Rincon Grand Opening May 30, 2013

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Rincon billboard

Rincon Goodwill Opening New Opportunities in the Community

(RINCON, GA) Goodwill of the Coastal Empire is pleased to announce the opening of the newest Goodwill Retail Store and Job Connection location in Rincon at 410 South Columbia Avenue (Highway 21) in the Fort Howard Shopping Plaza on Thursday, May 30 at 10 a.m.

Goodwill’s expansion of services to Effingham County comes as a welcome relief to many in the community.  Goodwill plans to serve the community with a retail store, convenient donations center and Job Connection career center.  The Rincon Goodwill will serve as the fifteenth retail location with a nearly 20,000 square foot facility.  Goodwill is expected to employ about 25 new employees from the local area. 

The Job Connection will serve as the seventh career center site in the region.  The Rincon Job Connection offers job seekers access to job leads and provides the technology resources to prepare the job seeker for a successful job search. The Career Center Manager serves as an onsite coordinator that works with individuals to explore different career interests and develop a plan based on the individual’s personal job goals.  There is a definite need for these services with Georgia’s unemployment rate at 8.4 percent, well above the national average.

The career center offers assistance with resume writing, interviewing skills, health and wellness education, financial literacy, and many other classes.  Career fairs and other networking opportunities are open to the public.  Free computer and internet access enables applicants to view job postings and submit their job history online. 

When community members donate, shop, or make a monetary contribution Goodwill is able to serve more individuals.  In 2012, Goodwill of the Coastal Empire placed into meaningful employment more than 1,400 people.

About Goodwill of the Coastal Empire:

Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, Inc. is dedicated to the mission of assisting people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to live independently and become employed. The not-for-profit organization employs nearly 600 employees throughout the area. In 2012, Goodwill provided services to 24,427 people and placed 1,406 people into employment through various programs offered throughout the region. Goodwill of the Coastal Empire serves 33 counties in Georgia and South Carolina, operating 14 retail locations and six Job Connection Centers in the region. Goodwill accepts tax deductible donations of clothing, household items, computers, and car donations, as well as operates an online store at www.shopgoodwill.com. For more information on Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, please visit www.goodwillsavannah.org. Find us on Facebook: Statesboro Goodwill or follow us on Twitter: @SavGoodwill.

‘Visual journalist’ second-hand shops on Savannah’s Broughton Street…Jenna Isaacson

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By Savannah Morning News

Jenna Isaacson, author and self-described visual journalist, made an appearance at the new Goodwill store, 108 W. Broughton St., Thursday morning to encourage people to lead a more “second hand” lifestyle by donating gently used clothing and shopping at thrift stores such as Goodwill.

Isaacson features Goodwill Industries International in a new book titled “All Thrifty States: A Visual Journey through America’s Collective Closets.” The book looks into the significance of second-hand shopping and how it can help consumers’ spending habits, plus be healthy for the environment.

The “All Thrifty States” journey kicked off in Washington, D.C., and will end on April 30, and Isaacson will stop at Goodwill stores along the way to promote the idea of living a more second-hand lifestyle.

Goodwill of the Coastal Empire serves 33 counties in Georgia and South Carolina, operating 14 retail locations and six Job Connection Centers in that region. For more information, go to www.goodwillsavannah.org

Adult Education expands to Goodwill in Richmond Hill

sav tech partnership

Jan. 28, 2013 – Savannah Technical College (STC) is partnering with the Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire, Inc. to bring adult education/GED classes to Richmond Hill, Ga.

“We are excited to be working with Goodwill in this effort,” said Dr. Love. “We know how important this instruction is to the students and their families. We know that attainment of a GED opens doors to higher education, to employment and to a better quality of life. I look forward to welcoming these students to our campuses to continue their studies once they earn their GED.”

STC Adult Education’s program offers classes from 5-8 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at the Goodwill Richmond Hill Career Center, which is a former Kroger location. Since STC’s Adult Education classes began at the Goodwill center in Richmond Hill, two students have completed the program to earn their GED. There are nine students enrolled now with more joining the class each week. STC Adult Education classes are also offered at the Richmond Hill Library from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.

“Helping people develop the skills they need to gain employment is critical to Goodwill’s mission,” said Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire, Inc. CEO Mohsen T. Badran. “This Center represents a new level of capability for Goodwill Industries in Bryan County and an expansion of our services to those seeking the GED. We are expecting great results.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a person with a high school or GED® credential earns $10,000 more per year than a non-high school graduate. The income level increases substantially more for those who go on to complete a college certificate, diploma or degree program. There are more than one million Georgians who are 25 years of age or older and do not have a high school education or GED diploma. Savannah Tech’s Adult Education Program serves those who need to improve their basic literacy and math skills, improve their oral and written English, practice for the GED test to attain a high school equivalence degree, and prepare for college. Instructors also help students with science and social studies test preparation for GED testing.

Savannah Technical College teaches adult education classes in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties with multiple locations in each community. For information, contact Adult Education at 912.443.5446 or visithttp://www.savannahtech.edu/cwo/GED_Adult_Education and look for the GED Computer-Based Testing Registration Information link.

GOODWILL TO BREAK GROUND FOR POOLER STORE

Pooler Groundbreaking Einvitation

(POOLER) – Goodwill of the Coastal Empire will break ground on a new location.  Goodwill and its partners in the community invite the public to attend the ground breaking event located at the new Poole Parkway site at 10:00 am, Thursday, February 14. This site will house a Drive-thru Donation Center, Retail Store, and a Job Connection Center.   

Brian Felder & Associates, Thomas and Hutton Engineering, and J.T. Turner Construction are custom developing the estimated 17,079 sq. ft. building to be the most energy efficient of all the Coastal Empire Goodwill facilities. J.T. Turner Construction expects to be completed by before the end-of year 2013. “J.T. Turner Construction is proud to be a part of this exciting project. The mission of Goodwill Industries is a wonderful representation of community service, and we are honored that we are able to participate in something that will give back to so many deserving families within the Coastal Empire,” explains Tripp Turner, COO for J.T. Turner Construction.

Goodwill staff, the Pooler Chamber of Commerce, local business owners, community and Pooler government leaders will gather for the event at the site, located just of the Pooler Parkway at the Corner of Godley Station Boulevard.  Light refreshments will be served.

About Goodwill of the Coastal Empire

Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, Inc. is dedicated to the mission of assisting people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to live independently and become employed.  The not-for-profit organization employs nearly 600 employees throughout the area.  In 2012, Goodwill provided services to 24,427 people and placed 1,406 people into employment through various programs offered throughout the region.  Goodwill of the Coastal Empire serves 33 counties in Georgia and South Carolina, operating 14 retail locations and six Job Connection Centers in that region.  Goodwill accepts tax deductible clothing, household items, computers, and car donations, as well as operates an online store at shopgoodwill.com.  For more information on Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, please visit www.goodwillsavannah.org.  Find us on Facebook: Savannah Goodwill or follow us on Twitter: @SavGoodwill.

Goodwill of the Coastal Empire selected to participate in Walmart-funded innovative job training and placement program

Goodwill Jobs 02_

Beyond Jobs program to provide women with career assistance, financial education, child care assistance and much more

 (SAVANNAH, Ga.) — [Feb. 6, 2013] — Help is on the way for women in the Coastal Empire area who are having difficulty advancing their careers. Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire, Inc. is one of 45 Goodwill® agencies across the country to take part in an innovative program that provides job training and placement services to women.

The program, known as Beyond Jobs and funded through a $7.7 million grant from the Walmart Foundation, will now create a larger impact by reaching more women who are unemployed or underemployed. This new funding will help broaden the reach of a program that was started in 2010 in five U.S. markets serving 1,342 women, to serving an expected 12,250 women in 49 communities.

“We are very excited to be able to further assist the working women of the Coastal Empire,” said Brenda Pollen, Goodwill of the Coastal Empire’s Director of Workforce Development. “Each woman in the program will receive a complete career assessment including job training, placement services and additional support to help them achieve economic security and advance in their careers.”

Beyond Jobs leverages Goodwill’s holistic approach to job training, placement and family financial support services. Over the 30-month grant period, Goodwill will work with women to provide them the tools to achieve their educational, career and financial goals.

Once participants are placed in jobs, they receive support to retain them, to further their education, and to advance in careers within their chosen industries.

Interested applicants can contact Ansley Williams at (912)354-6611 ext. 113 or at (912) 429-4293.

Long-term unemployment among women remains a problem, both locally and nationwide. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 26 percent of the women who lost their jobs during the recession have regained them. Last year, more than one out of four women was still looking for work after more than a year of job hunting.

“Not only will this program help to place women, no matter their circumstances, in jobs, it will also give them everything they need to support themselves and their families, in the long term,” said Pollen. “Beyond Jobs fulfills Goodwill’s mission of generating economic opportunities for people who face challenges to finding employment — in this case, women of all backgrounds — to achieve career advancement and financial independence.”

 Among the tools provided by the Beyond Jobs program are continued financial education, family strengthening services, early education and child care assistance, and connections to healthy food and nutrition initiatives.

The Beyond Jobs program is a key element in Walmart achieving the goals of its Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative, one of which is to help 200,000 U.S. women from low-income households with workforce readiness through job training, education, career counseling, and mentoring. For more information, visit corporate.walmart.com/women.

About Goodwill of the Coastal Empire

Goodwill of the Coastal Empire is dedicated to the mission of assisting people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to live independently and become employed.  The not-for-profit organization employs nearly 600 employees throughout the area.  In 2012, Goodwill provided services to 24,427 people and placed 1,406 people into employment through various programs offered throughout the region.  Goodwill of the Coastal Empire serves 33 counties in Georgia and South Carolina, operating 14 retail locations and six Job Connection Centers in that region.  Goodwill accepts tax deductible clothing, household items, computers, and car donations, as well as operates an online store at shopgoodwill.com.  For more information on Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, please visit www.goodwillsavannah.org.  Find us on Facebook: Savannah Goodwill or follow us on Twitter: @SavGoodwill.

ABOUT PHILANTHROPY AT WALMART

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief and Nutrition, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than 900 million meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.

http://savannahnow.com/exchange/2013-02-07/local-goodwill-part-walmart-funded-training-program#.URUK4qXC1Zs

 

 

NEW! Goodwill Career Center and Retail Expansion in Statesboro

Statesboro Grand opening coverage…special thanks to WTOC http://www.wtoc.com/story/20616758/goodwill-opens-job-connection-career-center-in-statesboro

invitation

Employers, job seekers to have many free resources and services at Job Connection and retail location will offer a wider variety of items

(STATESBORO) – Goodwill of the Coastal Empire, Inc. is opening a free community Job Connection career center and a retail location in Statesboro. The grand opening will be Thursday, January 17 at 9 a.m.

The Job Connection career center will be co-located in the current shopping plaza located at 812 Highway 80 next to the store. The store will be open to the public January 17 at 9 a.m. with a full selection of merchandise.

Job Connection offers many free resources and services to both employers and job seekers. For example, Goodwill offers applicant screening. Employers can provide Goodwill with job descriptions and Goodwill can match qualified applicants out of their database for the employer to interview. Goodwill can also provide office space for interviewing, training, and job fairs.

Resources, technology and support services have been designed to help job seekers secure and maintain employment. The center will be a resource for job seekers, offering help with resumes and interviewing skills, as well as a phone bank, printer, and copier.  Educational seminars will also help with job skills as well as areas such as health and wellness and financial well-being.

“We talk to employers and match their needs to our services,” said Brenda Pollen, Interim-Vice President of Mission Services for Goodwill of the Coastal Empire. “Our role is to tailor our programs to fit employers’ needs.” For example, at another Job Connection location we discovered that many job seekers lacked computer skills, so Job Connection started offering computer classes.

In terms of services for job seekers, Goodwill will be offering a resume writing class and working with job seekers to develop interviewing skills so that they feel confident when they walk into an interview. There will also be networking opportunities and job fairs for applicants will be able to view job postings that are available in the community.

In addition to connecting people with jobs, the Statesboro Job Connection will also be part of Goodwill’s Buena Vida Initiative, an initiative created to expand employment services, family strengthening and financial education to the growing Hispanic/Latino population in Georgia.  The Buena Vida initiative offers adult education and GED classes in Spanish and English in addition to (ESL) classes, ESL and SSL (English and Spanish as a second Language), and Work Literacy classes

“We know education is the key to lifting people out of poverty,” Pollen said. “The goal is to help them see their world in a different way and see what they can become. Goodwill can help them meet their needs and goals.”

In order to offer all these services for free, Goodwill relies on help from community volunteers.  “Volunteers are crucial,” Pollen said. “We have opportunities in reception, basic data entry and for instructors who may want to offer workshops or facilitate classes.  It’s a great opportunity for citizens to give something back to their community.”

10 things to donate before year’s end

COMMENTARY: 10 things to donate before year’s end

MOHSEN BADRAN
December 19, 2012 12:31 AM EST

Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire is encouraging Savannahians to commit to donating 10 items before the end of 2012.

During this busy and celebratory time of year, many people are looking for ways to help those in need, and donating used goods is perhaps the easiest, most affordable and one of the most efficient ways to help.

In a season when many of us are focused on gift buying, many Savannahians are just as interested in giving back. Even if funds are tight, people can give back by donating gently used items to Goodwill. We take everything from unwanted holiday sweaters to computers and laptops — even gift cards.

At Goodwill, we turn these items into something real: job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who have disabilities, those who lack education or job experience and others who face challenges to finding employment.

With just a few days left in 2012, Goodwill asks Savannahians to commit to donating 10 items by Dec. 31. Among Goodwill’s top 10 goods that can be donated:

10. Computers: At the end of their useful life computers can be donated at your local Goodwill store and recycled via Goodwill’s Dell Reconnect partnership. Donors should be sure to delete personal data before donating.

9. Kitchenware: Receive something new for the kitchen during the holidays? Gently used kitchenware can be donated at all Goodwill donation locations. To find the donation site in your community, go to www.goodwill.org.

8. Video Games: A donation of 10 video games can provide 47 minutes of on-the-job training for someone like Sarouet Ouk, who dropped out of school but found a green job and got back on track educationally thanks to a Goodwill job training program.

7. Books: Upgrade from paperbacks to a Kindle or iPad this year? Donating 15 books can provide 26 minutes of career counseling for a veteran like Jason Tobey, a Marine Corps veteran who struggled to find employment after being honorably discharged from the military.

6. CDs: If all of your songs are saved on hard drives and mp3 players, do you really need those hundreds of old CDs that are taking up space in the back of your closet? It may be time to donate them.

5. Cell phones: Unused cell phones are one of the fastest-growing types of trash in America. Instead of discarding your old phone, recycle or donate it. Donors should be sure to delete personal data.

4. Household items: It’s time to give that lamp a new life. Lamps, frames, vases, curios, baskets and collectibles are just a few of the items you can donate to Goodwill.

3. Bikes: Yes, Goodwill stores take big-ticket items like bikes. When your children have outgrown theirs, or you’ve moved on to a new bike, consider donating.

2. Gift Cards: Billions of dollars in holiday gift cards go unused every year. You can donate an unwanted gift card — with any unused amount on it — to your local Goodwill.

1. Clothes: Suits, pants, dresses, shirts. You name it, we’ll take it. Donating clothes not only funds job training programs but also provides new outfits for the job seekers Goodwill serves.

At the Donate Movement website (http://donate.goodwill.org), consumers can calculate the impact each donation will have in terms of job training, career counseling, financial education programs and more.

Mohsen Badran is the CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire.

About Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire

Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire, Inc. is dedicated to the mission of assisting people with disabilities and other barriers to employment to live independently and become employed. The not-for-profit organization employs nearly 550 employees throughout the area. Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire serves 33 counties in Georgia and South Carolina and operates 14 retail locations in the region. For more information,  visit www.goodwillsavannah.org.

Savannah charities hope for rise in donations as year ends

By Corey Dickstein

http://savannahnow.com/news/2012-12-21/savannah-charities-hope-rise-donations-year-ends#.UNhnbW9QWCk

With only four days left until Christmas and the end of the year looming, some local charities have received fewer donations than normal this holiday season.

While many take donations throughout the year, the bulk of the funds they need to operate — or to provide gifts to the needy — are typically raised at the very end of the year.

But with concerns about the economy, especially the debate about the “fiscal cliff,” fewer people are giving to nonprofits, organizations have reported.

Like other charities, the Savannah Morning News’ Empty Stocking Fund has not raised as much money as in past years for people who need help during the holiday season.

“Heading into the last week of the Empty Stocking Fund campaign before Christmas, we will need an influx of donations to meet last year’s campaign total,” said Michael C. Traynor, the newspaper’s publisher. “We live in a very generous community where neighbors help neighbors, and I am hopeful that we can raise the funds needed to help many in our community have a brighter holiday season.”

Jan Bass, marketing director for Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire, said she thinks talk of the “fiscal cliff” is keeping people close to their wallets.

“There’s a bit of an impending doom people are feeling with a potential for an increased tax burden,” she said.

Goodwill, Bass said, is far behind its goal for monetary donations. While it has received a lot of clothing and other items, it requires money to fund a number of expansion projects it plans for the next year.

Currently, she said, the nonprofit that assists those with disabilities or other hurdles to employment will need a large influx of monetary donations in order to proceed with its plans; it’s a position the company is not used to being in.

“We anticipated large growth for next year,” Bass said. “We plan to expand two of our locations and open another. This is the first time since I’ve been here we’ve been below what we thought we would, and that is terribly disappointing. We hope things will pick up soon.”

Although food-drive efforts have been strong this season for the Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, the nonprofit could always use more money, said Executive Director Mary Jane Crouch.

“This is the time of year when people are thinking about food,” she said. “So, for us, the food we receive now is going to push us all the way from now into May.”

The food bank, though, could always use cash donations, she said. Especially this year, when tax loopholes that encourage donations could be closed and people could soon be paying higher taxes, and in return likely donating less of their money.

“The ‘fiscal cliff’ could really hurt nonprofits,” Crouch said. “So donations this year are going to be important for us.”

LOCAL CHARITIES ACCEPTING DONATIONS

Empty Stocking

Make checks payable to the Empty Stocking Fund and mail to the Savannah Morning News, P.O. Box 1088, Savannah, GA 31402-1088. Only monetary gifts can be accepted. Or donate at savannahnow.com/emptystocking.

America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia

Feeds the hungry by distributing nutritious food to nonprofit agencies and at-risk elderly and youth.

For more information about donations, call 912-236-6750 or go to helpendhunger.org.

Salvation Army

Dedicated to spreading the Christian Gospel and providing humanitarian aid.

For more information, call Brad Atkinson, major gifts officer, at 912-651-7430.

United Way of the Coastal Empire

Supports community programs and services through partnerships, long-term planning and investment of donor contributions in Chatham, Effingham, Bryan and Liberty counties.

For information about donating, call 912-651-7700.

Union Mission

Provides humanitarian and social services to homeless and special needs communities.

Christmas gifts designed for teenagers — including purses, watches and personal care items — are requested as donations. Items can be dropped off between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 120 Fahm St. in Savannah.

A community dinner for those in need is scheduled at noon Christmas Day at 120 Fahm St.

For more information, call 912-236-7423.

Old Savannah City Mission

A privately funded charity that operates a Christian rescue mission for those in need. Clothing, furniture, household goods and automobiles are being accepted to feed the hungry and others in need. To donate, call 912-232-1979.

The mission is conducting its annual “Christmas on the Corner” dinner for the less fortunate from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Christmas Day at 2414 Bull St. in Savannah. The public can also donate gifts at the dinner.

Savannah Feed the Hungry

Provides assistance to the homeless and low-income residents through food, clothing, hot meals and community involvement.

Unwrapped toys and monetary donations can be sent to: 4011 Augusta Road, Garden City, GA 31408.

For more details, call 912-349-0774.

American Red Cross

Provides emergency and disaster relief services as well as lifesaving classes.

Accepting financial donations to help local families who have lost their homes to fire or other disasters.

Area residents can send a financial donation of any size to: American Red Cross, Southeast Georgia Chapter, P.O. Box 9987, Savannah, GA 31412. For more information, call 912-651-5300.

Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire Inc.

Assists those with disabilities and other barriers to employment to become employed and live independently.

Goodwill is seeking clothing, household and automobile donations, as well as financial donations to fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who have disabilities, lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges.

Clothing, household and electronic donations can be dropped off at any area donation center, retail location and drop boxes throughout the region. For locations or to make an online donation, go to goodwillsavannah.org/donate.

All Walks of Life (AWOL) Inc.

Provides arts and technology education for at-risk youth.

AWOL is accepting monetary donations to its 2K Strong campaign to fund performing arts program scholarships, a computer and computer software, snacks, T-shirts and staffing among other items.

Payments can be sent to AWOL All Walks of Life, Inc., P.O Box 15846, Savannah, GA 31416 or online at 2Kstrong.org. For more information, call 912-303-4987.

Greenbriar Children’s Center

Provides services that promote healthy development of children and the strengthening of families.

For more information, contact Stephanie Majors at 912-234-3431 or smajors@greenbriarchildrenscenter.org.

Park Place Outreach Inc.

Provides emergency shelter, meals and counseling to at-risk youth and their families. Accepting gift cards and children’s gifts for boys and girls ages 11 to 17. Canned goods, paper products and food store gift cards are also accepted. Donations can be made to: Park Place Outreach, 514 E. Henry St., Savannah, GA 31401. For more information, call 912-234-4048.