Goodwill Goodworld News Autumn/Winter 2021

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Goodworld

AUTUMN/ WINTER | 2021

BUILDING THE FUTURE Getting creative with existing spaces by thinking inside the box

TAKING THE HIGH ROAD Pathways Forward; helping guide survivours onward

THE SEARCH IS ON Adult Project Search; recognizing abilities and developing skills

Belle of theBall goes beyond the dress

good-goings

President and CEO Deborah Passerini Board Chair Sandra Young Members of the Board Mike Attinella Lee Bell Steve Bivens Shauna Burkes Heather Ceresoli Bob Dobkowski Christina Elam, CFP Steven M. Erickson Marie Hebbler Louise R. Lopez Dominic Macrone Tony Martinez Melissa Mora, Esq. Kimberley Perez Carole F. Philipson Mark Pichowski Ed Rader Bob Wabbersen

FROM THE PRESIDENT BUILDING FUTURES There’s a lot of activity at Goodwill-Suncoast these days. As we faced the challenges of the past year we laid the foundation for new services to meet emerging community needs. Those plans are now coming to fruition with the launch of new programs and services in reimagined spaces.

A virtual Job Connection center recently opened inside our West Tampa store, allowing a career navigation specialist to provide face-to-face assistance to customers via video monitor. This new center complements our two other Job Connection locations as well as services available through myjobconnection.org.

HONORARY President and CEO Emeritus R. Lee Waits Our Mission: Transforming lives through lifelong learning and the power of work.

GoodWorld News is a publication for friends and employees of Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc. Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ward Editor/Creative Director: Andrew Przybyszewski...

Visit our website at goodwill-suncoast.org Call toll-free: 888-279-1988 TTY: 727-579-1068 Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer that provides services without regard to race, spiritual beliefs, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, socioeconomic status or disability. If you need accommodation or assistance in accessing any area of employment or program services, please let us know.

The new Pathways Forward program is now helping survivors of human trafficking make plans for a new life. The program is based at our Clearwater Center in space designed to meet the special needs of survivors.

Our Belle of the Ball program will soon move to a new location at our St. Petersburg headquarters.

The elegant new showroom will be a place where girls facing economic challenges can find the dress of their dreams along with resources to build future careers.

You’ll learn more about these and other new programs in the following pages.

These new services and spaces will enable us to provide assistance to new audiences, helping them build a better future for themselves and their families through the power of work.

Sincerely,

Deborah A. Passerini President and Chief Executive Officer

NOW BOARDING In September, Sandra Young was elected as the new chair of the Goodwill-Suncoast Board of Directors. Sandra is a Consumer Bank Executive at Regions Bank, responsible for the West Coast of Florida. She joined our board in 2015. Prior to that she served on the board of the Goodwill of North Georgia, where she was slated to become chair before moving to Florida.

Sandra Young

We also welcomed four members who are returning after their required one-year hiatus.

Lee Bell

Bob Dobkowski

Mark Pichowski

Bob Wabbersen

Lee Bell is president of Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund. He originally joined the board in 2007.

Bob Dobkowski, owner of Mr. and Mrs. Blindmaster in Belleview, joined the board in 2013. Mark Pichowski is a partner at Bouchard Insurance and was initially elected to the board in 2013. Bob Wabbersen is Business Development Director for Publix GreenWise Market. He was first elected to the Goodwill board in 2006.

HIPPIE DASH IS UP AND RUNNING Get your hippie on and dash to runsignup.com to register for the hippiest Hippie Dash yet! With more events than ever before, 2022 is going to be far out! We have a new KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ CHALLENGE 10/5K combo-run along with our 10K, 5K, and 1 Mile Walk Woof & Roll. The Flower Child Fun Run is back too! For hippies that are more into groovin’ than movin’, the costume contest for best dressed Hippie, Flower Child and

Hippie-dippie Dog are a groovy way to get into the vibe of the happening!

May 14, Downtown Safety Harbor’s City Marina. Register at: runsignup.com/Race/FL/ SafetyHarbor/HippieDash Proceeds benefit Goodwill’s programs for people with barriers to employment and that’s far out!

find meaningful work, but because the center is 100% virtual­­! It still has all the top-notch services people have come to expect from a Job Connection location, but with a full dose of ‘the-future-is-here.’

“When I first walked in, I was surprised [in a good way] right away!” said one visitor. Upon entering, a Goodwill career navigation specialist magically appears on a monitor to greet visitors, then guides them to a personal monitor for a one-on-one help session, just like an in-person Job Connection center.

“After a minute or two, I had to remind myself this was virtual” another visitor said. Watching clients walk in and enjoy virtual help, with smiles, reaffirmed that our job seekers are ready for the future. Talk about keeping up with the times!

The Virtual Job Connection is located inside the Goodwill store on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa.

To sign up for the 2022 Hippie Dash, visit: runsignup.com/Race/FL/ SafetyHarbor/HippieDash To learn more about Adult Project Search, please visit: goodwill-suncoast.org/ adult-project-search

ADULT PROJECT SEARCH SOARS The Florida Project SEARCH Adult Model is gaining steam! This unique business-led program is creating a pathway to a new type of employment for adults with developmental disabilities.

Individuals in the program will expand their current strengths and explore new interests and skills with employment supports.

For Job Connection locations, please visit: goodwill-suncoast.org/ job-connection-center

The training program is a nine-month internship that takes place at a community host site. During the internship, participants are able to flourish while learning employable, marketable work skills.

For Job Connection services by phone, please call: 727-282-4478 (include area code) between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Monday through Friday

Combining classroom instruction, career exploration and hands-on training throughout host site departments, interns work with a team to achieve an employment goal. There is no cost to participate and job placement assistance is part of the program upon completion.

For Job Connection services from your home, visit: MyJobConnection.org

IN MEMORIAM Two members of the team at our Ocala superstore passed away during recent months.

The ultimate goal is to go beyond a job, to create an inclusive society that welcomes diversity, fosters meaningful relationships, and cultivates a life of fulfillment for all those we support.

Monte Gill, assistant sales manager, passed away Aug. 19. He began at the Goodwill in 2009 and is remembered as a caring, thoughtful person and a dedicated employee who took care of any task with a smile. Monte was a caregiver for his Mom and an animal lover who frequently talked about his two cats. The news of Monte’s passing brought tears to Goodwill team members and customers alike.

A VIRTUAL CONNECTION A new Job Connection center has opened and we couldn’t be more excited. Not just because we now have three physical spaces to help people

Christi Coopersmith, who joined Goodwill as a sales associate in 2018, passed away July 16. Store manager James Rogers describes her as one of the best and smartest people he ever had the pleasure of working with. She was a bright spot in many people’s days. Christi is deeply missed.

COVER STORY

BUILDING ANEW

Getting thrifty with a series of spaces ready for a second life. by John Cortez It goes without saying that the past year was a challenge for many. However, as leaders within the community and nonprofit sector, we sought to emerge from the year better than ever. In the spirit of innovation and thriftiness, we refreshed areas of the Goodwill-Suncoast headquarters in St. Petersburg, and in our Clearwater offices too, with relatively low financial investment! In doing so, we were able to increase the effectiveness of our latest initiatives and programs.

But it’s not just about the dress. It’s also how you feel getting the dress. Using exclusively in-house Goodwill staff and donated furniture, we’re repurposing a Goodwill space into a home for Belle of the Ball! Upon entry, guests will feel inspired; once visitors walk in, their first sight will be an array of colorful dresses and elegant custom designed wall graphics. The foyer will also feature a dramatic curtain and an oversized painting of a confident young woman. Our goal with the

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BELLE OF THE BALL Some of the most formative experiences in modern American life are set in high school. We all fondly remember the friends we made, the clubs we cared about, and of course, the dances that highlighted each semester. But as fun as those dances were, they did not come without cost. Tickets, dinners, and dresses all require money that not every student can afford.

Goodwill has the capacity to obtain these dresses and find them new loving homes.

The mission of Belle of the Ball resonated with our mission so deeply that when the founder of the program was retiring and approached us, we offered to carry the torch. We knew that the infrastructure of Goodwill Industries-Suncoast matched up well with the needs of Belle of the Ball. Dresses bought for events like homecoming and prom are often only worn once or twice then discarded despite still being perfectly usable!

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Large-scale wall graphics will be both sophisticated and fun.

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Belle of the Ball was initially founded in 2003 as a nonprofit that provided prom and homecoming dresses to high school girls in the Tampa Bay area.

The founders believed that no girl should be denied a quintessential coming-of-age experience because of socioeconomic reasons out of their control!

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“Artful dresses” fashioned by volunteers and staff will be designed to inspire guests’ imaginations and add a sense of play.

updated space is to create a comfortably elegant boutique for visitors, and one that evokes memories of simpler times from childhood.

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However, life doesn’t stop at high school dances, so we’re taking the program a few steps further.

Goodwill-Suncoast adds to the Belle of the Ball program by offering young girls information about career services that will benefit them well into adulthood.

The importance of skills like resume building, networking, and interviewing often dawn on teenagers much too late. During the program, participants connect with mentors and support systems that can provide invaluable information about higher education, career development, and even help with finance! Ideally, teenagers walk away from Belle of the Ball with more than just a beautiful gown.

We’ll give them life skills and confidence too.

THE VOLUNTEER ROOM Behind every successful volunteer operation is a solid home base. Goodwill-Suncoast offers many opportunities for volunteers to serve the community, with the new Volunteer Room serving as a gathering place. Volunteers are critical to the success of Goodwill’s philanthropic efforts, so we looked to a dedicated space.

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2.5” 166”

48” door

artwork wraps over 2.5” door moulding / pattern match wall to trim to door as best as possible

Custom macrobaroque wallpaper adds to the fantastical environment.

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2” bleed top, left and right

BELLE OF THE BALL ENTRANCE WALL CONTACT: DREW 727.900.3290

The Volunteer Room initially had an accordion wall that was no longer needed, so to create a more open, inviting space, we took it out. We painted the room with the same palette to coordinate with adjoining Belle of the Ball boutique. Although these changes seem simple, the vibe of the room now much better promotes collaboration and conversation.

As the volunteers spend their day in and out of the room, we filled it with thoughtful décor from Goodwill wherever possible. Like our Belle of the Ball boutique, the goal of the Volunteer Room is to inspire enthusiasm upon walk-in.

Volunteers are immediately greeted with the “Yearbook Wall,” a group of deep shelves dedicated to displaying photos and objects of the visiting group’s achievements. (The shelves are tailored to

each visiting volunteer group.) Beyond the shelves, the ‘gallery walls’ can be updated to highlight new accomplishments and current events.

With these frugal yet impactful upgrades, the Volunteer Room turned into a space that strikes a balance of comfortable and relaxing while still corporate and productive.

PATHWAYS FORWARD Pathways Forward is Goodwill-Suncoast’s new program to help survivors of human trafficking reintegrate into society. The primary purpose of Pathways Forward is to impart career development skills to survivors as they readjust emotionally and physically to a new life. As clients move through the program, they are introduced to a network of professionals to help them progress through their journey.

Everyone responds to trauma in their unique ways, and Goodwill seeks to be as accommodating as possible to all types of survivors. Clients that enter the Pathways Forward program receive a highly personalized experience. Clients initially meet with a trained life coach who assesses their

current challenges, abilities, life goals, and worktransferrable skills. From there, the life coach creates a plan according to their needs. Training may cover work, social, or personal management skills! Pathways Forward accepts clients of all ages and genders, so flexibility in service is essential to success.

When designing the Pathways Forward space at the Goodwill Clearwater Center, we again used familiar resources: in-house architects, designers, and donated furniture. Our priority was to make all services and care “trauma-informed,” keeping the needs of the survivors in mind - down to even the room layout. The chosen furniture is modern and comforting, and offices are well-lit, with all doors in plain view. The process of moving back into the regularity of the world can be frightful and shocking, but we felt that the attention to these details should help our clients feel at ease.

The future of Pathways Forward looks promising; Goodwill-Suncoast expects to serve at least 40 clients through the program! 

LEFT PAGE The playfully-stately office door in Belle of the Ball.

The Volunteer Room wall of volunteer photos.

Volunteer Room ‘living yearbook’ shelving.

THIS PAGE The Pathways Forward space was designed with survivors well-being in mind by the Pathways Forward team.

Private and semi-private areas allow survivors a choice in seating.

A quiet reflective space in Pathways Forward.

If you would like additional information about any of these programs, please visit our website: goodwill-suncoast.org/services

10596 Gandy Blvd.

St. Petersburg, FL 33702 Change Service Requested GOODWORLD NEWS

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AUTUMN 2021

MERLA McDANIEL FOUND MORE THAN JUST A FEW UNIQUE ITEMS WHEN SHE VISITED THE GOODWILL STORE ON HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE — VIRTUALLY SPEAKING A shopping trip to Goodwill led Merla McDaniel to a new job as well as help with transportation to work. She was one of the first people served through the new virtual Job Connection Center inside the Goodwill store on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa.

SUCCESS STORY/ MERLA McDANIEL

When Merla moved from New Jersey to Tampa two years ago she planned to get a job. She had previously worked at Walmart where she enjoyed connecting with people. But when the pandemic hit, the veteran and grandmother decided it wasn’t safe to go back to work just yet.

She was ready to rejoin the workforce this year, but was having difficulty finding the right position. The fact that she didn’t have a car was a complication too.

While shopping at Goodwill she asked if they were hiring. The cashier said “yes” and suggested she stop by the Job Connection Center. A Goodwill career navigation specialist helped Merla apply for a cashier job at Goodwill. The career specialist also told Merla about the Wheels of Success program, which supplies low-cost cars to qualified applicants, and helped her apply to the program.

Non-Profit Org. US POSTAGE

PAID

Permit #5008 St. Petersburg, FL

CERTAIN NEEDS DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES As we are approaching the end of 2021, there are many uncertainties that have continued from 2020.

Unemployment continues to be an issue for many while others have not resumed their normal lifestyle due to the threat of COVID. One certainty is that Goodwill-Suncoast has adapted to the times and continues to serve our community. Innovations with virtual connections have helped BookWorks, JAG and Job Connection Centers continue stronger than before. We’ve also begun three new programs; Adult Project Search, which provides internship training to individuals with disabilities, Belle of The Ball and Pathways Forward.

Another fact is that we need your continued support for these programs to continue. Although many of you already donate, would you consider becoming one of our monthly supporters?

Through our website, monthly reminders or a program where we can automatically charge a credit card with the amount you choose, any of these options will provide a step forward in reaching additional individuals in our community.

If you are already investing in these programs, we would ask that you consider setting up an endowment that would continue this support for whatever period you choose. This can be done currently or in a legacy gift that would not begin until the future.

Merla began working at Goodwill in October. “I really enjoy it,” she says. “The people are super nice.”

Merla’s application to the Wheels of Success program was approved and she is scheduled to receive a 2012 Fiat soon. That will reduce her commute to a 10-minute drive instead of two bus rides.

She’s thankful for the assistance she received through the Job Connection Center and the support offered by the career navigation specialist. 

Please contact Jim Williams, Vice President for Fund Development, if you would like additional information. (888) 279-1988 jim.williams@goodwill-suncoast.com