Discover Goodwill Southern & Western Colorado
C onn e c t ing Empl oy e e s t o t h e Mi s s i o n of G o o dw i l l
GoodwillDiscoveries
Discover Goodwill Breaks Ground on Monument Retail and Community Programs Center July/August 2014
Discover Goodwill has maintained donation operations in Monument for 18 years and is looking forward to expanding our programs and services via a new Retail and Community Programs Center, slated to open this holiday season. Stay tuned for details on the Grand Opening!
Discover Goodwill Celebrates Opening of New Retail Support Center Discover Goodwill was joined by a host of supporters at a July 29 ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of our new Retail Support Center (RSC), located at 2855 S. Academy Blvd. The ceremony included comments from Discover Goodwill President and CEO Karla Grazier, and Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach. Grazier shared how the new facility will allow Discover Goodwill to consolidate and expand our existing retail and donation operations—including a “Buy the Pound” outlet specializing in bulk sale of clearance merchandise rotated from our retail centers. The RSC also serves as a hub for Discover Goodwill’s fleet transportation and dispatch operations, inventory distribution, recycling and salvage, and other essential support services. Both Grazier and Mayor Bach underscored the significance of the RSC as a jobs generator and commerce kickstarter that strategically aligns with the city’s economic revitalization plans for the South Academy corridor.
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JULY/AUGUST 2014
Discover Goodwill President and CEO Karla Grazier and Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach address attendees at a July 29 ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the new Retail Support Center.
The RSC will help generate approximately 180 jobs at Discover Goodwill—including nearly 120 jobs dedicated to two additional retail centers slated to open before the year’s end. Stay tuned for more details! At the conclusion of the ceremony, attendees learned about one of the RSC’s biggest beneficiaries, Ptolemey, who lost his job over a year ago—along with his house, car and practically everything else he owned. Despite his tireless job search, he found himself unemployed and homeless. Since securing employment with Discover Goodwill, Ptolemey has earned certification as a forklift operator and is preparing to move into his own place. “That’s what we’re all about,” Grazier said. “We are in the business of changing lives.”
Thanks a Watt for Helping Us Conserve Energy! Discover Goodwill has plugged into national recognition as the top winner in Goodwill Industry International’s (GII’s) “2013 Goodwill Energy Conservation Challenge.” GII awarded Discover Goodwill first-place in its sophomore category (second-year participant) from a pool of nearly 50 participating Goodwills across the United States, using energy consumption data compiled from over 800 locations. Discover Goodwill was publically praised for our energyconscious achievements at this year’s GII Delegate Assembly in Austin, Texas.
Special thanks to John Kozlowski and Cheryl Morton for coordinating Discover Goodwill’s data tracking and reporting with GII, and kudos to our Facilities and Janitorial staff, and all of our employees for helping maximize Discover Goodwill’s impact on those we serve by minimizing our energy use. Please join us as we “power up” for next year’s competition by turning off lights when not in use, reducing print projects, monitoring heating/ cooling systems and other “green” initiatives.
Possibilities “Recycled Art” Featured at Local Gallery
Possibilities’ participants have found renewed use for Altoids canisters and computer disks promoting much more than fresh breath and electronic data storage; they have transformed these and other unused and landfill-unfriendly items into abstract, eyecatching artwork recently on display at a local art gallery. GOODWILL DISCOVERIES
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Celebrate Milestone Years of Service 1 Year Courtney Anderson Natascha Berrios Linda Biron Terrence Cannon Andrew Chapman Manuela Coe Latoyra Edwards Peggy Eeten Jeanette Elizalde Elizabeth Feltman Rosalee Flores Brian Green Linda Green Carol Ha Chania HernandezMartinez Christine Johnson Clyde Johnson Leslie Johnson Dorthy Laster Cassandra Lewis Dedric Lowe Melanie Luchka Dennis Lutje Richard Martin Rosalia Martinez Ricky Martinez James Moncher Cheryl Moore Samuel Morris William Newton Robert Pool Brittany Price Charity Reese Kevin Robinson Jovaun Rodriguez Rosemary Rojas Carol Ann Rubidoux Joseph Slattery Claudia Smith Felicia Suggs
Stephen Thompson Carrie Van Ryn Jesse Vasquez Maria VillanuevaCordero Austin Weed Bryan Wilcoxson Heather Wood
3 Years Kristin Amundson Stefan Argus Aidan Fortner Carl Hilton Robert Hudson Cynthia Johnson Ali Khaleefah Kayla Ladd Dawn Maes Stephanie Mathis Jerranette Miller Mingiste Tiku Miguel Villanueva Ruth Vining Shannon Walker
“Even when I gave up on myself, Discover Goodwill wouldn’t give up on me,” said participant Israel VanBrunt (right), a young father struggling to support his family and find gainful employment after being discharged from the military. Israel was one of 86 fathers served at the inaugural Men Employment Networking (M.E.N.) event co-sponsored by the El Paso County Department of Human Services (DHS) and Discover Goodwill’s Career Development Center (CDC) early this summer. Event attendees gathered to hear personal testimonies from El Paso County Commissioner Dennis Hisey (left) and keynote speaker Raymond Washington (back), receive a haircut and professional outfit, and attend on-thespot interviews with more than 30 employers. “Thanks to the support and guidance of my case manager, I was able to create a strong résumé that helped me get a job as a security officer at The Boeing Company and identify grants that will help me further my education at Pikes Peak Community College this fall,” said Israel.
5 Years Betty Anderson Jeremy Head
10 Years Tina Argus Jason Bayette Brandon Bloodsaw
20 Years Larry Ankenman
Everything I Do
Makes a Difference in Someone’s Life
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Helping Men Bring Home the Bacon
Discover Goodwill Campus Touts Tremendous Tour Totals What a difference a couple of years can make! Since relocating our administrative office and consolidating many of our programs and operations to the Garden of the Gods campus in spring 2012, Discover Goodwill has conducted over 1,300 tours for more than 4,300 individuals interested in exploring our lifechanging mission and services. That staggering statistic is comparable to each one of our
JULY/AUGUST 2014
employees touring the campus … more than three times! The next time you visit the Garden of the Gods campus, please pay VP of Partnerships Bonnie Martinez, and Mark Bunch, Jaimy Criswell and the Mission Services marketing team a visit to thank them for serving as Discover Goodwill’s dedicated tour guides and, ultimately, helping individuals with disadvantages find their path to independence.