everything I learned in the program are the same challenges I face while working at Wal-Mart such as dealing with customers, working flexible hours, dealing with co-workers and management, and making sure my work responsibilities were fulfilled during my work shift.

 Where do you see yourself five years from now?

I see my self working in retail and building my way up the corporate ladder. Wal-Mart gives people opportunities if they decide to stay with the company. I either want to become a store manager or work as a vendor, delivering products to various stores.

 What is something you’ve learned since your injury?

I have learned that some people in this world are cruel and some are genuinely here to help me. It’s a dog eat dog world in regards to employment. Some people put you in a category if you have a barrier; whether good or bad. Some of the negative people think people with barriers are looking for a handout; that is not the case. It is tough to explain if you have a barrier to prove the negative people wrong. I want to be an example of how to prove the negative people wrong. That is my life’s mission; to prove people who stereotype individuals for any reason wrong.

I would like to inform individuals with barriers to stay focused and if they want a job, work your way to pursue that and don’t be afraid to speak up. NEVER GIVE UP. I have felt like doing that over 20 times since working; but I think about what I want to prove, so I don’t give up. Things don’t happen overnight; so don’t get upset if you don’t see results the next day. Nothing is instant.

Final Words from Richard’s Employment Specialist, Marlynn Lacy:

*Richard is employed at Wal-Mart in Tyler, Texas (Troup Highway location) and has successfully completed his 90-day benchmark, which is considered closure status for Goodwill’s employment services. Management has expressed that Richard has been an excellent addition to their staff and looks forward to Richard’s continued success.

Richard has also set an example for future Goodwill consumers who are interested in pursing competitive employment. Because of Richard’s hard work, great work behaviors, and leadership, Richard has opened the door for five (and counting) other consumers to become employed at Wal-Mart stores in Tyler, Texas.

After playing three seasons of football as an all-district offensive lineman for John Tyler High School in Tyler, TX, I was used to adversity; however, nothing could prepare me for what I would face after graduation.

In 2000, one week after graduation,  I was a victim of a drive-by shooting.  I woke in a hospital bed in an intensive care unit to find my family there with the news that I had been paralyzed. When I returned home, I recognized that going to college on a football scholarship was no longer an option.

Although I qualified for disability benefits, I wanted and needed to find a job.  After five years of searching and having several doors close on me, I discovered an organization called DARS, the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services.  I searched for three years to no avail, so DARS supported my enrollment in Goodwill’s training program.

In 2008, I was set up to participate in the Work Adjustment Training (WAT) at Goodwill Industries of East Texas.  Goodwill has shown me both personally and professionally that I can be successful with anything that I put my mind to. Now that I’m employed, I’ve become more independent with my daily duties as a husband, father and a coordinator for Goodwill.

I’ve gained a great deal of confidence in myself while working at Goodwill. I was never a person who would take charge of a situation or confront a problem head on by myself. Now I’m always looking forward to taking on a challenge and the opportunities it brings.

Goodwill has given me pride in myself and my ability to help others. Since entering the Work Adjustment Program as a trainee and learning the skills and principles that are taught, I’ve become very passionate about how I can now help individuals. Working at Goodwill has taught me how to build relationships with small and large companies to train and hire individuals with barriers to employment.

Through hard work, dedication and volunteering, I was able to move up to a higher position during my time working for Goodwill. I also use my life story as an example for the consumers that enter the WAT program. Goodwill has shown me professionally how to grow as an individual, and that success is always near when you work hard.

Reposted from Goodwill International Inc. April 23, 2012 | By Jenni Baker

Goodwill Holds Annual Advocacy Day on April 17

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Nearly 200 representatives from Goodwill® including CEOs, workforce development professionals, volunteer board members, and program participants will gather on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, April 17, to ask Congress to secure the country’s economic recovery by funding federal job training programs.

Goodwill, the largest provider of services in the workforce investment system, intends to urge policymakers to support critical job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs that leverage Goodwill’s resources and expertise across the country.

“Lifting this country out of the recession will take more than just a pledge to create jobs. The recovery of our economy calls for a strategic workforce development system that is responsive to the needs of both workers and employers as well as integrated strategies that build upon and leverage existing resources that will address our nation’s revenue problem,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “At Goodwill, we provide job training support to someone every 38 seconds of every business day and know firsthand the impact that job training programs have on someone’s life.”

Support Goodwill by joining in the Goodwill on the Hill virtual Advocacy Day effort on Facebook. Tell your legislator to support Goodwill’s legislative agenda.

High-priority topics for Goodwill and the people it serves include:

Funding: Goodwill is urging Congress to continue its economic recovery efforts by investing in key job training programs that help youth, adults and older workers learn the skills that employers need in order to be competitive in today’s economy. Specifically, Congress should maintain funding for programs that leverage Goodwill and support the people we serve, including the Workforce Investment Act’s three core funding streams, the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) and community college partnerships. Goodwill sees firsthand both the challenges and the opportunities facing workers today, and is ready to work with Congress and the Obama Administration to build an economic recovery that supports both the businesses that drive the economy and the workers who are eager to contribute. Congress must make it a high priority to preserve funding for programs that enable individuals with disabilities and disadvantages to become self-sufficient and meet the needs of the nation’s businesses.

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization: The Workforce Investment Act was designed to create a universal system of one-stop career centers that provide job training for the individuals who need them, including adults and youth with low incomes, people who have been unemployed for an extended period of time, and people with disabilities. Goodwill agencies receive numerous referrals from state workforce systems and supplement WIA funding by investing their own privately-generated resources to help people find employment and advance in their careers.  At a time when unemployment remains high, investments in job training are needed to help people find jobs quickly.

Goodwill urges Congress to reauthorize and fully fund WIA, and ensure that community-based organizations are given all the tools they need to put America back to work. The United States cannot expect to see the economy improve unless it continues to provide education and skills training for the millions of Americans who are still out of work.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International

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Advocacy Group Opinion

Please help support us in this important project by becoming a member of our team! We are looking for  fellow employees, family and friends to join us in supporting this very worthwhile cause. Becoming a team member is easy! All you need to do is click on the link below and register for the Race for the Cure© and “Join a Team” (Team Goodwill) .

The Race is May 12, 2012 at Bergfeld Park in Tyler. Race Course Map

Remember, one person can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure was founded by one sister making a promise to another sister. You can be a part of this worthwhile effort! Our promise of a world without breast cancer does not just rest in the hands of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  It is up to you, our community of survivors and co-survivors, to stand united with us until the promise is fulfilled and the cures are found. If you wish to donate and support Team Goodwill in their efforts to support the fight against breast cancer, please click Donate to Team Goodwill

The Event Schedule is as follows:

2012 Race Day Schedule

6:30 am   Race Day Registration Opens
7:00 am   Survivor Group Photo
7:15 am   Survivor Breakfast
7:40 am   Aerobic Warm-up
8:00 am   5K Coed Competition (Chip) Start
8:10 am   5K Coed Run/Walk
8:45 am   50 Yard Kid’s Dash
9:00 am   1 Mile Co-ed Fun Run/Walk
9:45 am   Awards Ceremony & Prize Drawings

This event will occur rain or shine. We reserve the right to cancel in extreme circumstances. In that event, there will be no refunds; rather, your entry fee will be used as a donation to the Komen Tyler Race for the Cure®.

We hope you will join our team and/or support breast cancer research by a generous donation.

See you there!

Discussing this event, Broker, Wayne Noon, owner of Noon & Associates, said, “I see this as a great opportunity for our office to help our community with spring cleaning and a way to  benefit a great organization like Goodwill.”

During the “Spring Cleaning Event,” Longview area residents can bring items they wish to donate to the Noon & Associates office – where the items will be loaded onto two Goodwill trucks. People who make donations will receive a  FREE bucket full of supplies as well as a receipt for their tax deductible donation.

What kind of items should people consider donating?

Here are some suggestions from Goodwill:

1. Computers: Through a partnership with Dell, many Goodwill locations now accept computers to be recycled for free, regardless of whether they are in working condition. You can also pack up an old laptop or Netbook as well as accessories such as monitors and  printers and donate them to Goodwill. Through the Dell Reconnect program, Goodwill and Dell offer consumers a way to dispose of computers and accessories in an environmentally responsible way while receiving a tax deduction at the same time. Visit http://reconnectpartnership.com to learn more.

2. Cell phones: It’s time to dig out the old cell phones you have hidden away. If you’ve ever upgraded to a new cell phone, it’s likely you have an old one somewhere at home. Goodwill agencies are working with partners to collect and recycle these phones and keep them out of landfills.

3. Books: If you’ve already read a book and have no plans to read it again, donate it to Goodwill. Donating books frees valuable shelf space and makes room for new ones. Check your children’s rooms for outgrown kid’s books or your kitchen for cookbooks you haven’t consulted in the last year.

4. Clothing: You can let go of the jeans that never quite fit or that sweater that wasn’t quite your style. Goodwill agencies gladly accept donations of gently used clothing. As you’re cleaning out your closet, put clothing donations in a pile and, when you’re finished, bring them to the “Spring Clean’ on Saturday. When you’re finished going through your closet, that pile might be bigger than you bargained for!

5. Housewares: Sometimes we inherit household items from others or receive them as gifts. If you have a second toaster, vacuum cleaner or blender that you don’t need, donate it to Goodwill.

More than 66 million donors have given their gently used items to Goodwill , helping their neighbors build careers and make positive contributions to their communities.

Last year, Goodwill, Inc. served more than 2 million people; including people with disabilities, those who lack education or work experience and others facing challenges to finding employment.   Goodwill Industries of East Texas’ donations help those right here in your community. Your East Texas donations put over 650 EAST TEXANS to work in 2010 and even more in 2011.  Our retail/recycling activities have  diverted over 3,450,000 pounds from reaching our landfills.  It is only with the help of your generous, tax deductible contributions, that we can train, develop and put to work those who have a barrier to finding a job.

We wish to thank Noon and Associates for the generosity of their time, effort and energy in getting the word out about Goodwill’s mission and supporting their community.

For more information, call Noon & Associates Real Estate at (903) 247-3030.

Parts of this article were published in the Longview News Journal.

Green Candied Popcorn

What you need

4 quarts popped corn

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups light corn syrup

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

Green food coloring

Make It

In heavy saucepan on medium heat, melt butter then add sugar, corn syrup and salt. Increase temperature to medium high and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Once mixture boils, add in food coloring and stop stirring.

Boil for 5 minutes (do not stir). Mixture should be about 250-260 degrees. Remove from heat and carefully stir in vanilla and baking soda. Working quickly, while mixture is foamy, pour mixture over popped corn and gently stir to coat popcorn.

Place popcorn with a large roaster or rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray) and bake at 200 degrees F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Skip to My Lou

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES of EAST TEXAS JOB POSTING

 ASSISTANT MANAGER

TYLER SUPERSTORE

TYLER

Duties include managing retail store in Store Manager’s absence.  In conjunction with the Retail Store Manager, carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.  Responsibilities also include training employees, planning, assigning and directing work, addressing complaints and resolving problems.  Assists in interviewing/hiring process and performance appraisals.   Qualified individuals must have a minimum of one year retail experience and valid TXDL.  Thrift store experience a plus.   Must be able to work flexible hours, including weekends. 

Please submit a completed application to

 Sylvia VanZandt (Human Resources Dept.)

 Application deadline is March 9, 2012

Online Application

or apply in person at : 409 West Locust Street

                            Tyler, TX 75701