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2008

Money in the Mail What President Bush’s plan means to those living in poverty

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Donations Highlight Eating Disorders

Doll Teaches Donating Our business is changing lives.

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Ambassador | Spring 2008

New GII Goodwill CEO

Vice Chairman:

Robert McNeilly, III, President and CEO, SunTrust Bank

Secretary:

Robert B. Kennedy, Vice President, First Horizon Insurance Group, Inc.

Other Officers:

David Lifsey, President, Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee Tammy Glass, Vice President of Finance, Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee Betty Johnson, Vice President of Employment and Training Services, Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee

Treasurer:

Kevin P. McDermott, Partner, KPMG LLP

Gary W. Cordell Chief Operating Officer Clayton Associates

Cato A. Bass Retired Owner Midstate Tractor & Equipment

Dr. Audra Davis Board Intern Owner Davis and Associates, LLC

William H. Cammack Trustee Chairman Equitable Trust Company

Ambassador | Spring 2008

John W. Stone, III, Partner, White & Reasor, PLC

J. B. Baker President & CEO Volunteer Express, Inc.

J. Mike Bishop Asst. Vice President Pharmacy Services Health Trust Purchasing Group

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Vice Chairman:

Legal Counsel:

Christopher S. Dunn, Attorney Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis, LLP

W. Frank Evans Retired President Red Kap Industries Farzin Ferdowsi Partner Management Resources

Steele Clayton Partner Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC

Kate S. Gibson Accounting Manager Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Finance

David Condra Chairman Dalcon Enterprises

John C. Greer Vice President TennComm, LLC

L. Hall Hardaway, Jr. Retired Chairman The Hardaway Group James L. Knight Trustee Retired President Check Printers, Inc. Fred T. McLaughlin Trustee Branch Manager Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc. Ty Osman President Solomon Builders Thomas S. Stumb President Nashville Bank & Trust John Tishler Chairman Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP

Dr. George Van Allen President Nashville State Community College

Board of Dir ectors

Board O ff icer s

Chairman:

R. Craig Laine, Director of Development, Highwoods Properties

John Van Mol President Dye, Van Mol and Lawrence Timothy F. Vaughn President Cumberland Die Supply

Donna B. Yurdin Owner Credo Management Consulting

Ambassador INSIDE

Digital TV Switch........................................p.4 Worker Near Retirement............................p.5

cover story

Socially Conscious Dollhouse....................p.8

Check to stimulate economy helps those struggling to pay down bills and buy necessities.

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p.

New GII CEO.............................................p.9 Openings....................................................p.12 Gang Awareness........................................p.13 Street Veteran.............................................p.14 Big Savings..................................................p.16

fighting bulimia p.10 Vandy student collects clothing to celebrate a healthy body image.

President & CEO - David Lifsey Senior Director of Marketing & Community Relations - Karl Houston Writer, Editor & Photography - Keri Foy Art Direction & Graphic Design - Scott Bryant Ambassador is a quarterly newsletter published by Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc. 1015 Herman St. Nashville, TN 37208 For the nearest retail store, donation center, or Career Solutions facility, please call 615.742.4151 or visit giveit2goodwill.org.

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Ambassador | Spring 2008

The Ambassador publication provides a voice for our clients and employees. While we are happy to share their stories, opinions expressed by the employees and clients in this publication are theirs, and do not necessarily reflect an opinion or position of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee.

Preparing Shoppers for TV Switch Some consumers might find themselves without reception next February.

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s American television stations prepare to switch to an all-digital format on February 17, 2009, Goodwill is already educating consumers in middle and west Tennessee about the steps they need to take to avoid losing television reception after the transition.

Goodwill Industries International is part of a national coalition that is educating the public about the transition from analog (over-theair) to all-digital broadcasting.

Ambassador | Spring 2008

Consumers owning television sets with builtin digital tuners or TV sets connected to cable, satellite or other pay service will likely not be affected, but Goodwill is concerned that some consumers with limited English-speaking skills, those in rural areas, and those

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in lower income brackets may “fall through the cracks” and not receive critical information about the transition.

“Our clients, shoppers, and society as a whole rely heavily on TV for news and important information,” says David Lifsey, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee. “Goodwill is poised to make a difference in this educational campaign because of our extensive reach in the community.”

We have distributed an easy-

to-read, one-page flyer in both English and Spanish to Goodwill stores so they can print it out for shoppers and individuals in Goodwill’s job training programs. The flyer explains several options including applying for $40 coupons from the federal government toward the purchase of DTV (digital television) converter boxes that will allow consumers to continue to use their analog TV sets.

More information on the DTV transition is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 1-888-DTV-2009 or by visiting www.DTV2009.gov.

Worker Near Retirement Starts Over After a layoff left Roena unemployed, she used Goodwill to brush up on her computer skills.

“Restructure” and “redesign” are two very bad words in the mind of Roena Davis.

Those two adjectives recently cost Roena her job as a sales coordinator at McGraw Hill. “They were basically trying to save money,” says Roena.

McGraw Hill shut down two of its nine regional offices, one here and one in New Jersey.

Just one day after Roena had hand surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, she received a letter in the mail announcing her layoff. “It was pretty devastating— when you get near retirement and you’re a dedicated worker,” says Roena.

Roena planned to retire in three short years when she got the pink slip. “You work at a place all that time…now I’m back at the beginning,” she says.

“Now I know buttons that take you certain places—there’s an easier way to

With this certification listed on her resume, Roena is ready to find a great job.

“[The layoff] was pretty devastating— when you get near retirement and you’re a dedicated worker.”

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Ambassador | Spring 2008

To start her job search right, Roena signed up for Goodwill’s Microsoft Office Computer class. “I was basically self-taught on the computer,” says Roena. She wanted to hone her skills and learn the right way to use the software before starting an intensive job search.

do it,” says Roena. She took the Microsoft test and earned her Microsoft Office Certification in late March. “I’ve loved the class, and David [Kitchen] is a great instructor,” says Roena.

Money in the Mail

Ambassador | Spring 2008

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What does the economic stimulus check mean for people who are climbing out of poverty here in Tennessee?

he checks should be arriving in the mail any time now.

According to the Bush administration, the economic stimulus payments are set to mail in May.

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When people first heard about the package, many probably raced through thoughts of what they could buy or what they needed.

Some may have already determined

to set that money aside for a rainy day. No matter what your plans, most Americans will or have already received a $600 to $1,200 check, depending on their marital status and

number of children.

For many people, and a lot of the clients Goodwill works with, those checks can make a big dent in bills— from health care to car notes.

What it means to Shirley “Some people say you should save the check. I don’t see how,” says Shirley Davis who thinks it will definitely stimulate the economy.

She knows just how much a $1,200 check would mean to her.

Money for her house, new school uniforms to fit her growing child and grandchildren, and hopefully some left over to pay a couple of bills. Not very glamorous.

Caught up in drug and alcohol abuse for 26 years, Shirley had never held a job before. She grew up in the projects and grew accustomed to fast money.

Pregnant with her fifth child, Precious, Shirley decided to make the change, and become

the mother she had never been to her other four children.

“My youngest son was 16 years old when I was pregnant with Precious. She’s my miracle,” says Shirley.

With lots of prayer and her sister’s aid, Shirley found herself in the Renewal House, a recovery community for women with substance use addictions and their children. “I didn’t know a way out, but God made a way,” says Shirley. As Shirley began the process of getting clean, she found herself wanting and needing a job.

The Renewal House referred Shirley to Goodwill. With an 11th grade education and no work history, Shirley’s opportunity for employment relied on Goodwill. She needed that first chance to get her going in a new life.

After working five year at Goodwill, she was promoted to a lead associate in the plant. “I now get to train others,” says Shirley.

Because of her steady income and determination, Shirley is the first person in her family to own a home.

When it comes to the stimulus check, Shirley advises people who are in her same shoes to really know what their priorities are and spend the money in a way that helps them achieve their financial goals. “Spend the check on what you really need,” says Shirley.

Speaking of shoes, Shirley did mention that if there is any extra money, she might like to buy a pair of shoes for herself.

Hopefully, that small wish will come true.

Ambassador | Spring 2008

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Goodbee Dollhouse Kids learn good behavior—like donating to Goodwill— through new toy

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oodwill and Learning Curve Brands have joined forces for the launch of the Caring Corners™ Mrs. Goodbee™ Interactive Dollhouse. The partnership provides opportunities to engage children in real world acts of sharing, such as donating to Goodwill, as part of the play experience built into this innovative toy.

Ambassador | Spring 2008

The first of its kind, the Mrs. Goodbee dollhouse offers preschoolers an interactive play, an online, and a real world experience that plants the seeds of social responsibility.

As part of the real world experience, children are encouraged to fill Mrs. Goodbee’s “Carton of

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Caring” (the box that the dollhouse comes in) with gently used clothing and toys they no longer need and donate them to Goodwill.

“Donating the things you no longer need is a form of charity in which anyone, regardless of age, can participate,” says David Lifsey, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee. “Together, parents and children can explore how their donations go toward job training programs that put people to work and build stronger communities.”

After making their donations, children will receive special recognition from Goodwill Industries.

“What distinguishes the Caring Corners Mrs. Goodbee Dollhouse is

that we extend the dollhouse’s social responsibility messages into real life through our exclusive partnership with Goodwill Industries,” says Jerry Perez, general manager of Learning Curve West. “Toymakers have long created positive play experiences, but Mrs. Goodbee takes caring and sharing well beyond the play scenario.”

learn firsthand the satisfaction of helping others in their community.”

As with other donations, Goodwill will sell the items in its stores, and the proceeds will help fund Goodwill’s job training programs in the community. “Children can feel good because their donations will help people earn a paycheck and support themselves and their families,” says Lifsey.

“Most important, the act of giving lets preschoolers

“Valuable lessons that encourage children to make compassionate choices are at the top of the list,” says Perez. “With Mrs. Goodbee, these life skills endure even after the toy is put away.”

According to research, today’s parents are more dedicated than ever to building social, emotional, and moral intelligence in their children. The Caring Corners Mrs. Goodbee Interactive Dollhouse does this in a way that traditional toys cannot match.

New Goodwill International CEO Jim Gibbons’ past filled with increasing job opportunities for people with disabilities.

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he Board of Directors of Goodwill Industries International, Inc., selected Jim Gibbons as the organization’s new president and CEO. Gibbons will succeed George W. Kessinger, who is retiring after 35 years of distinguished service to Goodwill at the local, national, and international levels.

Gibbons has served as president and chief executive officer of National Industries for the Blind (NIB) since October 1998. NIB is a national organization dedicated to providing employment opportunities and upward mobility for people who are blind.

Under Gibbons’ leadership, NIB increased employment for people who are blind year-over-year, deployed innovative new business solutions in the e-commerce and electronic digital document conversion markets, and grew its federal contract sales from $250 million to $525 million.

“Gibbons shares Goodwill’s passion for improving the independence of people who are having a hard time finding jobs,” says Bob Dugas, chair of Goodwill Industries International’s Board of Directors. “As a proven leader in creating job opportunities for thousands, Gibbons’ appointment is a big win; not only for Goodwill and its clients, but also for employers seeking a quality workforce.”

“I’m honored that the Board of Directors has given me its vote of confidence to lead the nation’s premier provider of education, training, and career services for people with disabilities and disadvantages,” Gibbons says. “I look forward to working with the top-notch team of professionals dedicated to giving people everywhere the tools they need to reach their fullest potential. The Goodwill mission is one I wholeheartedly believe in: Every person deserves the chance to achieve their dreams and contribute to society.”

He has served on the Harvard Business School Alumni Association Board of Directors and Executive Committee; as a board member of the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB); president of the World Blind Union (WBU) North American/Caribbean Region; member of the Executive Committee, WBU; chairman of the Employment Committee, WBU; and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

Gibbons grew up in Indianapolis, Ind., and now lives in Fairfax Station, Va. with his wife and three children.

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Ambassador | Spring 2008

Before NIB, Gibbons served as president and CEO of Campus Wide Access Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. An employee of AT&T for over a decade, Gibbons held leadership positions in operations, product management, and mergers and acquisitions.

Gibbons earned his Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University and attended the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, where he was the first blind person to graduate with a Master’s in business administration.

Clothing Drive Flags Bulimia Vanderbilt student gathers donations for Goodwill in the name of a healthy body image.

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ost of us have a pair of pants or maybe a dress that we keep in our closet just in case we lose that extra bit—or a whole lot—of weight.

Skinny pants, as we’ll refer to them, are just what Stephanie Rodgers urged her classmates at Vanderbilt University to give up. “We encouraged people to donate clothing that is too small or too large that they have been trying to fit into and accept themselves at a comfortable, healthy weight,” says Stephanie.

Ambassador | Spring 2008

According to Stephanie, there is the “Vandy girl” stereotype floating down dorm corridors, and she believes it is unhealthy.

“The Vandy girl is your typical bleach blonde, lots of makeup, ultra-thin girl,” says Stephanie. To encourage students, especially the female population, to disband the Vandy girl image, Rodgers and her affiliate organization, IMAGE, held a donation drive for students to give up a stick-thin figure and embrace their own bodies, no matter the size or shape.

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“My eating disorder raged on.”

Stephanie’s story When Stephanie was just a sophomore in high school, she disliked her weight and sought a source of control. With the declining health of her father coupled with a lowering self-esteem, Stephanie began her struggle with bulimia.

“I’m not trying to say that all of my eating disorder was contingent upon his health and my relationship with him, but the binging and purging was much more frequent while I was at his house. I could regain control of the terrifying changes in my life by controlling my food intake,” says Stephanie who often stayed with her father after her parents divorced.

Early in her junior year, Stephanie’s dad was hospitalized. Only 20 minutes after she left him while visiting one night, he passed away. “My eating disorder raged on,” she says.

Luckily, Stephanie met Kylen Bares and the two began dating. Kylen learned of her eating disorder and tried to help her stop. “He was horrified. His first move was to refuse to kiss me on days I’d vomited,” explains Donations taken to Goodwill Stephanie. When that didn’t work, Kylen gave the ultimatum that Stephanie must choose between him The Vandy donation drive collected mostly jeans or her disorder. and filled up the trunk of Stephanie’s car.

“I chose him,” says Stephanie.

Although Goodwill has no affiliations with eating disorders or IMAGE, Stephanie decided Stephanie began seeing a therapist and became that the organization was worthy of the involved with IMAGE. “IMAGE helped me turn my eating disorder, which I considered over and done donations. “[Goodwill is a] reputable charity,” she says. “Goodwill promotes a general good with (mostly), into something I could use to help image that we like.” others,” says Stephanie.

With the latest event in her life, Stephanie has accomplished just that—especially in memory of Kylen.

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Ambassador | Spring 2008

One summer ago, Kylen was involved in a fatal car accident. Stephanie almost turned to bulimia to cope with her grief. However, his memory lives strong, and she refuses to let her eating disorder win.

The purpose of IMAGE IMAGE would like Vanderbilt students to be educated on important issues such as how eating disorders manifest, what the symptoms look like, how to help someone they think might be suffering, and how the media and the culture perpetuate unhealthy ideals.

Openings G

Nolensville residents now have a convenient place to donate.

oodwill celebrated the grand opening of its first donation site in Nolensville at 1525 Sunset Rd. on Friday, March 21—just in time for the weekend.

new donation trailer sits on a recycling center’s site for added convenience.

“Goodwill’s opening a donation center gives the Nolensville community an easier way to donate their unwanted items and support a worthy cause,” says Karl Houston, Goodwill’s senior director of marketing and community relations. The

With one donation attendant already hired, Goodwill expects the opening to create one more job for Nolensville residents—an important part of our mission. “We try to hire people with disabilities or other disadvantages to staff our

This is the first Goodwill donation site to serve Nolensville.

Courtesy of the Tennessean. Photograph by Jeanne Reasonover.

donation centers,” says Houston. Right now, about 80 percent of Goodwill’s workforce reports some type of

barrier to getting and keep a job.

New Shelbyville Store in same shopping center offers bigger sales floor, better donation drive-through.

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Ambassador | Spring 2008

e packed up everything we had in the Shelbyville, Tenn. retail store, Donation Express, and Career Solutions Center and moved to another storefront in the city’s

Shelbyville ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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Big Springs Shopping Center. “The new store will add five to seven more jobs for Shelbyville residents,” says Vicki Spurlin, district manager.

All three business areas held a grand opening on Thursday, March 20, after Goodwill closed its doors at the old location on March 19.

“We think the community will really like the new location’s donation drive through; they won’t have to battle the elements when donating to Goodwill,” says Spurlin, who also adds that the store is actually larger, too.

“We had a soft opening on Tuesday,” says Spurlin, who had been reluctant to open the store before the

advertised opening date.

“I really feel like it was a good thing to do for our loyal customers,” she says.

Spurlin and the Shelbyville staff put up a sign at the old store that let current shoppers know the new location was open. Loyal customers flocked to the new store.

“We hit $17,000 in sales on Tuesday,” says Spurlin who may now be a converted believer in soft openings.

Goodwill Hosts Gang Awareness Community learns what makes youth turn to gangs.

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s more youth in Rutherford County become exposed to gangs, Goodwill, in partnership with Juvenile Courts, created an event to promote gang awareness, how to recognize the signs a teen might be gravitating toward gang life, and to educate the community on what it can do to prevent it.

School officials, people that work with youth in the community, media, and the police and sheriff ’s departments were invited to attend the January 17 event, listen to keynote speaker, Allataye Russ, and participate in a panel discussion. “The agencies

in attendance really wanted to get involved and help,” says Shannon Guy. Shannon, career counselor in Murfreesboro, organized the event after she heard Russ speak. Russ, who is a member of the Nashville Juvenile Court, led the discussion.

“A number of agencies were involved and the event provided wide awareness. They knew the signs to look for in their young people. I feel the event was a definite success,” says Shannon.

The event drew 51 people.

Ambassador | Spring 2008

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Street Veteran Finds Work Homeless mom can’t secure a house without a paycheck.

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scar traces along her hand, spanning from her middle finger to the center of her palm.

Ambassador | Spring 2008

It’s an unforgettable reminder of the job Marcia Davis once held so dear. “I planned to retire from that place,” says Marcia about her job sewing uniforms for police officers, postal workers, and wildlife wardens for five years.

The job was repetitive, but that didn’t bother Marcia. “Everybody got along,” she says. She loved going to work every morning.

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Finally, the constant movement in one direction caught up with Marcia, and she developed problems in her hand, shoulder, and leg. “I know one lady who had a big knot in her chest from turning to the right so much,” says Marcia.

Her hand, which gave her the most pain, needed surgery. The middle finger would literally stick in one position, and she couldn’t move it. “The disability lawyers say I have a 6 percent disability in my hand,” says Marcia.

Marcia had to quit her job in 1999 to take care of the injury and didn’t work for almost 10 years.

Throughout that time, Marcia stayed home and took care of three of her four children, who were ages 10, 8, and 4, while she recuperated and continued to have hand surgery on and off.

“My kids are my strength,” says Marcia.

Eventually, Marcia was forced to look for a job again when she became homeless.

Street Life Marcia said her mom gave her up when she was a baby and her father recently cleaned up a drug habit.

At 15 years old, Marcia left her home in Kansas City to live with her grandfather in Nashville.

“I’ve been on my own since then. Everything I know, I know from the streets,” she says.

At 16, Marcia had her first child.

“There was nobody there to teach me,” says Marcia.

Unfortunately, the street life eventually intersected with Marcia again when her home was involved in a drive-by shooting.

“They shot up the house twice.

We had 63 bullet holes in our house,” says Marcia.

But, without a job and a bad reference from her former landlord, Marcia couldn’t find a place to live. “I paid my rent on time every month and even painted his place,” she says, “But he didn’t tell that to other people who were calling to get references.”

Marcia and her family found themselves without a home and stayed homeless for two years.

She tried plenty of different social service agencies she says, but her specific situation didn’t fit the type of clients they wanted to help. “I wasn’t on drugs and my children weren’t younger than 6 [years old]; nobody would help me,” says Marcia.

Not a handout, just a chance Marcia spent many nights at friends’ homes and even slept in her car. “You would have never known I was homeless,” she says. However in August, her daughter was taken away due to her homelessness. “At one point I did want to give up,” she says.

Goodwill’s job training services.

She met with career counselor, Hevenile Smith, and participated in two weeks worth of training—mainly for communication skills. “Goodwill was the first to help me with the [job] training,” says Marcia.

Hevenile helped her write her resume and provided a list of job leads. Marcia was hired at Simply Fashion after filling out an application.

In just four months, Marcia was promoted from sales associate to assistant manager. She now has an apartment and full custody of her daughter again. “I’m slowly getting there,” says Marcia.

“I’m not asking for a free handout, just a chance.”

“I was looking everywhere for a job,” says Marcia, “I’m not asking for a free handout, just a chance.”

Marcia finally ran across an ad in the Yellow Pages that advertised

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Ambassador | Spring 2008

After the shooting, Marcia’s landlord asked her and her kids to move out in 2006. “That was fine by me, ‘cause I didn’t want to

stay there anymore anyway,” says Marcia who admits she was fearful for her children’s lives after a bullet grazed her youngest son’s arm.

first saturday of every month everything is half price*

GOODWILL For store locations, call 1-800-545-9231 or visit us online at giveit2goodwill.org

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*Smart cards are not half off.

Ambassador | Spring 2008

Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc. | 1015 Herman St. | Nashville | TN | 37203 Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

Nashville, TN Permit No. 2009

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