Shop at, Donate to and Volunteer with Goodwill to Help People in Greater Grand Rapids Area!
May 7, 2017 — From May 7 – 13, Goodwill® is celebrating Goodwill Industries Week. For 115 years, Goodwill has worked in communities to help people get back to work and support their families. Goodwill helps anyone facing challenges to finding employment — including youth and older job seekers – gain skills and credentials, find employment, obtain job training, and receive necessary support services,
Every day, Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids connects people who are unemployed or underemployed with career navigation and skills attainment so they can advance their careers and earn long-term economic stability for themselves and their families.
Tiarra Barrera-Hammond is one example of a person who used Goodwill specialized training in the nursing field to advance her career. Barrera-Hammond, a single mother of two children, was once homeless. She enrolled in Goodwill’s Certified Nurse Assistant training program in Long Beach, CA. Upon completing her first credential, she was inspired to continue her education, finishing the RN program at Long Beach City College and becoming a Registered Nurse.
Goodwill Industries Week celebrates Goodwill’s innovative social enterprise model. Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids sells donated items in its 22 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com® to create employment placement services, job training, financial wellness and other integrated services customized to meet the needs of individuals and families in the Greater Grand Rapids area. In 2016, Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids connected 2,572 people with employment in the Greater Grand Rapids area.
Goodwill is inviting people across the United States and Canada to celebrate Goodwill Industries Week and make a difference in their communities by donating things they used to love and no longer use, shopping at Goodwill for an item they are in need of this season, or volunteering at Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids.” Said Jill Wallace, Chief Marketing Officer, “Goodwill helps people achieve independence through learning and the power of work.”
Visit www.goodwill.org to find the nearest Goodwill location, job fair or event, and learn how you can build a better future for someone in your community: www.goodwill.org/week. To find out more about Goodwill and the services it provides, visit www.goodwillgr.org
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About Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids
Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to changing lives and communities through the power of work. Since 1966, the organization has offered a wide range of employment and training programs to assist those with disabilities and other barriers to employment in developing their marketable skills in order to find meaningful employment. Its efforts are supported by revenue from its 22 retail stores in a five-county area, as well as from monetary donations. For more information, visit www.goodwillgr.org.