President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of NW Ohio, Inc. (and Owens alum), Amy Wachob sits down with Owens Community College President Dr. Dione D. Somerville talk about her time at Owens, growing in leadership skills and how Goodwill Industries helps the northwest Ohio community!
Amy began working at Goodwill in 1991 at the Reynolds Rd. Goodwill retail store location. She talks about her journey from the beginning of her PT Head Cashier position, how Goodwill Industries mission fueled her desire to get more education and to move up in the organization and her desire to help individuals break barriers to employment, throughout NW Ohio.
Ten Steps to Get Organized for Back-To-School Clothes Shopping By Lorie Morrero
We are fast approaching back-to-school time and now is a great time to share how to get ahead of the game with a quick project to ease your way into the shopping season.
Soon, back-to-school ads will be promoted everywhere, including your nearest Goodwill, with great deals on clothing and supplies. But the only way to take full advantage of these savings is to know what you need in the first place!
You can save the most time, money, and hassle if you know what you already have that works, what each child needs for the current season and what each child needs for the next season. So let’s help you get a step ahead by getting your kids’ clothing organized for some savvy shopping.
TEN STEPS TO BACK-TO-SCHOOL CLOTHING ORGANIZATION
Typically, you want to get as much of this project done as possible without the kids and involve them for a targeted amount of time at the end. If kids are older or if they are interested in the process, they may benefit from being involved so that they can learn from what you’re doing.
You’ll need the following supplies to get started:
Paper grocery sacks,
Plastic storage bins,
Permanent marker,
Paper and
Pen.
Bonus: label maker for bins
Let’s dive in:
Get the laundry done as much as possible to give you a full view of what you have. As you fold the laundry, note the sizes of the kids’ underwear, shirts and pants. Also make a note of anything that needs to be replaced.
Tell the kids you’re going to ask them later to try on a few clothes to see if they fit. Many children cooperate better if they have been given advance notice to transition into activities.
Start with the folded clothing in their dresser drawers, such as socks, underwear, shorts and sweaters. Check each item for size and wear-and-tear, neaten it up and organize it as needed. Make note along the way of anything you need to purchase.
If you’re not sure whether something fits, start a try-on pile for each child for later.
Anything that has been outgrown can be placed in a paper sack to donate to Goodwill. Mark the bag with the permanent marker with the word “donate.” You can also label and use the bags to sort other items like toys that need putting away in other rooms.
If you have younger family members who may want outgrown items as hand-me-downs, put these items in storage bins and label the full boxes by gender, range of sizes and season.
Next, move to the closet and tackle the hanging clothing. Keep noting what needs replacing and areas that are coming up short. Consider everything in terms of “good school clothes” and count how many shirts, pants and dresses will currently work.
Once you’ve gone through all of each child’s clothing, take whatever’s left in the try-on pile and grab the kids for a try-on session. Some kids may be more cooperative if you let them try-on while they watch a favorite show as a treat, and some may think it’s a big fun fashion show! Do have fun with it and work with your child’s preferences to make it painless for everyone.
Write down everything you notice that is needed and the correct sizes for everyone. Don’t forget underwear, socks, belts, ties, hair accessories, jackets, sweaters, school uniforms, “party clothes,” athletic shoes, casual shoes and dress shoes.
Take your bags of donations to your nearest Goodwill donation center. You can find the closest one using our locator. You’ll be helping fund programs and services in your own community that help people get good jobs while helping the planet too!
Now you’re ready! Your kids’ clothes are organized, and you have a list of exactly what you need to get from the big sales in a few weeks. And don’t forget the bargains you can get every day shopping at Goodwill, where gently used kids’ clothing can be the perfect way to save even more.
The Bowling Green Goodwill Store will have its Grand Reopening and ribbon cutting on Wednesday, March 1st at 10am.
The newly renovated store will have brighter lights, new flooring, new layout, new register systems and the brand new Goodwill Rewards Loyalty Program. And lots of great merchandise for you to choose from!
Goodwill’s Mission Services Department visited Birmingham Terrace, a property owned and managed by Lucas Metropolitan Housing (LMH). The Mission team went at the invitation of LMH and The Zepf Center and conducted outreach and intake. Approximately 30 residents attended and listened to the presentation and a number of individuals signed up for the Goodwill Career Path Program, the Goodwill Reentry Program, the Stay the Course Program and the Good Tech Program. It was a great atmosphere and the team provided individualized, one-on-one services. Everyone left the venue with a positive attitude and the natural questions was, “When are you guys coming back? We need you here.” Way to go Mission Services Team! We did some good!
Today, Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio, Inc. is launching its 90 Days of Goodwill leading up to its 90th Anniversary in Northwest Ohio! March 29, 1933 Goodwill began its mission of changing lives through the Power of Work in Toledo and throughout the Northwest Ohio region. Goodwill will tell its story from its inception in 1933 to its impact in today’s environment. Daily postings will be made on our Facebook page (@GoodwillNow), and Instagram (@GoodwillNow). Throughout 2023, Goodwill will host many activities to mark its 90 years of service. These activities will include a Customer Appreciation Day, Workforce Development Community Resource Fairs, People Served Highlights, Team Member Recognition, and our reach throughout our 13 counties.
Pictured: Goodwill’s original Articles of Incorporation proudly displayed in “The West Wing” meeting room. The West Wing is a meeting room that is a casual space for innovative thinking and brain storming.
Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio Celebrates 90 Years of Goodwill! Nonprofit Kicks off 90 Years Celebration with 90 Days of Goodwill
Toledo, Ohio – December 30, 2022 – Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio will launch its 90 Days of Goodwill leading up to its 90th anniversary in Northwest Ohio! March 29, 1933 Goodwill began its mission of changing lives through the Power of Work in Toledo and throughout the Northwest Ohio region.
Through its social media outlets, Goodwill will tell its story from its inception in 1933 to its impact in today’s environment. Daily postings will be made beginning December 30, 2022 on our blog found on our website (www.goodwillnwohio.org), Facebook page (@GoodwillNOW), and Instagram (@GoodwillNOW).
Throughout 2023, Goodwill will host many activities to mark its 90 years of service. These activities will include a Customer Appreciation Day, Workforce Development Community Resource Fairs, People Served Highlights, Team Member Recognition, and our reach throughout our 13 counties.
“It is hard to believe that we are gearing up to celebrate our 90th year of serving the community through the Power of Work,” said Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio President and CEO Amy Wachob. “90 years of transforming lives and communities by offering premier workforce development programs to those who need a hand up, is definitely something to celebrate.”
“While we’ve been a part of Northwest Ohio communities for nine decades, we want people to understand that through community support, partnerships, shoppers, and donors we are able to provide our valuable mission,” said Wachob. “This 90th anniversary year is an opportunity to explain to people: When you donate to or shop at Goodwill, you are helping to eliminating workplace barriers and provide opportunity for those in our community who have obstacles to overcome to successful employment.” Throughout 2022, Goodwill served over 8,500 individuals with job readiness and workforce development programs. To learn more about the positive impact Goodwill has made in Northwest Ohio communities, visit www.goodwillnwohio.com.
About Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that has been helping change lives through the power of work since 1933. When you donate to or shop at Goodwill, you are funding education, training and services to prepare people to find better jobs and build careers in diverse companies throughout the communities we serve. Together with the support of our generous community, partners and employers, Goodwill provides employment and related services to thousands of individuals in the region each year. Revenues generated through Goodwill’s network of retail stores, donation stations and commercial contract services help support this vital mission of service.
On Thursday, Nov. 17th 13abc hosted a reception at their studio for Goodwill to hand out scholarship checks to the 20 local High Schools that participated in the 2022 season of Pass It On Challenge.
This partnership with 13abc started in 2013. In those 9 years, a total of 1,243,260 pounds of donations have been collected! That equates to approximately 3,500 hours of job training services. This year, local schools collected 163,260 lbs.
The total dollar amount of scholarships given out since the inception of Pass It on Challenge is $47,250!
Follow this link to watch highlights from this year; https://youtu.be/MrK14M9twvc
Pictured above: Tim Kralovic; VP of Donated Goods/Retail James Starks; 13abc News Anchor Amy Wachob; President/CEO of Goodwill Industries of NW Ohio
Congratulations, Terrell, on your steadfast tenacity in accomplishing the task. Terrell first learned about Goodwill from Ohio Link, where he was a resident as a returning citizen. He was on the path to reentering to society from incarceration. The process was not easy. He knew that he had many barriers that needed to be resolved in order to seek employment, which is why he initially came to Goodwill.
The initial thing that Terrell did was to connect with the Stay the Course Program. This program assisted him with paying his reinstatement fees in order to obtain his driver’s license. While he was getting that barrier removed, Terrell became familiar with the other programs that Goodwill’s Mission Services Department had to offer. The Stay the Course team introduced Terrell to Tisha Carroll, program manager of the Career Path program, where he was able to get his birth certificate and social security card and received referrals outside agencies to obtain housing and other wrap around services. Terrell then learned that Goodwill had a connection to the building trades (through the I75 Project), where he could pursue his main employment goal of skilled trade construction labor.
Terrell obtained his driver’s license and received training, through Goodwill’s collaboration with the Carpenter’s Union training facility in Rossford, Ohio. The training led to his employment at Spieker Construction, working on the Goodwill Warehouse construction project. Once he obtained the job at Spieker, Goodwill assisted Terrell with getting his work clothing, work boots and tools. This reflects a full circle event. Furthermore, transportation was a barrier to going to different construction sites, so Terrell applied to the Tool Belt/Good Rides program for a vehicle to get him back and forth to work. This removed a barrier and allows Terrell to accept jobs around Northwest Ohio. Once again, great job, Terrell. Well done.
Goodwill has been nominated for the 2022 Best Of Toledo for Best Thrift/Resale Store in the Shops/Stores Category! Help us win! You can vote 1x a day through Dec. 15th. Follow this link to vote today; https://bit.ly/3UiFo5M_BestOfToledo
