Sunday, February 5, 2012
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Goodwill Industries of Central Florida, Inc.
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About Us A Brief History of Goodwill . . .
The roots of today's Goodwill Industries began in 1902 when a young Methodist missionary, Rev. Edgar Helms, arrived at Morgan Chapel in the poor community of Boston's South End. There he found struggling immigrants from Poland, German, Italy, and other countries who had little money, no jobs, did not know the language, and were losing hope.
To help meet their immediate needs, he took some burlap bags up to the northern part of Boston and went door to door, asking the wealthier Bostonians for whatever clothing and household items they could spare. He enlisted members of his parish to repair and clean the items, and set up a small operation where they could sell the goods at reasonable prices. He used the income to provide wages to the workers -- and the first Goodwill store was born. Ultimately, the funds generated helped provide some basic education and language training, and gave the immigrants a "hand up, not just a handout."
Since that time, Goodwill has opened its doors to anyone in need to help give them hope, dignity and independence by providing them with the means to earn a paycheck and support their families.
Goodwill Industries of Central Florida was funded with a vision of helping people with disabilities find their way to the workforce. Their legacy began when the Downtown Sertoma Club met with representatives who had recently begun a Goodwill in St. Petersburg. In search of a philanthropic project, the Sertoma Club heard that Goodwill not only helped people with disabilities find jobs, but in turn, helped people with disabilities realize a greater role, through work, in the community.
On November 26, 1960, this vision became a reality. The Sertoma Club and members of Goodwill's local board of directors cut the opening ribbon on the first Central Florida Goodwill store at 129 West Church Street on the present-day site of Church Street Station in downtown Orlando. The organization continued to grow, and as time went by, more trucks were added to its fleet, and more and more stores were opened. During the past fifty years, the organization has expanded to the six counties it serves today: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia. Today, Goodwill has 25 stores, two attended donation centers, and seven Self-Sufficiency Job Centers, where any individual can come to receive free assistance with their job search.
The process is simple: you donate unneeded goods, we sell those goods in our stores, and we use the income to pay for employability programs and services, which we provide free to the people who need them most.
"Together, We're Building Lives that Work"
DID YOU KNOW . . .?
- The Activity of Building Lives in 2011
In 2011...
Over 600,000 donors contributed to Goodwill's mission.
For every ten donations Goodwill receives, one person with a disability or barrier to employment is placed into permanent employment, enabling them to become self-sufficient.
There were over 2 million customer transactions in our retail stores.
Goodwill Industries Had Major Impact in the Central Florida area:
Approximately 24,000 Central Floridians received Employment & Training services.
Over 4,500 Central Floridians were placed in competitive jobs right here in our community.
The economic impact of Goodwill's placement totaled over $73 million, strengthening the workforce of the Central Florida community.
The average starting wage for people placed by Goodwill's Vocational and Community Services department was $9.41 per hour.
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What Does Goodwill Do With My Donations?
Are your closets bulging, full of clothing you or your family has outgrown? Are your kitchen cabinets a war zone of small appliances and gadgets you just had to have, but realize you never use? Now is the best time to organize and dispose of those items which are taking up space in your house! Donate those gently used items you no longer use to Goodwill. Through our comprehensive recycling process, we transform your donation into jobs for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. We do this by selling the items you donate in Goodwill's retail stores and donation centers throughout Central Florida. The monies earned from selling donated goods is funneled into unique employment and training programs for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment such as illiteracy, welfare dependency, homelessness, language barriers, and lack of social and work skills.
Here's how YOU can make a difference in someone’s life and help to improve your local economy by providing items you no longer need.
Give to Goodwill - We accept just about everything! Clothing, shoes, books, furniture, small electrical items, and even household knick-knacks, which you no longer need, can become someone else’s treasure. Our courteous Goodwill associates will assist you with your donations and offer you a receipt that may be used as a future tax deduction. And by recycling used goods in the community, you’re helping to keep useable items out of our landfills.
Donated clothing and other needed items are processed by Goodwill employees for resale. Replenishing stores with new merchandise daily is key to keeping shoppers coming back for more.
Goodwill accepts and sells donated goods at each of its twenty-five locations throughout six counties which include: Brevard, Osceola, Lake, Orange, Volusia, and Seminole. We rely on community donations to fund employment services that prepare local residents with disabilities and other challenges for competitive employment.
Over ninety percent of every dollar Goodwill spends is for a program service expense.
Through Goodwill’s vocational programs, graduates secure competitive employment in our community. Businesses hire our graduates and they become proud, tax-paying members of the local workforce. Employers benefit by getting trained, reliable and ambitious workers.
With your help, Goodwill is able to provide services to those in need. In 2010, Goodwill Industries provided over 22,000 people with free supportive employment training to change their lives. People who have been reliant on government assistance (your tax dollars) are now taxpayers and contributing to the economic vitality of the local community.
So when you’re ready to clean out your closet, or rid yourself of those items which you no longer need, feel confident in knowing your contribution will change lives for the better! And although Goodwill does not offer a pick-up service, donations can be dropped off at any of our 25 stores or 2 donation centers. For these locations as well as a comprehensive list of items Goodwill accepts, click on Your Donations, or call us at (407) 235-1547. Community & Goodwill, Together, "We’re Building Lives That Work!”
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Take a Goodwill Field Trip
"What exactly does Goodwill do?" If you've ever asked yourself this question, maybe it's time you come see for yourself how Goodwill turns donations into jobs. We invite your service club, church group, class or even your family and friends to take a tour of our large corporate and vocational center, which includes vocational services and classrooms, a modern central processing center, and our largest store in Central Florida, located at 7531 South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando. Call (407) 235-1563 or email the Marketing and Development Department to include your group on our tour calendar. If you are unable to come to us, let one of our representatives come to you. We are available for speaking engagements by calling (407) 235-1563 or just email the Marketing and Development Department.
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POST YOUR COMPANY'S JOB OPENINGS
Is your company in need of good, hard-working employees? Post your job openings free of charge at our Self-Sufficiency Job Centers located in Orlando, Melbourne, Sanford, Kissimmee, Daytona Beach, and Leesburg. All six centers assist, on average, between 50-100 job seekers daily, and offer complete job search, placement and employability coaching on a walk-in basis. Our staff will also work with you personally to help you find the right employees for your needs. Click on Self-Sufficiency Job Centers for more information, or call (407) 872-0770 in Orlando, (407) 936-0469 in Sanford, (407) 847-0696 in Kissimmee, (321) 953-8188 in Melbourne, (386) 258-8585 in Daytona Beach, (321) 890-1676 in Rockledge, and (352) 326-8919 in Leesburg.
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Board of Directors
OFFICERS
- Mr. Michael Clary
Tavistock Group
Goodwill International | CARF
Copyright © 2008 Goodwill Industries of Central Florida | 7531 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32809 | Phone (407) 857-0659