On October 26, under the canopy at Q2 Stadium, Goodwill Central Texas welcomed 350 guests to celebrate its annual event, A Good Night for Goodwill.
Each year we honor the good people who excel at philanthropy, work, and service.
The numbers don’t lie, your generosity made this one of the most remarkable giving years in Goodwill’s history.
At this year’s A Good Night for Goodwill, guests enjoyed dinner, drinks, and stadium tours at Q2 Stadium. The ‘paddles up’ portion of the evening raised funds for the new UFCU Bridge Fund, which provides emergency funds for basic needs to keep the people Goodwill serves in school, training programs, and jobs.
A surprise video message from actor Cristo Fernández, who plays the character Dani Rojas on the hit TV show Ted Lasso, further highlighted the night’s theme of Believe.
Photos by Ben Porter and Richard Rincon with Ben Porter Photography
Meet this year’s Goodwill Honorees, good people in our community who excel at philanthropy, work, and service.
Photos by Michael Moss
Louis and Marci Henna, generous long-term supporters of Goodwill and instrumental in the creation of the Henna Education Center, were honored this year with a new award for philanthropy in their name.
The inaugural recipients for this award are Lize Burr and Chris Hyams, who show their support for Goodwill through leadership and philanthropy. “I think Chris and Lize are the torchbearers now, and they are going to be carrying the baton to the next set of folks,” said Marci Henna.
“From a very young age my grandfather talked about the meaning of work as being more than just a source of economic sustainability—that a job is about dignity, purpose, and meaning in someone’s life. Our ability to support Goodwill is bringing that personal connection to what we’re able to do to help support the community,” said Chris.
Lize added, “I think we both feel very deeply that we’ve been given many, many gifts in life, and we are trying our best to give back and do things that make a difference in the world, and not just a difference in some kind of big picture way, but in a really tangible way. Goodwill has been doing this work for a century, and that’s the kind of work we want to support.”
Lize Burr and Chris Hyams Louis and Marci HennaI went from having no relationship, no home, no job, and no car to having all those things back and even a little bit better than it had been before. Total restoration…all because Goodwill gave me an opportunity to keep moving forward, to step into a management role, and to show that my life was back on track.
MICHELLE BAILEY OUTSTANDING ACHIEVER
What I lacked most in my life, and the reason I think I ended up in prison, is a lack of purpose, a lack of drive, a lack of direction…for me the work at Goodwill has filled that.
THOMAS LAWLESS OUTSTANDING TEAM MEMBER
I feel proud, like I accomplished something.
When you have a child with disabilities, you’re never sure where it’s going to take you. I’ve seen Robbie become more confident, more outgoing, and more independent.
When Michelle lost her husband suddenly to a stroke, she spiraled into grief and addiction which caused her to lose her job, house, kids, and ultimately her freedom. Finding work after prison is difficult, but Goodwill Central Texas offered her a job. Promoted to a supervisor role, then an assistant manager, Michelle is now the Women’s Program Manager at Texas Reach Out Ministries, a Goodwill partner.
When Thomas was in prison, he was worried he’d be pushed aside and rejected when he got out. But Goodwill was the first place he applied to work, and he was hired on the spot. Thomas saved the money he earned working as a truck driver in the warehouse to rent his own apartment and buy a car. He has also advanced to be a driving instructor for the Goodwill Truck Driving School.
Robbie Lutz, an avid animal lover, started working at Austin Veterinary Emergency and Specialty (AVES) as an intern after going through Goodwill’s Summer Earn and Learn program. He is now a full-time employee. His mom said she and Robbie are thankful to have Goodwill guiding his career. Robbie works with a Goodwill job coach on opportunities for growth at AVES as well as interview and job skills.
Every donation you make to Goodwill helps us provide education, career training, and job opportunities for people in our community like Donya. Donya turned to Goodwill when she needed some help, and was able to certify as a Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy Technician at the Goodwill Career & Technical Academy. Next she hopes to become a Registered Nurse. That’s your donations at work. That’s Goodwill.
When you donate, your second-hand creates second chances. www.goodwillcentraltexas.org
— ROB NEVILLE
Goodwill Central Texas has named veteran entrepreneur, Rob Neville, as its President and CEO. Rob is an innovative business executive with more than 25 years of development and operations experience across the life sciences industry, software, healthcare IT, venture capital, and nonprofit sectors.
A native of South Africa, Rob has lived in Austin for more than two decades and comes to Goodwill from Springbok Ventures. He also brings significant experience as founder and CEO of Savara (NASDAQ:SVRA). Neville was honored as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year on three occasions, winning the life science award in 2018.
“Our mission is something I’m incredibly passionate about and it speaks to my heart.”