Good People Spring 2024

STORIES OF HOPE & TRANSFORMATION SPRING 2024

CDL Instructor at the GCTA

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PAIGE O'HANLON

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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.

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.

How to Build a Certification Program: 1 2

Plumbers wanted!

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

Identify Demand. Plumbing is on the TWC Targeted Occupations List.

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

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-suf ficiency. 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.

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

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

Identify funding sources for students.

Government, corporate, and foundation grants and private philanthropy.

HOW TO CHANGE A LIFE: A primer on transformative teaching

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.

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. 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.

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.”

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.

Graduating CDL class of 2023

Paige posing with a CDL graduate

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 dif ficult and affected my own sense of security.”

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

"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.”

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.

THANK YOU

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

BRIDGE FUND

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

LANDFILL DIVERSION

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

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.

PHILANTHROPY

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

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.

2023 IMPACT

EDUCATION

• 356 graduates of the Goodwill Excel Center Adult High School

• 6 locations, including 4 justice education campuses

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

CAREER TRAINING

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

• 242 individual students

JOB PLACEMENT

• 2,171 people placed in jobs

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

• $21.09 average job placement wage

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

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.

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.

THANK YOU!

Bank of America

Lize Burr & Chris Hyams

Cara & Mike Clifford

Frost Higginbotham

Donald D. Hammill Foundation

Indeed Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation

Ellen & Jim Arnold

Aquila

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

Clean Scapes

Cushman & Wakefield

Mara & Phil Fouts

Don Garbe & Connie Aldrich

Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas

MOD Pizza

Rob Neville ANGEL | $10,000+

Margaret & Mat Moten

Aetna

Carolina & Sergio Alcocer

Jenny Cotner

Meredith & Clay Davis Enterprise

Holly & Brian Gambs

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

Mojdeh Gharbi & Max Hoberman

Glenhill Asset Management

Elizabeth & Gary Gunter

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

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

Emma & Mark Garrett

Yvette & Hilton Keats

Cheryl Koury & Marc Walker

Joanne & Eric Corum

Theresa & Jerry Davis

Anna & Russ Denton

Jean & Craig Dubois

Ferguson Facilities Supply

Laurie & Franklin Hall

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

Marsh McLennan Agency

Theresa & Adam Rappaport

Catherine & Dave Savage

Texas Capital Bank Anonymous

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

Need to make room in your closet for your fresh Spring looks? Donate to Goodwill! Your Spring Cleaning changes lives.