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In Brief By Keith Mason
We are nearing the end of 2004 and we have so much to be thankful for here at Goodwill of Central Arizona. We are thankful for all of our generous donors - because whether you give Goodwill your gently-used household items and clothing or $20,000 cash, you are contributing to our ability to serve over 8,000 members of our community this year. We are thankful for all of the hardwork and commitment to success that our program graduates have shown in our youth programs, adult and rehabilitation programs and our new charter high school. We are thankful to our 800+ staff members who work hard everyday around Central Arizona to meet Goodwill's mission: Creating Hope, Jobs, and Futures. Many thanks to all of you during this holiday season! Evening of Goodwill
One mother, three fathers, 10 siblings - two dead, two more in prison. He’s been shot and stabbed, assaulted more times that he can count. Not the kind of resume that usually gets you in the door. Javier’s beaten the odds. He’s the first in his family to complete 8th grade…but he didn’t stop there…he’s also the first to graduate from High School and move beyond what he calls the “echo” of an unhealthy, and sometimes deadly, lifestyle. This incredible story of our Youth Participant of the Year was revealed at the 2004 Evening of Goodwill. More than $30,000 was raised at the fourth annual Evening of Goodwill to directly support Goodwill of Central Arizona’s training for individuals with physical and emotional barriers to employment. (Because income from Goodwill’s retail stores covers the administrative costs of our agency, we are proud to state that 100% of event donations go directly into our programs.) Through programs such as the Computer and Customer Service Training and the new e-cadamie charter High School, we deliver the necessary skills for self-sufficiency. The event brought with it many other celebratory moments. There was the story of Victor. Our Adult Participant of the Year battled a broken back, learned new skills and is making strides and winning hearts in his new customer service profession. The long-term involvement and dedicated support of Ruth & Hartley Barker was also celebrated by awarding them the inaugural Ruth and Hartley Barker Legacy of Goodwill award and Bank of America was recognized with the Corporate Class business of the year award. The event also included the introduction of the first “class” of Goodwill Ambassadors, a program to provide current and former workforce development program participants and charter school students with opportunities to gain leadership experience and career skills for the future. Thanks to the generous support of the 2004 Evening of Goodwill sponsors and supporters, we can continue to create hope, jobs and futures for individuals like Javier and Victor each day. We’re excitedly seeking renewed support and new involvement for our 2005 Evening of Goodwill. Event support needs include everything from volunteer assistance on the planning committee, table sponsorships, in-kind donations of silent auction items, or other services to reduce event expenditures. Please e-mail Katrina Thurman to pledge your support for making the fifth annual event better than ever. Click here for a photo collage of the 2004 Evening of Goodwill. Thank you 2004 Evening of Goodwill Sponsors and Supporters! Presenting sponsor:
Phoenix City Councilman Michael Johnson, Honorary Event Chair Veronica C. Armstrong, Event Chair Arthur Mobley, Event Emcee Achiever Sponsors:
Premium Table Sponsor:
Table Sponsors: American Mechanical Services Arizona Diamondbacks Bank of America Bank One Boeing Comerica Ensynch Miller LaSota Peters Milne Scali & Co. Park & Co. Major auction and Goodwill Ambassador Supporters: Acordia Durant's JPJ Fashions Molina Jewelers Pollack Tempe Cinemas Kurt Bunney Northern Chemical New Program Provides One Stop Employment Services to Adults By Lena Kelly
This partnership between the City of Phoenix and Goodwill's Adult services adds another valuable resource to our community! Please contact any of the Career Centers, listed above, to learn more about Goodwill's WIA Adult program. e-cademie Grand Opening
e-cademie serves students grades 9-12 with school hours from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., providing an alternative for students seeking a flexible schedule. Open enrollment continues throughout the school year. Call (602) 416-6400 for more information. Goodwill Receives ARC Award 2004 “Ability Counts” Luncheon By Lisa Wilham Staff from Goodwill’s Workforce Development Division attended the Phoenix Mayor’s Commission on Disability Issues 2004 Ability Counts Luncheon held on October 27, 2004. The focus this year was The Courage to Dream: The Ability to Achieve. This event is held annually to recognize outstanding employers and community members. Mayor Phil Gordon gave opening remarks. The keynote speaker was Coach Harold Jones, who along with James “Radio” Kennedy, were the inspiration for the movie “Radio”. Coach Jones shared the heartwarming story of how Radio became a lifetime member of the football team and transformed the way the entire town viewed individuals with disabilities. Congratulations also to our own Youth Services intern, Carla Flood, who won the Nick Vanos Award/scholarship for college tuition to ASU West. Carla was one of two college award recipients. Goodwill WINS TWO “Building of the Year Awards!”
On Friday, August 27, Goodwill of Central Arizona attended the annual Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Awards Gala held at the Ritz Carlton in Phoenix, Arizona. At this event, Goodwill was very pleased to join our commercial services customer, GSA (Government Services Administration), to accept The Office Building of the Year (TOBY) Award for two facilities. The TOBY Award is a nationally recognized award given in multiple categories to the property managers of office buildings around the country. In this competition, Goodwill and GSA were selected as the best from among every historic and government facility in Arizona. The TOBY Award was presented to Goodwill and GSA by local media anchor Catherine Anaya. Goodwill was recognized with special thanks from GSA for the outstanding janitorial and floor care services provided to the award winning facilities. Paul Brown, Vice President of Commercial Services for Goodwill, said, “We are very honored and thrilled to have such an outstanding partnership with GSA and to be able to contribute to the quality of the Sandra Day O’Connor Federal Building and the U.S. Post Office.” Mr. Brown went on to say that he would like to “acknowledge and congratulate Steve Ingram, Goodwill Project Manager, and his crews at the award winning buildings, for their outstanding efforts and for consistently going ‘above and beyond’ in their commitment to excellence!”
Interested in letting Goodwill Commercial Services do some of your business’ work? Call Paul Brown, Vice President Commercial Services at (602) 416-6205 or email: paul.brown@goodwillaz.org e-cademie News By Kristen Smith & Arturo Ortiz
Since their election in October, the e-cademie Student Government has been busy planning community building activities. The first schoolwide event was the “Fall Ball”, held Thursday, October 27th. Fifty-eight students came out to show off their costumes, dance and chow down. Lydia Garcia won the dance contest and a fifty-dollar gift certificate to Best Buy – Janet Jackson, watch out!! e-cademie student wins art award. Bettina Whitehorse, an e-cademie student, was the 2nd place winner for the Grand Canyon State Games Art Contest! Her winning picture was of the Statue of Liberty with a peace sign, flag, and two fighter planes flying overhead. The contest promotes creativity in art as an effective method for youth to express their dreams and ideas for a successful life and a better community. All art work was judged for its originality and creativity, theme interpretation, techniques and use of media. The winners will be awarded medals: 1st-Gold 2nd-Silver and 3rd-Bronze. Winners will be recognized throughout the year at Grand Canyon State Games events. Congratulations Bettina!
e-cademie hosted its First Annual Family Fun & Dessert Night on Thursday, November 18th. This served as a fundraiser for the Winter Dance and an opportunity to bring families together before Thanksgiving for an evening of karaoke and tasty desserts. Plans for the Winter Dance are underway, along with plans for adopting a “Family in Need” for the holidays. Fly like an eagle! The student body voted and the school colors and mascot have been chosen! Our new basketball team, headed up by Coach Dolan Laveen, will be wearing Red and Blue jerseys and representing the e-cademie Eagles! The cheerleading and dance teams, made up of seventeen energetic and enthusiastic girls, have been preparing for the first game of the season against NFL YET College Prep Academy. Come out and cheer them on to victory! Take me out to the ballgame! Ameriquest Mortgage recently donated 150 baseball tickets to Goodwill so that e-cademie teachers, students and their families could attend a Diamondback's ballgame! For some, this was the very first opportunity to see a baseball game. The students had an exciting time and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the game and the Bank One Ballpark. Thank You Ameriquest Mortgage for your very generous donation! Yuma Goodwill Hosts Wal-Mart Recruitment
Letters of Success
Goodwill’s workforce development staff would like to proudly share with you the successes and accomplishments of a few of our students and clients… Jennifer, I would like to take this time and say thank you for the opportunity extended to better myself and become a positive role model in the community. Words can’t always express the vote of confidence when someone finds a way to say I believe in you. Thank you again. Sincerely, Dianna (member – Goodwill Ambassador Club) ----- To Whom It May Concern:
Mike is an excellent teacher with a lot of patience and expertise. The hands on training I received in Mike’s class, helped familiarize me with:
I learned how to put together an attractive one-page resume and cover letter. Another great benefit came from doing practice interviews. The guest speakers gave helpful suggestions in this regard. For example, I learned that it is ok to pause and say that I need to take a moment before answering a difficult question. With practice, I began to feel comfortable about gathering my thoughts before speaking. This class gave me a definite edge in pursuing my career goals. Mike has the leadership qualities and capabilities that make him an effective instructor. As a result of his instruction, I found a position that is a good fit; and I am eager to begin. I am very grateful for this opportunity and would highly recommend this Goodwill course for all that want to build their skills to become more marketable in today’s work force. Thank you. Sincerely, Laurel (student - Computer and Customer Service Training program) ----- I am proud to be a graduate of Goodwill’s computer and customer service class. What a valuable resource. Before I found this class my computer knowledge was extremely limited; click and point and e-mail, a little net surfing. I am confident that with my newly obtained knowledge that I have more options in the work force and will be a more effective and valuable employee. Goodwill’s team is impressive too! All of the employees are shining smiling individuals, whether it’s the receptionists or the janitors. Then there’s Michael our wonderful instructor and all around great guy… I graduated in July and we’ve been in close contact since, he’s concerned, he wants to know what I’m up to. He has become part of my regular support circle. Michael is always eager to help me. He is genuine and he arose to the challenge (we broke him in, we were his rookie class). He shared his personal career climb with us. He made me feel like maybe I wasn’t far off a career path because each of us has various routes to get to where we are going and it is all right. What an amazing experience I’m very fortunate to have this accomplishment as part of my achievements. Since my graduation I have taken another class and not everyone in it was computer savvy. I was able to help. I’ve come a long way; and if I do not know the answer I know where to find the help. Valerie (student - Computer and Customer Service Training program) Retail District Stores of The Month By Jackie Halleen Every month in Goodwill’s Retail Division, one store from each of three districts is chosen as the “Store of the Month”. Because the teams have worked especially hard and made all of the goals set before them, the following stores were recognized:
Congratulations to the team members of all three stores!
Come by and see for yourself why these are “Stores of the Month” or visit any of our store locations for a large selection of quality resale merchandise at great bargain prices! Go to goodwillaz.org to get your money saving coupon and to find the location nearest you! |
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The 2004 – 2005 school year is off to a great start!
Main Street and Recker Store, Manager Shellie Guiver. This store had some big challenges in prior months, but when Shellie joined us as manager a few months ago she stepped right up to the challenge of managing one of Goodwill’s biggest stores! Since she has taken the helm, the store looks great, it is clean, well organized, and full of goodies. The team has pulled together to hit their goals and keep the store as beautiful as the day it opened! Congratulations to Shellie and her entire team for the extra effort and outstanding job!
Southern Avenue and McClintock Store, Manager James Willette. James was well known as Mr. Tempe, although we now refer to him as Mr. Consistent! James and his team consistently maintain a clean and organized store, meet their budgets and have won a lot of awards this past year! We would like to thank and recognize them for the outstanding job they do EVERYDAY! Congratulations to the entire CONSISTENT team!
19th Avenue and Thunderbird, Manager Erik Eaker: Our Moon Valley store hasn’t missed a beat since it opened. Eric has really developed a great management team as well as a group of very productive and awesome team members! The store shines like the day it opened and continues to meet its goals with the Bell Road store only two miles away! Congratulations and Great Job to the entire team! 
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