SPRING/SUMMER 2011
A publication of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries
Beyond Jobs Helps Goodwill Assist Single Mothers
inside this issue The Good Party ...................................page 2
Thanks to a new Goodwill program called Beyond Jobs, single mothers like Khalida Muhammed are finding success in the workplace and support for their families.
“Beyond Jobs has helped me keep everything on track,” Muhammed said. “The support and encouragement I get from the Goodwill staff has been empowering.”
Annual Report .....................................page 2
Funded by a grant from the Walmart Foundation and administrated by Goodwill Industries International, Beyond Jobs assists single mothers with job training and placement, and also helps them plan for continued success. Goodwill works with each woman to create an individualized plan that outlines how she will gain and retain a job, advance in her career, and ensure long-term financial stability for her family.
“Steady employment is a priority for every single mother, but the struggle doesn’t end when she finds a job," said Joanne Hilferty, president of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries. “The Beyond Jobs program helps mothers and families by providing more than a job, giving each woman the tools she needs to support her family today and in the future.”
Goodwill Has a NEW Roof! ............................................page 4
For Khalida, who found employment as a pharmacy technician after completing one of Goodwill’s job readiness programs, that has meant help with keeping a budget, support with transportation, and mentoring.
Each participant in the Beyond Jobs program receives a complete career assessment, individualized career planning, job skills training, and assistance with job placement. Recognizing that landing a job is only one step on the road to success, Beyond Jobs also provides mothers with continued financial education, family strengthening services, early education and child care assistance, and connections to healthy food and nutrition initiatives. G
Goodwill Reopens Harrison Avenue Store with New Look If you haven’t been to The Goodwill Store at 1010 Harrison Avenue in Boston lately, now might be a good time to pay another visit. On March 17, Goodwill unveiled a new look to its flagship store with an updated color scheme and merchandising layout and featuring new interior departmental signs, posters and price “toppers” designed by the national branding firm Corey McPherson Nash. The new signs are an extension of Goodwill’s brand, incorporating the well-known “smiling G” logo as well as Goodwill’s mission. The overall renovation is part of a plan to upgrade and update the appearance of all 11 Goodwill Stores in eastern and central Massachusetts. The flagship Harrison Avenue store is the fifth one to continued on page 2
Indepe nde and Dig nce nity Throug h Work
Fresh Air Camp ...................................page 3
Clothes and More! The other goods you can donate this spring Spring presents the perfect time to take a fresh look at the items in your home and decide what should stay and what should go. As you de-clutter your home, Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries can put your unwanted items to good use. As you know, Goodwill always accepts clothing, but when deciding what to donate, consider these other things. 1. Housewares: Sometimes we inherit household items from others or receive them as gifts. If you have spare pots and pans or a second toaster, vacuum cleaner or blender that you don’t need, donate it to Goodwill. 2. Shoes: Donate shoes that were a impulse buy and you never really became fond of or shoes that don’t seem to fit your child anymore. A few gently worn pairs of shoes make an excellent contribution. 3. Linens: If you want a new style of linens for your bed or have a table cloth that you no longer need, Goodwill gladly accepts donations of gently used linens. 4. 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 continued on page 4
The Good Party Celebrates Everyday Independence
Victoria Kennedy to Be Honored at The Good Party
The theme of this year’s Good Party, Goodwill’s signature gala event, will be Celebrating Everyday Independence because every day is Independence Day at Goodwill. The Good Party, which is being put together with a dynamic events committee and Rafanelli Events, will be held Wednesday, June 15, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. under a huge tent at Goodwill’s Headquarters at 1010 Harrison Avenue in Boston. As with previous Good Parties, it will be a Bubble Q, meaning champagne and an assortment of BBQ-inspired dishes will be served. There will also be musical entertainment.
Victoria Reggie Kennedy will be honored at The Good Party on June 15.
Kennedy will receive Goodwill’s Independence The Good Party will raise awareness of and financial support for Goodwill’s mission to provide Award in appreciation for all her husband, exemplary job training and related services to help individuals with disabilities Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, did to assist people and other barriers to self-sufficiency to achieve independence and dignity with disabilities, including the successful through work. It will also honor the more than 9,000 men, women and implementation of the Americans with young adults who take a confident first step towards a good job—and For more Disabilities Act that he authored more a better life—by enrolling in one of Goodwill’s many job training, than 20 years ago. The ADA is a civil information on career services, or youth programs. rights law that prohibits, discriminaThe Good Party, please tion based on disability.
visit our website at www.goodwillmass.org and click on The Good Party logo.
Mrs. Kennedy has continued to champion many of the causes that her husband fought for during his lifetime.
c e l e b rati n g ev e r y day i n de pe n de n c e
Goodwill’s Annual Report Reflects Transformations The year 2010 was a year of transformations – people transforming their lives and Goodwill transforming its headquarters, too! These events were highlighted in Goodwill’s 2010 Annual Report, aptly named Goodwill Transformations. The report marked not only the beginning of the building renovations, but also profiled some of the lives that had been transformed with the help of Goodwill. Success stories like Scheila Guerrero, who was living in a homeless shelter when she learned about Goodwill’s HELP class, a two-month training program that prepares individuals to work in human services. Scheila enrolled, and before long had a job as a residential counselor. The job also enabled Scheila to find her own place to live. Or others like Michael Moriarty who suffered a brain injury several years ago and came to Goodwill for job training. Michael eventually became an attendant at the Goodwill donation center in Woburn and is also a regular speaker for Brains at Risk, an awareness program for the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts. The annual report is usually highlighted at Goodwill’s Annual Meeting in January, but this year a major snowstorm forced cancellation of the meeting. To view the 2010 Annual Report, go to www.goodwillmass.org and click on Publications. For a copy, call 617-541-1259 or send an email to info@goodwillmass.org. G
HARRISON STORE – continued be upgraded and more are scheduled for the new look. “What’s exciting about the new signage design is how well it synthesizes with our existing logo and new store vision yet adds a fresh, colorful look and highlights our mission statement of independence and dignity through work,” said Joanne Hilferty, president of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries. The new designs also feature a series of signs calling for personal involvement and action, such as “I will donate, “I will help,” or “I will give.” “Instead of using the more obvious word “good” in Goodwill’s name, we thought it would be more thoughtful to stress “will,” which implies personal responsibility and action,” said Michael McPherson, partner and creative director at Corey. “Part of the goal of the renovation is to employ improved merchandising techniques and make it easier for customers to find what they are looking for when they are shopping,” said Terry Fitzpatrick, vice president of retail enterprise at Goodwill. The Harrison Avenue store is the first Goodwill location in eastern and central Massachusetts to get the new signs, but others will follow. Goodwill’s trucks and donation centers will also eventually have the new look. G
Goodwill’s Camp Offers Education and Adventure! As summer approaches, Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries is getting in full gear to prepare children throughout Boston for an exceptional camp experience. This year, Fresh Air Camp, located on 500 acres of woods, fields and ponds in Athol, Massachusetts, will once again provide campers with exciting recreational activities, an engaging learning curriculum, and lasting memories.
for boys and girls
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With two-week sessions, Fresh Air Camp gives children ages 9-17 the opportunity to participate in day and evening activities such as Red Cross swimming lessons, Fresh Air Olympics, arts and crafts, theater and much more. While having a fun camping experience, campers also gain an understanding of and appreciation for literacy, writing, math, science and technology. Throughout the stimulating summer camp program, these educational elements help children become more motivated and confident learners. Shara Nelson is one camper who has excelled due to camp. Last year, she became a counselor-in-training with ease due to previous experiences with assisting her sister at her daycare facility. Shara was open to meeting new people and open to the experiences that camp had to offer. “Camp,” she said, “it was just great.” Shara said her greatest achievement to date was when she got her first paycheck for her job at camp, realizing that she could provide for herself.
memories Fresh Air Camp
Having a gre a Fresh Air Ctatime at mp!
If you’d like to make a donation to Fresh Air Camp, please call (617) 541-1259. Donations support camp scholarships that ensure that every child who wishes to attend can do so.
Having GoodGuides HAPPY HAPPENINGS Makes a Difference AT
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GoodGuides, Goodwill’s youth mentoring program, is making a difference in people’s lives. The program, which is only a little more than a year old, matches 12-17 year old boys and girls with supportive adult volunteer mentors who commit to mentoring for four hours each month for at least 12 months. “It’s a priceless, invaluable program,” said Ingrid Trench, one of the adult mentors. Research has shown that youth who are matched in mentoring relationships are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college, and show respect for adults. The GoodGuides program focuses on career and college exploration for older youth. That means visits to college campuses like Brandeis, Harvard, Boston University and Boston College. It also means hearing from speakers like Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis or visiting New England Baptist Hospital to learn about potential careers in healthcare.
“ It’s a priceless, invaluable program.” – Ingrid Trench
GoodGuides partners with a number of local organizations, schools and churches to find mentees as well as mentors. Trench, for example, works with four girls at Dearborn Middle School. “When I first started meeting with them, one was talkative, but the rest were quiet,” she recalled. “But now when I come they all pipe up and say, ‘here she comes.’ I love it.” Top left: A volunteer serves Goodwill participant Mary Moran at Goodwill’s Thanks-for-Giving Dinner. More than 400 guests were served. Top right: New England Patriots player Leigh Bodden delivers a Thanksgiving basket to Rosanna and Elizabeth Ramirez. The event provided baskets to 220 families. Bottom: A volunteer helps a child with a craft at Goodwill’s Youth Holiday party. Almost 500 young people attended the annual event.
GoodGuides mixes fun and cultural activities in with career and college exploration. Partcipants have taken trips to Roller World and Monster Mini Golf and are also planning to see “Educating Rita” at the Huntington Theater. G
The GoodGuides program is always looking for mentors. If you are interested in learning more, please contact program manager Chris Chadwick at 617-541-1416 or cchadwick@goodwillmass.org.
Goodwill Has a New Roof! Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries is very grateful to the many individuals, corporations and foundations who have contributed to the Building Goodwill…By Raising the Roof and More! Capital Campaign. With sufficient financing and fundraising in place to begin the project last October, Goodwill was able to complete the exterior work – replacing the roof and rooftop heating and cooling units – just days before the harsh winter storms began! Staff no longer need layers of heavy sweaters and scarves in the winter months. Buckets used to catch water in the atrium during rain and snow storms have now been put away. Goodwill is working to complete the final, crucial stretch of the Building Goodwill…By Raising the Roof and More! fundraising campaign so that renovations on the building’s interior, fire alarm system, crumbling sidewalks and parking lot can be completed before June.
To make a contribution or for more information, please contact Christine Lojko in the Development Office at 617-541-1213 or clojko@goodwillmass.org.
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A worker replaces the heating and air conditioning units at Goodwill’s headquarters as part of the building renovations.
DONATIONS – continued
Running for Great Kids Makes it Seven For the seventh consecutive year, Goodwill has a fabulous team of runners in the Boston Marathon®. The Running for Great Kids team is made up of seventeen runners who are raising money for Goodwill’s youth programs, including the BNY Mellon After-School Academy for Girls, Fresh Air Camp, and GoodGuides, a youth mentoring program. This year’s team was coached by veteran coach Russ Brennen who helped the runners prepare for the grueling Boston course. The team has raised almost $60,000 for Goodwill’s youth programs.
Goodwill Welcomes New Board Members
your children’s rooms for outgrown kid’s books or your kitchen for cookbooks you haven’t consulted in the last year. More than 19 million pounds of gently used items are donated to Goodwill every year, helping neighbors build careers and make positive contributions to local communities. Goodwill has also started the Donate Movement to highlight the positive effects donating has on both people and the planet. G
Four new board members have recently joined Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries’ Board of Directors. The new board members are: • Robert Gittens, vice president of public affairs at Northeastern University.
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• Peter Morrissey, president and CEO of Morrissey & Company and a previous board member.
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• Mary Reed, president, Bessie Tartt Wilson Initiative for Children and a previous board member.
Goodwill’s mission is to provide exemplary job training and related services to help individuals with disabilities and other barriers to selfsufficiency to achieve independence and dignity through work. Not charity, but a chance.
• Kevin Reynolds, director of operations at The Waldwin Group.
Goodwill Wins National Award Goodwill won an Excellence Award from the national organization Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education for its “Goodwill, Not Landfill” initiative with Boston University. Under the program, Goodwill partners with sustainability@BU to collect donations at the end of every school term. Last spring, Goodwill collected more than 35 tons during Move Out. This year, Goodwill and BU will be looking to increase those numbers!
Goodwill and Peapod Partnership Growing Peapod, one of the largest Internet supermarkets in the United States, is hiring more and more Goodwill job training participants as personal shoppers and truck loaders. In the last eight months, Peapod has hired four participants from Goodwill’s Salem Job Training Center. The relationship with Peapod grew out of Goodwill’s partnership with Stop & Shop, which hires many graduates from Goodwill’s job training programs. “The trainees from Goodwill are ready to work and are great employees,” said Steve Virta, regional director for Peapod. “We’re looking forward to hiring more and more trainees from Goodwill.”
The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission’s North Shore office staff paid a recent visit to Goodwill’s Job Training Center in Salem to meet Adam Dossas, the new director of operations there.
Joanne K. Hilferty President & CEO Joy S. Burghardt Vice President, Programs & Services Terrence M. Fitzpatrick Vice President, Retail Enterprise Paul MacNeil Vice President, Work Programs Director, Boston Career Link Carol Moran Vice President, Finance & CFO Mary G. Rahal Vice President, Human Resources & Administration James Harder Director of Communications Editor, GoodwillOutlook Photo Credits Zev Fisher Shane Godfrey Design Studio A Design
Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries 1010 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA 02119 (617) 445-1010 www.goodwillmass.org