OUTLOOK
The Official Newsletter for Supporters of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries
Fall 2014
You Help People Like Jake When You Give to Goodwill Learn About His Extraordinary Talent
Building His Models Jake likes to build. Specifically, he builds intricate, fullscale models of mansions using balsa wood and his own remarkable abilities. His models are truly amazing. “When I was younger, I didn’t feel that I could do anything,” says Jake. “But when I got into this, I thought that I found my niche in being able to do something that not everybody else can do.” Jake was born with Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare condition that can lead to intellectual disabilities, seizures or other medical problems. For Jake, its impact on him is simple to explain. “I had to learn slower than most,” he says. “But I could still learn.” What’s most incredible about Jake is not what he has learned. It’s what he has achieved. His ability to build elaborate models is extraordinary. But to him, it’s one of many accomplishments in his life. He’s married. He can drive. And as his time with Goodwill has shown, Jake can hold down a job.
PHOTO BY KEVIN R. CONVEY
You could live your whole life and never be lucky enough to meet a person like Jake. He is skilled. He is patient. Most importantly, he is determined. He has never let his disabilities stand in his way. Thanks to donors like you, Jake also has a job. He found it by coming to Goodwill, and it’s one of the reasons he’s maximizing his independence today. You help individuals overcome barriers to employment each time you give to Goodwill. You offer them a chance to seek independence and dignity through work — and for someone like Jake that chance means a lot.
Your gifts are the reason Goodwill is able to help people like Jake — who has the remarkable ability to build intricately detailed models from scratch.
Doing His Job As a janitor at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA, Jake has a job he enjoys. He had previous work experience when he came to Goodwill. He just needed help to get some additional training. “It makes me feel good that I’m needed,” says Jake about his job. “It takes me about two hours to get there, so that’s four hours of commute time. And when I’m there, I’m there for about four hours.” Jake was referred to Goodwill by the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. He has worked through Goodwill’s AbilityOne program — a federal initiative that helps people with disabilities work on government contracts through various community rehabilitation agencies — ever since. continued on page 2
Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries
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OUTLOOK
Fall 2014
Opening the Door to Independence and Dignity
Extraordinary Talent from page 1
Goodwill’s Marathon Team Gives Young People a Chance
Goodwill is honored to participate in AbilityOne, and proud that participants like Jake clean and maintain millions of square feet of federal office space each year. Jake’s story is one of many at Goodwill — and that’s the reason your continued support matters.
You heard a lot about the Boston Marathon this year. After the tragedy of 2013, the race was bigger than ever. It had special meaning for our city — and for Goodwill. You can support youth who need your help. Send your gift to Goodwill today or visit us online at www.goodwillmass.org to learn more about our Youth Initiative. Your generous contribution will improve lives.
Our Running for Great Kids team of 24 runners accepted the challenge of running Boston’s grueling course in April. Before doing so, they each committed to raising money for Goodwill’s Peter Morrissey Youth Fund, which is named after a late, long-time supporter and Board member who cared deeply about children in need. Goodwill’s runners asked family members, friends and colleagues to support young people who want a chance to succeed at life. The results were extraordinary.
Goodwill’s Boston Marathon Team, Running for Great Kids, raised just over $100,000. And those funds are now being used to provide opportunities for youth.
With an after-school program that offers academic support, mentoring and a chance to build leadership skills, Goodwill is uniquely positioned to make your gifts matter. We do our best to meet the needs of all the youth who need us — during the school year and during the summer months. Our job readiness workshops, and the help we are able to provide with summer and part-time jobs, are invaluable to adolescents who want experience that will benefit them long-term. Everyone at Goodwill is proud of the Running for Great Kids team — because of their fundraising and the fact that each runner finished the race. Together, they’ve made a difference for young people in the same way you do each time you give to Goodwill.
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Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries
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PHOTO BY KEVIN R. CONVEY
We expect to have at least 120 young people who live in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan turn to the Goodwill Youth Initiative for help this year. Thanks to our marathon team — and with the continued generosity of donors like you — we’ll be prepared to help.
Jake is a talented and caring individual. Can you imagine if he didn’t have Goodwill or the valued support of donors like you? For him, and for so many others, your gifts offer more than you could possibly know.
Watch Jake’s story online! Visit www.goodwillmass.org today. You’ll see some of the models he has built and you’ll learn just how much he enjoys the job he found by coming to Goodwill.
Fall 2014
OUTLOOK
Upcoming Events at Goodwill
Back to Work Thanks to Goodwill’s Boston Career Link
Annual events for program participants are a long-standing tradition at Goodwill. Your next gift will help to make the following upcoming events possible:
Your Gifts Lead People to Jobs
• November 25 Thanksgiving-in-a-Basket
You can’t really know how important a job is to you until you don’t have one anymore. Being laid off from work is often lifechanging — especially when you have young children.
• November 26 Thanksgiving Dinner • December 13 The Goodwill Holiday Party
Danilda is a single mother, raising a four-year-old son and she needs a job to take care of him. That’s why the news that she had been laid off from her job was so difficult. Thanks to support from you and other Goodwill donors, Danilda had a place to turn as she looked for a new job. She went to Boston Career Link, which is Goodwill’s one-stop career center. It offers jobseekers like Danilda counseling services, workshops, access to job fairs and the chance to connect with employers. “Boston Career Link has a great program in place,” says Danilda. “I liked the workshops and I got emails from the career center on a regular basis with information on job openings.” Your gifts to Goodwill open doors for individuals in need. Danilda was able to work directly with a Boston Career Link career advisor, who led her to a great new job — one that she enjoys. Today, Danilda is an administrative assistant with Lenox Martell, Inc., a soda and refrigeration equipment service company located in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, and a business that partners with Goodwill. It’s the perfect fit for her because it offers schedule flexibility. And that’s just what she needs as she continues to raise her son.
Your gifts are the reason Goodwill is able to help so many people improve their lives. Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries
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OUTLOOK
Fall 2014
Goodwill Milestones HELP Program Celebrates 10 Years Thanks to continued generous support, Goodwill’s eight-week training program for individuals who want to work in the human services industry as direct support professionals has now spanned an entire decade (2004-2014).
Put Your Clothes to Work Clothing Drive Hits Goal Goodwill’s annual Put Your Clothes to Work Clothing Drive, hosted by Boston-area corporations and organizations, generated more than 15,000 pounds of interview-appropriate business attire for Goodwill job trainees and those from other organizations this year.
Salem Job Training Center Reorganized Individuals with disabilities who are right for community-based group employment find those services at Goodwill’s Salem, MA, location — which was reconfigured earlier this year to better serve the needs of participants. Visit www.goodwillmass.org today to learn more about how your continued support will help people achieve self-sufficiency through work.
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Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries
www.goodwillmass.org/outlook
We Asked. You Answered. In a recent survey, Goodwill supporters shared their thoughts For nearly 120 Years, Goodwill has served individuals, families, and communities, simply by helping people go to work. Through our programs, people gain skills they need to be able to support themselves and their families. Each year, with the support of friends like you, we help thousands of low-income, unemployed and underemployed adults with job training and career services programs. And through our Youth Initiative we reach out to more than 100 young people. We rely on your support, so we want to make sure we are meeting your needs and expectations. We recently mailed a short survey to supporters like you — people who make generous gifts to advance our mission. The results were both surprising and gratifying. For example: • While every supporter who responded to the survey makes philanthropic gifts to Goodwill, 60% have also donated clothing or household items. • When asked why they made their first gift to Goodwill, 80% said it was because Goodwill’s mission is important to them. • Just 17% of Goodwill supporters knew that every Goodwill across the United States is independently operated. • Out of all respondents, a full 98% said that they plan to continue supporting Goodwill in the future. Everything we do — from providing high quality goods at low prices in our stores, to helping individuals learn to support themselves through work — is only possible because we have the support of friends like you. Thank you for donating, giving and caring!
Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries 1010 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA 02119 Tel: 617-445-1010 www.goodwillmass.org/outlook Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Your gift to support Goodwill is fully tax deductible to the extent provided by law.