Good People Spring 2024

STO R I E S O F H O P E & T R A N S F O R M AT I O N S P R I N G 2 02 4

PAIGE O'HANLON CDL Instructor at the GCTA

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SAVE THE DATE!

Thursday, September 26, 2024 THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF AUSTIN CENTER Benefiting programs at Goodwill Central Texas that transform lives through work.

CONTENTS 2 Solving the Public Health Issues of Unemployment and Underemployment

How the GCTA is driving the change

4 How to Change a Life

A primer on transformative teaching

7 Sustained Impact for GCTA Students Kandy & Tommy Toles utilize their DAF for monthly giving

8 Our 2023 Impact

A gamechanger: The Bridge Fund

10 Good Friends Reception

The new and improved Brodie Store!

12 Thank You to Our Good Friends of Goodwill

Visit us at: 9801 Brodie Ln. Austin, TX

To donate, visit goodwillcentraltexas.org/giving/ or scan code:

SOLVING PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT Alexis Denny, Senior Director of the Goodwill Career and Technical Academy (GCTA), has her master's degree in public health.

She came to Goodwill in January of 2020, just prior to the pandemic shutdown. “The normalcy and consistency in programming we knew changed in March 2020.

Despite most people working from home and many businesses and schools shutting down, the GCTA kept their doors open. During the pandemic, there was a shortage in healthcare professionals and we were able to directly support this effort. We know that unemployment and underemployment can have implications on one’s physical and mental health.

How to Build a Certification Program: Plumbers wanted!

The GCTA has identified plumbing as a new career certification due to industry demand.

Knowing that many of our prospective students live in poverty and have trouble finding and keeping jobs, they are especially at risk.

Completing a program with us can change their path to one that offers stability,” says Denny.

Raised in a blue collar family and the first in her family to go to college, Alexis is a believer in non-traditional education and the upward mobility and transformation these programs can provide.

“Our students are putting their lives on hold in order to commit to change. It’s inspirational and sometimes heartbreaking, but our team pulls out all the stops to help them succeed.” Given Denny’s background, this is the best possible medicine for our community.

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Identify Demand.

Assemble a team of industy experts to assist in developing a curriculum to meet certification standards.

Plumbing is on the TWC Targeted Occupations List.

From Minimum Wage to Living Wage in 8 Weeks With the high cost of living in the Austin area, a minimum wage job is not enough to achieve self-sufficiency.

The Goodwill Career and Technical Academy (GCTA) trains individuals for careers that offer increased wages in high-demand fields.

As a Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Career Schools & Colleges licensed school, the GCTA helps low-income students who face significant barriers to employment build skills and find meaningful careers.

Even though training is free to qualified applicants, our students must still pay rent and buy food for themselves and their families while attending full-day, multiple-week classes.

Many of our students have night jobs and go straight from work to school. It is critical, therefore, that our programs be accelerated. The certifications

we offer are in high-demand fields so that employment prospects upon graduation are exceptional.

In 2023:

219 credentials obtained

100%

of medical assistant graduates secured employment in the industry

$19.46/hour

was the average job placement wage (above living wage of $17.46 hourly)

The GCTA continues to add new courses in response to career opportunities and community need. New offerings include Project Management Professional this summer, and Plumbing later this year.

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Identify employer partnerships.

Interview and hire instructors with course content expertise and a passion for transformative teaching.

Identify funding sources for students.

Research job prospects, potential salaries and requirements, as well as potential hiring partners.

Government, corporate, and foundation grants and private philanthropy.

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HOW TO CHANGE A LIFE: A primer on transformative teaching For our students, it takes bravery to seek change and invest in oneself. And GCTA instructors are the rare breed who support and understand this courage—they offer bankable career skills alongside those softer skills which foster personal growth.

Students assist each other with their learning

How does one live their best life in the face of long odds?

This is the challenge many students at the Goodwill Career and Technical Academy (GCTA) face. They seek change and are determined to create a better life. At the same time, they are extremely vulnerable.

Our students may have young children, unsafe homes, night jobs, and no personal transportation, yet they show up to class, determined to change the trajectory of their life and that of their children.

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This is how Paige O'Hanlon, CDL instructor for students seeking entry into the trucking industry, talks about teaching at GCTA, “I love our students. They motivate me every day. Against all odds, they’re daring to live their best life.” Maria Stennis, Medical Assistant Instructor and Life Coach, puts it this way, “Teaching people how to love themselves: It’s where it starts. And it’s where it ends.”

Already, one can see that teaching at the GCTA goes beyond an exceptional curriculum—Maria and Paige emphasize social skills and emotional resilience alongside certification instruction, understanding that their students are entering the service industry.

Lead with Heart “I can relate to my students because I am them,” says Paige. “I identify with their past struggles.” For Paige, it was addiction. After leaving the military in the transport corp, she suffered from PTSD and self-medicated. She knows personally how challenging recovery can be, and how one’s past should not impact one’s future.

For Maria, empathy is also the key. “I am a product of an environment that commonly occurs with my students.

I had incarcerated family members and a home life that was violent rather than safe.”

Both instructors use their own experiences to relate with and encourage their students.

Build Trust Maria and Paige mention trust right away—how important building trust is for students who lack confidence and may not see their own potential. Both teachers set clear goals, share their own stories, listen to those of their students, and readily offer acceptance. In doing so, their students form bonds with them and find valuable mentorships.

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Create a Safe Space “My students are always hearing me say, ‘All is well’,” Maria says. “And I now hear my students telling themselves ‘all is well’ when they are feeling stressed or worried. My classroom is a safe space for them. I try to let them know that the world is for them and not against them.” Paige says, "I create a safe space for my students to be themselves without shame."

Exemplify Possibility Both Maria and Paige model possibility to their students.

As survivors of their own challenges and champions of transformation, students at the GCTA look at their instructor’s lives and begin to see their own potential.

Often, GCTA teachers are the keepers of potential.

When their students suffer classroom or life setbacks, these teachers remind students that failure can be overcome, and goals will keep them moving forward. Maria says, “I often remind my class to not focus on what came before, but on what's next: They’re not working towards a job, but a career.”

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Graduating CDL class of 2023

Celebrate Achievement “My students call me Sergeant P or Mom. I’m there for them. Just last night I got a call from an excited student telling me they got a job. I’m here to support them and want them to live their best life,” says Paige.

As Paige and Maria exemplify, the entire GCTA team is focused on building an inclusive community where all students— particularly students facing obstacles— feel empowered.

Paige posing with a CDL graduate

You can make a greater impact through secure monthly giving by contacting the Development Team at contribute@goodwillcentraltexas.org.

SUSTAINED IMPACT FOR GCTA STUDENTS

Kandy Toles knows what it’s like for single parents who struggle daily to provide for their families. “I grew up in a household where my mom worked and cared for me and my brother on her own. It was incredibly difficult and affected my own sense of security.”

"We choose to support the Goodwill Career and Technical Academy because we know our gifts will be utilized to help people break the cycle of poverty in their families.”

That’s why Kandy and her husband Tommy decided to increase their annual giving to the Goodwill Career and Technical Academy through monthly gifts from their donoradvised fund (DAF).

Through the Toles’ cumulative monthly support, they can annually sponsor tuition for one student pursuing an

industry-recognized certification to launch a sustainable career. “If my mom had opportunities to further her education, career, and earning potential through no-cost programs like GCTA’s, I think that would have made an amazing impact on all our lives," says Toles.

Or by visiting our giving page at goodwillcentraltexas.org/giving/

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THANK YOU Every dollar of your monetary donation goes directly to vital programs & services.

BRIDGE FUND

LANDFILL DIVERSION

PHILANTHROPY

300 people received emergency funds to support their education and career goals

85M + lbs. of goods were diverted from landfills which makes up 80% of all donations

$1.77M in financial donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals

Anna couldn’t see the board in her GCTA classes but couldn’t afford glasses. Your Bridge Fund donations bought her a new pair of eyeglasses.

She went on to successfully complete her coursework and gain certification in phlebotomy.

Maria was facing eviction after losing her job.

With two small children and no family in the US, she used your Bridge Fund support to cover her past due amount and put her back in good standing. She has since found a job and retained her apartment.

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2023 IMPACT EDUCATION

CAREER TRAINING

JOB PLACEMENT

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328 in-demand certifications and credentials awarded through the GCTA and The Excel Center

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2,171 people placed in jobs

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242 individual students

1,128 people secured jobs at or above living wage ($17.46 hourly)

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$21.09 average job placement wage

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Hired, trained, supported, and hosted internship programs for veterans, people with disabilities, and youth

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356 graduates of the Goodwill Excel Center Adult High School 6 locations, including 4 justice education campuses

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60 children enrolled in the Exploration Center Early Learning Program while their parents studied at The Excel Center

Seth faced homelessness when he was approved for an apartment, but due to starting GCTA classes, was unable to work to get the remaining money for his deposit. Your Bridge Fund donations covered the remaining deposit amount.

Sonya was paying her way through school as an Uber driver. However, as her tires began to wear down, she couldn't afford replacements. Your Bridge Fund donation covered the replacement of all four tires and allowed her to continue to earn an income while being a student.

Thank you for sharing our vision of a Central Texas where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

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On March 7, we gathered with our generous donors and corporate and foundation partners for a ‘Thank You’ reception to honor our 2023 Good Friends of Goodwill.

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THANK YOU! ANGEL | $10,000+ Bank of America Lize Burr & Chris Hyams Cara & Mike Clifford Donald D. Hammill Foundation

Frost Higginbotham Indeed Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation

Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas MOD Pizza Margaret & Mat Moten Rob Neville

ADVANCER | $5,000-$9,999 Ellen & Jim Arnold Aquila Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

Clean Scapes Cushman & Wakefield Mara & Phil Fouts Don Garbe & Connie Aldrich

Mojdeh Gharbi & Max Hoberman Glenhill Asset Management Elizabeth & Gary Gunter

ALTRUIST | $2,500-$4,999 Aetna Carolina & Sergio Alcocer Jenny Cotner

Meredith & Clay Davis Enterprise Holly & Brian Gambs

Emma & Mark Garrett Yvette & Hilton Keats Cheryl Koury & Marc Walker

AMBASSADOR | $1,000-$2,499 Arnold Foundation Paula & Anthony Azar Beverly & Sam Bakir Frances & Don Baylor Leslie & David Blanke Bracewell LLP

Wes Burke Cadence Bank Mary Carlson Jen & Kris Carter Henry Chang Charles Schwab Foundation

Joanne & Eric Corum Theresa & Jerry Davis Anna & Russ Denton Jean & Craig Dubois Ferguson Facilities Supply Laurie & Franklin Hall

ADVOCATE | $500-$999 Effy Anderson & Jeff Kendall Rebecca Anzak & Ken Crosley Sara & Jay Arnold Keri Backus Annie & Ryan Bennett Patti Boyle Darlene & Dan Byrne Tammy & Eric Carville Robbi Crockett & Stefan Sinclair Chandler & Randall Elliott

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Jenny Everett & Kelly Keisling Cheryl & Jim George Mr. & Mrs. Ivan Giraldo Linell Goodin-Brown & Calvin Brown Nicole & John Grupp Andrew Guinn Lezli Harrell & Cole Erwin Sarah Harris & Bruce Walden Sharon & Chris Heuer

Katherine Hill & Mark Cooper Scott Hillman Jay Howard Jane & William Keene Alisha & Jamie Lagarde Emily & David Landry Erin & Damien Matherne Monica Matous Catherine Mauzy & Hans Magnusson

This year’s Good Friends of Goodwill honors our 2023 leading benefactors, whose gifts provide education, career training, and work opportunities to fellow Central Texans in need across our community.

Rotary Club of Austin University Area Stanley Black & Decker Texas Mutual United Way for Greater Austin

UFCU Way Service, Ltd. WoodNext Foundation Anonymous Anonymous

Independent Financial Kristin & Tony Ruff Sunrise Technologies T-Mobile

Texas Capital Bank Anonymous

Marsh McLennan Agency Theresa & Adam Rappaport Catherine & Dave Savage

Smarter Benefits Solutions David Smith & Chris Long Keith Sommer

Kandy & Tommy Toles Tracey Weir & Hayden Johnson

Damika Henry & Paul Sams Jobby John Phyllis & Mohan Kharbanda Erin & Chad Kingsbury Myra Leo & Billy Atkins Corky Logue

Claire Mathias Kathryn & Aaron Moncibaiz Beth Moten & Alan Reuther Shelley & Curtis Page Wendy & Laurence Richardson Diane & Karl Ring

Jason Stewart Tracie & Eamon Stookesberry Leslie & Robert Suffoletta Stacy & Paul Youngdale Anonymous Anonymous

Lily & Max McClure Anne Morgan & Catherine Musemeche Stephanie Moten Randall O’Dell Pearl & Love Paul Linda Payn Julie Peña & Aaron Pratt Laura & John Pinto Jeanne & Clay Pollard

Kyler & Michael Ramsey Claudia Salazar Laura & Joe Schneider Alyssa Sternadel Rhonda Summerbell Melissa & Greg Tanis Christina Thorsen & Frederic Colin Patrizia Vallieri & Max Caruana Walmart Foundation

Michelle Weisblatt Monica Williams Anonymous Anonymous

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1015 Norwood Park Blvd.

Austin, TX 78753

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