Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc.
www.goodwill-suncoast.org
Spring 2012
Giving Makes Cents for Schools
Shore Acres Elementary students drop off donations at their school. In just one month, the St. Petersburg school collected more than a ton of donations for Goodwill, earning hundreds of dollars for its PTA.
A new Goodwill program allows schools to bring in some green while going green. The Giving Makes Cents program pays schools for each pound of clothing or household items donated to Goodwill. Here’s how it works: Students, family members or members of the community take donations to a Goodwill bin at participating schools. Or they take items to a designated Goodwill donation center and mention that they’re donating on behalf of the school. The donations are weighed and Goodwill gives the school a monthly check for the pounds donated. Since the program was introduced in November, the following schools have joined in: North Shore Elementary and Shore Acres Elementary in St. Petersburg, Clearwater High School and Oak Grove Middle School in Clearwater, MacFarlane Park Magnet Elementary in Tampa, Brooker Elementary in Brandon and Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes. During the first three months of the program, schools collected 6,172 pounds of donations and earned hundreds of dollars. Equally important, participating schools are doing their part to keep the planet healthy while supporting Goodwill’s mission of helping people achieve their full potential. Some teachers are linking the program to lesson plans about recycling, tying in the fact that Goodwill repurposes billions of pounds of clothing and other items that may otherwise end up in landfills. Schools or other organizations throughout Goodwill-Suncoast’s service area are invited to participate in the Giving Makes Cents program. To find out more, please contact donations.department@ goodwill-suncoast.com or call toll-free (888) 279-1988, ext. 1440.
Art Classes Reveal Smiles and Imagination
Art instructor Lisa Mayo helps Jimmy Brochu compose his photo collage. Below, Robert Helmuth creates a board that tells the story of his experiences at Dunedin Fine Art Center.
Besides earning paychecks at Goodwill, participants in Goodwill’s Adult Day Training program in St. Petersburg have been enjoying another activity. Each week, for about an hour, the participants – each with varying degrees of ability – give voice to their artistic sides in classes at the Dunedin Fine Art Center. The Center partners with Goodwill to offer art classes in six-week sessions. The classes have included lessons in sculpting, photography, stamping and paint. On a recent Tuesday morning, instructor Lisa Mayo led a class in simple photography and photo composition. The participants were guided to create a “photo board” that included photos of themselves, photos of the art center, logos and stamps. They cut, glued, colored and stamped to make their own unique creations. “You glue, I turn. Teamwork, right?” said the instructor Lisa to Vickie Mann, a Goodwill trainee. In an earlier class, Lisa taught the participants how to make “sun prints” with light-sensitive paper that is “developed” in water. So far, though, the hands-down favorite class was one when participants learned to sculpt with clay. “We made vases,” said Jimmy Brochu. “It was fun!” The vases were sculpted, glazed and fired, then decorated to each individual’s taste with raffia and beads. Each art project becomes a treasured keepsake for the talented creators. “It’s amazing to watch them progress,” says Lisa. “The reward is when they realize what fun it is to let go and be creative.” If you’d like to sponsor an art class, please contact Jim Williams, vice president for fund development, at (888) 279-1988, ext. 1050. When Goodwill needed help with the Toast to Goodwill social mixer (see article P. 2), the creative sides of our Adult Day Training participants came out in full force. Charged with painting dozens of coffee mugs, they tackled the activity with enthusiasm.The mugs were used as a small parting gift for all who attended the evening event. The colorful cups were a big hit with guests, especially those who had just learned about our programs for adults with disabilities.