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Tag: goodwill
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Thank You For Making a Difference!
2019 is coming to an end and this year we couldn’t thank our wonderful shoppers, donors, volunteers and team members for making this year one of the most successful yet!
To show our appreciation and as a thank you to our shoppers and donors, we are excited to offer an opportunity to save BIG at Goodwill!
Together, we proudly support and serve Albertans with disabilities, and ensure they receive valuable career development and job placement. We couldn’t do it without you and your contributions.
Some things to consider about your contributions:
• You helped send 187 Albertans through our Path to Employment.
• You’ve contributed to the more than 500,000 donations we received this past year.
• Through recycling and re-purposing we now have a 90% diversion rate from landfills.
• Thanks to you, Goodwill connects Albertans with disabilities to meaningful employment.
• 88.7 cents of every dollar you spent was reinvested into Goodwill’s mission.This award-winning year is thanks to your support! We continued on with our Sustainability Action Plan, and were honored to receive an Emerald Award for Sustainability and a Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations award for Innovation in terms of our environmental stewardship.
As honoured as this makes us, we enter 2020 excited to reach all new heights of success.
Together we are changing lives for the better, strengthening families and communities through the power of work and the dignity of a job.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from Goodwill.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column]
Courtesy of Doug Roxburgh
Goodwill Industries of Alberta Contributor
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Goodwill Cleaning Cloths: Hotel Collection
Commercial Services Launch NEW product!
A new product has launched at Goodwill Industries of Alberta in conjunction with the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA). The new Goodwill Cleaning Cloths: Hotel Collection are now available at Edmonton and surrounding area Goodwill retail outlets, with proceeds going to help fund programs that enable Albertans with disabilities to find and gain meaningful employment.
“This new product is made possible by having partner hotels donate their unwanted towels with Goodwill’s Commercial Services Division transforming them into an exclusive item used for everyday purposes,” says Johnson Tran, Manager of Goodwill at Work.
Commercial Services is a division of Goodwill that employs Albertans with a disability. This division provides professional assembly and packing services in sustainable ways.
The new Cleaning Cloths: Hotel Collection is a product donated by hoteliers in Alberta through the Goodwill/AHLA partnership. These unwanted towels will then be sorted, cut and packaged into a new product and giving it a new purpose.
Through this partnership, over 10,000 kilograms of towels will be diverted from the landfill. This means more employment opportunities and more career fulfillment, as Goodwill continues to strengthen communities and lives through the power of work and the dignity of a job.
Courtesy of Doug Roxburgh
Goodwill Industries of Alberta Contributor
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WWII Medals Family Found in Calgary
Calgary, AB (November 2, 2019) – Through the re-sale of donations, Goodwill helps support programs that enable those with a disability to gain meaningful employment. This past week, a generous donor accidentally dropped off some historical items that were mixed in with some other donations to our organization at the Goodwill Trans Canada Retail Store and Donation Centre. Among these items were a Memorial Cross with the name Sgt. R.W. Finch engraved on it, various medals from World War II and photographs of family members. We felt strongly that they should be returned to their rightful owner as they held too much sentimental value and so the search for the donor began.
Within 8 hours of a Social Media post asking the public to help find this donor, the message spread from Calgary, to Edmonton, to Winnipeg. Messages poured in from right across country from people willing to offer any little information that they had to help us track down the family members. Fort Garry Horse, Veteran Affairs and many volunteers helped with this search and last night at about 9:30 p.m. MST a family member was found!
Tracey Scott, a Calgary resident and grand daughter of the fallen war veteran, was contacted by friends, stating that she needed to see this Facebook post and after doing so reached out to our organization and we discussed at length, how these items were mistakenly donated and how the photographs brought on so many different emotions.
On Sunday November 3rd, Scott arrived at the Trans Canada location to retrieve the box of items she never knew existed. Scott’s hands were trembling as she held onto photos of her grandmother, grandfather and mom, and the medal given to the young widow.
“I went to the story and saw my grandmother and my grandfather and my mom staring back at me.”
Her grandfather had died in battle in 1945 and is buried at the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands, a place Scott visited with her grandmother in 1995. Scott’s grandmother and mom died a few years ago. She has no idea how the photos and medals wound up where they did. Those touched by this story are just thankful the box of memories has been saved to help keep a war hero’s story alive.
Goodwill Industries of Alberta is proud to return these items back to the family, back to their home and back to their rightful place, as we can only imagine the emotions running through this family. We are very proud to serve our community and this is one of the ways we were able to show that we care.
Thank you very much to the public who helped locate this family. We are very appreciative, because without your help, we could not have found the family as quickly as we did. Together we showed how amazing this country is, simply by offering a helping hand.
Thank you again.
For additional media coverage please see:
Courtesy of Doug Roxburgh
Goodwill Industries of Alberta Contributor
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AHLA Partnership
Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) and Goodwill Industries of Alberta
Goodwill has teamed up with the AHLA to implement two outstanding projects that will divert tens of thousands of kilograms of waste from local landfills, all while creating jobs for people with disabilities. This will impact our community for the better.
The Eco-Check Out Program
This program will encourage partner hotels to divert goods from the landfill. Goodwill will accept a wide variety of donations from hotels that will be sold in various retail locations throughout the province with 89% of all revenues being invested in Career Development initiatives for people with disabilities.
Track The Donations
Our goal is to get 50,000 kilograms of donations from hotels, but we can’t accomplish this without YOUR help!
Follow the progress with our interactive donation meter!
Thank you to the following hotels who have already made contributions:
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- Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Edmonton International Airport
- Hampton Inn & Suites Edmonton West
- Sandman Hotel Edmonton West
- Staybridge Suites Calgary Airport
- Wingate by Wyndham West Edmonton
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Courtesy of Doug Roxburgh
Goodwill Industries of Alberta Contributor
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Emerald Awards
Emerald Awards
For 29 years, the Emerald Awards recognize and celebrate the outstanding environmental achievements of large and small businesses, individuals, not-for-profit associations, community groups, youth and governments.
This year, Goodwill Industries of Alberta was the proud recipient of the 2019 Emerald Award for the Goodwill Edmonton Impact Centre in the category of Community Group or Not-For-Profit for a Large Organization. Receiving the award on behalf of Goodwill was President and CEO Dale Monaghan and Board Chair Kevin MacDonald.
This award recognizes associations dedicated to furthering a particular social cause or advocating for a shared point of view that have demonstrated a significant commitment to the environment through their actions.
“Thanks in large part to the Sustainability Action Plan, initiated by Goodwill and ATB Financial, Goodwill has been an innovator when it comes to waste reduction and environmental stewardship,” says Monaghan. “We are proud to make a positive impact in our community, all the while creating employment opportunities for Albertans with disabilities.”
Congratulations to all of the other organizations and nominees for this prestigious award, including our partners College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk and Moving, as their hard work continue to excel the nonprofit sector. Award winners exemplify creativity and innovation through new models of organizational effectiveness, collaboration, and program delivery. They increase impact and address systems-level gaps. They create an inspiring picture of the future and empower others to have a positive impact on the community. From well-known programs to a variety of smaller scale initiatives, there are many rich examples of innovative practices in Alberta’s nonprofit sector.
For more on the Emerald Awards, please visit: https://emeraldfoundation.ca/about-the-emeralds/
Courtesy of Doug Roxburgh
Goodwill Industries of Alberta Contributor
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Nonprofit Innovation Award
Calgary Innovation Awards
Calgary AB (October 3, 2019) – The Alberta Nonprofit Innovation Awards celebrate nonprofit professionals and organizations across Alberta who have challenged the status quo and inspired others with creative and disruptive solutions to address enduring community challenges.
Today Goodwill Industries of Alberta was the proud recipient of the 2019 Calgary Chamber of Volunteer Organizations for social enterprise innovation. Receiving the award on behalf of Goodwill was President and CEO Dale Monaghan, Vice President of Donated Goods and Retail Fay Wisted, as well as Store Managers from throughout the Calgary region.
The award recognizes innovation and high performance success in the operation of the Amazing Edmonton Impact Centre and the Sustainability Action Plan, for which ATB Financial is a major supporter of.
“For over a half century, Goodwill has been changing lives for the better, strengthening families and communities through the power of work and the dignity of a job,” says Monaghan. “We are proud to make a positive impact in our community, while being leaders within our industry.”
Congratulations to Mortimer Capriles and the amazing team at the Impact Centre as well as to everyone else who had a hand in building the Sustainability Action Plan, including Fay Wisted, Shabeena Habib, Yvan Boutin, John Gebbie and Brenda Hawryluk. This successful plan was endorsed and supported by the wonderful Board of Directors at Goodwill including the Sustainability Champion Board Member, Jodi Tomchyshyn London.
Also congratulations to all of the other organizations and nominees for this prestigious award, as their hard work continue to excel the nonprofit sector. Award winners exemplify creativity and innovation through new models of organizational effectiveness, collaboration, and program delivery. They increase impact and address systems-level gaps. They create an inspiring picture of the future and empower others to have a positive impact on the community. From well-known programs to a variety of smaller scale initiatives, there are many rich examples of innovative practices in Alberta’s nonprofit sector.
For more information on the Alberta Nonprofit Innovation Awards, please visit: https://www.calgarycvo.org/innovation.
Courtesy of Doug Roxburgh
Goodwill Industries of Alberta Contributor
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Behind The Scenes of The Goodwill Pop-Up
One of my favorite things about summer is shopping up and down a bustling market strip. By bringing together artists, cooks, and farmers, summer markets are a Mecca for all things local.
Even on days when nothing at the market has that “I must bring you home with me” attraction; it’s always nice to sit in the sun, listen to a local musician cover ‘Brown Eyed Girl’, and watch a sea of people flow through the row of white tents.
When the opportunity to organize a pop-up shop presented itself to me, the answer was a no-brainer, because the atmosphere is what I crave. A co-worker and I set off to find merchandise from the Goodwill stores which would soon have a home underneath our blue tent. The hunt was on!
Our first days were spent roaming the aisles collecting tea sets, jewelry, clothing and trinkets of all shapes and sizes. As it turned out, each store acted as its own unique market. Once familiarized with the layout of the stores, we quickly darted-out in every direction searching for the perfect items curated to our various themes. A handbag, to match a funky summer skirt; a tray, to hold a Japanese tea pot and matching cups. Once we felt we had accumulated enough clothing and wares to stock and re-stock our displays, we inventoried, organized, and waited with bated breath for the first market day to arrive.
The early morning air and nervous anticipation woke me up long before my alarm. Today was the day. After checking off both mental and physical check lists, we set-off for our first market. We queued in the vendor line and were soon shown our space. Two lines sprayed in white over the cement 10 feet apart from each other marked our designated area. A flurry of unloading boxes, bags, bins, and displays ensued. As we ‘popped’ our tent up and secured it with homemade weights, curious eyes and smiling faces greeted us throughout our set up. Although the market street was emptier than it would be all day, scads of “hello’s” and “good morning’s” could be heard as fellow vendors past through. Time must have moved three times its normal speed because as we placed our overflow boxes under a table cloth and out of sight; the market opened, and guests began to flood in.
Everything that I love about markets was emphasized by being a part of the mini-ecosystem. Laughing with other vendors, greeting guests with a smile, and sharing the programs and partnerships that Goodwill offers to its community filled every minute of the day. Although the items we showcased were neither handmade or homegrown, everything we displayed was 100% local. Every item was a donation from a generous Albertan, with the proceeds from every sale going towards supporting programs for disabled Albertans to find meaningful employment.
It felt good knowing that we were giving these items another chance at life; outside the landfill and into a loving home.
Once the final patrons made their march through the market, the electric adrenaline rush of human interaction began to wane as load-out began. Then as abruptly as we arrived, we left; this time with a half empty truck and a smile on our faces. The afterglow of the market remained with me until late that night, as the nervous apprehension from the morning turned to eager anticipation for our next market day.
Courtesy of Liam Maxwell
Goodwill Industries of Alberta Contributor
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A Feel Good Moment – Elaine Wenger
Elaine Wenger began working at Goodwill 43 years ago and in August she is finally ready to hang up her jacket. Born with a disability, Wenger is an inspiration to those who look to gain meaningful employment and a symbol of how Goodwill Industries of Alberta can help those find a purpose through the power of work.
Canada Manpower helped Wenger get started at Goodwill in 1976 and has since worked at various Goodwill locations in and around the Edmonton region. During this time, she has been able to support her two kids going through post-secondary education and has been part of the growth of Goodwill in Alberta. Not an easy task for someone with a disability working in retail.
“If I can do it, so can you. Don’t let anything ever stop you from doing what you want to do.”
Wenger first started in in sorting and then went to ironing. She evolved as a worker and when she was working downtown Edmonton, her favourite job involved making cookies and muffins for the staff. Currently Wenger is working as a merchandiser at our SouthPark location on Calgary Trail NW.
Wenger will retire in August and is looking forward to spending more time with her family.
Elaine’s story of perseverance, commitment and dedication help illustrate how one can overcome obstacles and how we as people all strive for purpose. This is why Goodwill is proud to help those with disabilities and those who need assistance in finding their purpose.
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Tax Free Since 1963
When you shop or donate at Goodwill, GOOD things happen. You create employment opportunities for those with disabilities, giving people a purpose through the power of work. You successfully divert items from the landfill giving regular household items, clothes or otherwise, a second chance at a new life, a new beginning. Finally (and here’s the most important factor when it comes to YOUR wallet), you DO NOT pay any GST on used items!
That’s right, when you shop at Goodwill, our store is GST-FREE and has been since 1963!
As a not-for-profit, we have to disclose our finances every year and any profit that we may make MUST go back into our organization and help those with disabilities find and gain meaningful employment. This also means that as a shopper, when you support a not-for-profit, you do not have to pay the GST!
We want to ensure, that when you are the hunt for that one special outfit, for that one special moment, that you should remember, the price shown is the price. There is no hidden agenda, no hidden fees, no hidden taxes. Keep an eye out for any special tag sale as well, because if you see something on sale for 50% off, THERE IS STILL NO TAX!
So think about this when you decide to visit your nearest thrift store. Your money is going to GOOD…and you’re saving at the same time.
Do your part and do what’s best for you and your community. Shop at Goodwill.
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Halloween Look Book: Going Retro
Halloween Look Book: Going Retro
We’ve got your Halloween costume sorted at Goodwill Alberta. If you need a quick solution, we have ready-to-wear outfits and accessories for your convenience, but where’s the fun in that! October 31st is the chance to get crafty and creative. We’ve produced a Halloween Look Book available at all our stores to guide you in your DIY endeavors.
Take inspiration from eras gone by with these easy to build retro costume ideas.
1920s Glamour
The 1920s Flapper Girl is synonymous with fun and frivolity. Choosing this as your Halloween costume is the perfect opportunity to get glamourous. You can achieve this look by finding a knee-length evening dress, some long evening gloves and adding some strings of pearls. A feather boa or a home-made feather headdress will be the last thing you need to get ready for the Charleston.
Slave To The Rhythm
Always wanted to be able to breakdance, but don’t have the moves? This Halloween, you can still channel your inner breakdancer by heading back to the 80s origins. Find a windbreaker, sports jacket or oversized an denim jacket. Complete the look with accessories like a hat or some chains. Last but not least: no break dancer is complete without their boom box!
Industrial Victorian
Steampunk is inspired by the Victorian era. Think Victorian fashion mixed with aviation and industrial influences. Start off with a basic long skirt, long leather boots, ruffled skirts, and structured jackets. Then you can go wild with accessories from goggles and hats to canes and lace.
Video game Nostalgia
Did you have a favourite video game character as a kid? Relive your childhood as Mario and Luigi with this super simple costume idea. All you need are overalls plus red and green tees with matching hats. No one will need to guess who you came to the party as. Don’t forget to stick on a mustache (or grow one!).
Find more inspiration for your Halloween Goodwill costume shopping in our Halloween Look Book, available to download and in all our stores. Share your costumes using the hashtag #GoodwillHalloween.
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Halloween Look Book: Inspired by the Big Screen
Halloween Look Book: Inspired by the Big Screen
We’ve got your Halloween costume sorted at Goodwill Alberta. If you need a quick solution, we have ready-to-wear outfits and accessories for your convenience, but where’s the fun in that! October 31st is the chance to get crafty and creative. We’ve produced a Halloween Look Book available at all our stores to guide you in your DIY endeavors.
Be inspired by the big screen with these easy to build costume ideas from your favourite films and TV shows.
Join The Gang
Cult 80s classic, The Breakfast Club is as popular today as it ever was. Grab your friends, assign everyone a character and then head to your nearest Goodwill to search for your 80s attire. Are you going to be Molly Ringwald’s character, Claire? Look for white sneakers, chinos, and a pink shirt. Maybe you’d rather be the rebel of the group? Look for an oversized denim jacket, a red plaid shirt and, of course, some sunglasses for ultimate attitude!
May The Force Be With You
With the Star Wars franchise growing each year, there are more and more characters for you to dress up as. This idea is perfect for getting the kids involved! To reinvent yourself as the heroine, Rey, look for boots, belts, and linen to layer over a basic t-shirt and leggings. For other characters, you can find or create key items from their wardrobe to ensure you are unmistakably from a galaxy far, far away. Think old curtains for a cape, an oversized white shirt for layering with a belt or the iconic Hans Solo down zip vest.
Grease Lightning
The characters from Grease‘s Rydell High are timeless favourites for Halloween costumes. Become a T-Bird in minutes by hunting for a leather jacket, dark jeans and a white tee. For Pink Ladies, look for leather or pink jackets teamed with a black tee and black trousers.
Stranger Things
The cast of Stranger Things are the new favourites in the Halloween fancy dress game. You can disguise yourself as Eleven by finding a pink dress, a blonde wig and picking up a packet of her favourite snack, Eggos. Fans of the show will spot you straight away if you decide to be the wall (if you know, you know), complete with twinkle lights and a letter board.
Wakanda Forever
Marvel’s Black Panther was a box office smash hit making it one the most popular movies of 2018. Lots of people will be getting ready to become a Wakandan for Halloween, and you can too!
Down The Rabbit Hole
Grab your friends or just choose your favourite character to recreate from Alice in Wonderland. Whether you want to be a Mad Hatter in a large top hat and colourful blazer or you decide to be Alice with a blue dress and a white apron, everyone will know exactly who you came to the party dressed as!
Find more inspiration for your Halloween Goodwill costume shopping in our Halloween Look Book, available to download and in all our stores. Share your costumes using the hashtag #GoodwillHalloween.
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Halloween Look Book: One For The Kids
Halloween Look Book: One For The Kids
We’ve got your Halloween costume sorted at Goodwill Alberta. If you need a quick solution, we have ready-to-wear outfits and accessories for your convenience, but where’s the fun in that! October 31st is the chance to get crafty and creative. We’ve produced a Halloween Look Book available at all our stores to guide you in your DIY endeavors.
Be inspired by ideas for creating some awesome costumes with your kids no matter what their age!
Wish You Were Here
This one’s great way to involve all the family and you can get this ready in minutes. Start by browsing the racks of Goodwill for colourful, bright, floral shirts. Then go on the hunt for all the holiday accessories you can think of: straw hats, flip-flops, fanny packs, sunglasses. The only thing we can’t promise you’ll find is warm weather!
Halloween Experiment
Ever wondered if your kids might be crazy? This Halloween, they can have fun as a mad scientist. Once you’ve found a white jacket or coat (you can also use an over-sized white shirt), add rubber gloves and some large glasses or googles. To embrace the character fully, see if you can find a wacky wig!
Disaster At The Beach
If all else fails, you can dress your baby up in an adorable costume, right? For this group outfit, you can use any beach accessories to hand. If you can’t find a shark costume, here’s an easy tutorial to make your own shark using a hoodie and thrifted material! Don’t swim too deep …
Undercover Madness
“Code 9. I repeat, code 9!”. Go undercover this Halloween as a secret agent or bodyguard. It’s likely you’ll have a lot of these items in your kid’s wardrobe already, and anything you’re missing can be easily found at a Goodwill store. It’s important to keep it dark, and mysterious. That means finding a dark suit, dark sunglasses, a dark tie, and dark shoes. Top it off with a homemade badge and you’re ready for the first mission!
Home On The Range
This is probably the comfiest costume you could choose this year. As long as you have the basic overalls and plaid shirt, the rest is yours to get creative with. Maybe you’ll choose a straw hat or some boots? Either way, your child will love being able to bring their stuffed farm animals along trick-or-treating!
Wonder Girls
This is the perfect matching mother-daughter costume and the look can be achieved with just boots, a blue skirt, a red top and some gold material! Turn yourselves from Diana Prince into Wonder Woman by adding a gold belt and creating some gold arm cuffs. Girl power!
Find more inspiration for your Halloween Goodwill costume shopping in our Halloween Look Book, available to download and in all our stores. Share your costumes using the hashtag #GoodwillHalloween.
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Halloween Look Book: The Spookiest Of Them All
We’ve got your Halloween costume sorted at Goodwill Alberta. If you need a quick solution, we have ready-to-wear outfits and accessories for your convenience, but where’s the fun in that! October 31st is the chance to get crafty and creative. We’ve produced a Halloween Look Book available at all our stores to guide you in your DIY endeavors.
Keep your costume traditional by choosing a classically spooky look. Be inspired to cause a fright on the night with these ghastly outfit ideas!
Skeleton Scat
Sometimes the ‘bare bones’ approach is the best. To keep it cool as a jazzy skeleton, you need a white shirt, braces, and a trilby. Then it’s time to get crafty! Grab some black pants/slacks and a black t-shirt and draw your skeleton on with fabric pens or some stick-on white vinyl. Don’t forget the face paint to give someone an extra scare!
Puppet Show
Nothing is creepier than a ventriloquist’s dummy that comes to life. Make people jump by bringing a living doll to the party! One person needs to dress as the puppet master with a bow tie, white shirt, and suspenders, and the other comes dressed as a Victorian doll. Want to make it even creepier? Bring along a real vintage doll with some gory fake blood.Interview With A Vampire
There’s no Halloween costume as classic as a vampire. Pale face, fangs, cloak, no reflection… If you add some fake blood and bring along a victim, people will be scared to stand next to you at the party. You better get practicing your evil laugh!
Night Of The Living Dead
TV programmes such as The Walking Dead and The Santa Clarita Diet have made Zombies a popular choice for Halloween. Be different by dressing up as a zombie apocalypse survivor. To be a successful survivor, you’ll need some fake blood, dirty clothes, some sturdy boots for coping in any terrain and, most importantly, a bug out bag.Witching Hour
Whether you want to be a classic witch dressed in black or love the coloured costumes from the movie Hocus Pocus, Goodwill is a great place to find long, dramatic dresses. While you’re there, why not pick up an old book to upcycle into a spellbook and, of course, the iconic witch’s hat!It’s A Pirate’s Life For Me
Transform quickly into a pirate matey with one visit to your local Goodwill. Look for white shirts, waistcoats and long boots. Adding scarves, belts, swords and maybe even an eye patch will complete the look. We’ll give bonus points if you can find some skull and crossbones accessories! Arrrr!Find more inspiration for your Halloween Goodwill costume shopping in our Halloween Look Book, available to download and in all our stores. Share your costumes using the hashtag #GoodwillHalloween.