Goodwill Industries of New Mexico is the recipient of a $50,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program whose mission is to create opportunities so people can live better. The grant was presented to Goodwill Industries of New Mexico to acknowledge and support their new Call Center Training program. Goodwill’s Call Center Training Program is a training course specially designed to prepare individuals for the role of a call center customer service associate. There are more than 40 call centers in the Albuquerque Metro area alone with approximately 12,000 job openings available. Goodwill Industries of New Mexico, whose mission is “to provide skills training, job development, and social services to New Mexicans”, saw the need and opportunity to provide specialized training in the call center field. The resulting program, which held its first training class in July of 2016, also provides participants the opportunity to meet face-to-face with Call Center Human Resource representatives looking for employees with skilled training. And like all Goodwill services, the Call Center Training Program is provided free of charge to New Mexicans. This grant will help hundreds of New Mexicans in gaining long-term, sustainable and well-paying jobs in New Mexico’s expansive Call Center industry. All of us at GINM feel fortunate, beyond all measure, for Walmart’s support.
1 Comment
Goodwill Industries of New Mexico is proud to announce the completion of our new Goodwill GoodThreads store and Call Center Training location in west Albuquerque, NM near the intersection of Alameda and Ellison Road. GoodThreads is different from every other Goodwill location. The contemporary urban atmosphere offers racks and racks of designer merchandise, jewelry, accessories, and shoes. Shoppers will find hand-selected merchandise marked at amazing prices.
Beyond an amazing clothing selection, this facility also features an advanced learning center for our Call Center Training Program. Goodwill’s Call Center Training Program is a free training course specially designed to prepare individuals for the role of a call center customer service associate. Ready for a totally new Goodwill experience? Then come and shop the new Goodwill GoodThreads store at 3401 NM528, Albuquerque, NM 87114 Happy 75th Anniversary! Goodwill Has Changed The Lives Of Over 100,000 New Mexicans Since 1941.8/3/2016 Goodwill Industries of New Mexico is celebrating our 75th year as a non-profit service provider in New Mexico. In 1941, Goodwill began with a single donation center, retail store, and program center. Today Goodwill has 15 stores and donation centers and offers ten free programs and services reaching every county in the state. Through our free programs and services, Goodwill has changed the lives of over 100,000 New Mexicans since 1941. In 2015 alone we served 14,912 individuals and placed 1,133 individuals into community based employment.
Few organizations can claim this level of longevity and impact on the community. What has made this achievement possible? Mary Best, President of Goodwill Industries of New Mexico, will tell you very simply, “the public’s generous donations have made our success possible.” To appreciate the magnitude of Goodwill’s contribution to New Mexican’s, it is important to know that 88 cents of every dollar generated by the sale of donated items are used to fund their free programs and services. These programs and services include skills training and job placement, homeless veterans’ reintegration, veteran family services, and even assisting brain injury patients with navigating the life challenges they face. “We are thankful for each and every person who chooses to donate. The irony is that many people will never realize the incredible consequence of their donation.”, states Shauna O’Cleireachain, CAO, “Our 75-year celebration is as much about the lives we have touched in New Mexico as it is about what New Mexican’s have done for us.” For more information about Goodwill and its programs and services in New Mexico, visit our "Who We Help" page. The weather is perfect. The kids are out of school. Everyone is feeling the spirit of summertime! You can celebrate with an amazing BBQ and spend less than you ever imagined! We started a Pinterest board with some cute ideas and are sharing a few tips of our own to help you save some cash on your BBQ blast. Invites: Think social media! Utilize your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and text messaging apps to send a simple invite. We believe modern rules are more relaxed where invitations are concerned so let technology work for you and save your money! Decorations: You local Goodwill store is a great place to start when looking for inexpensive decorations! Pick a color theme like red, white and blue and go shopping. You can find tablecloths, fabrics, and bandanas priced as low as $1.99. Check the housewares section for mason jars, jugs, galvanized ice buckets and large plastic containers. Finally, get the kids involved by allowing them to string together colorful paper cut-outs to hang throughout the yard. Food: The menu doesn’t have to break your bank. Think pot-luck! Plan an easy menu with hamburgers, hot dogs or brats. Skip expensive sodas and make lemonade, fruit punch, or infused water! Then ask your guests to bring one side dish! It might help to “suggest” side dishes, so you have an idea of what is coming. By the time everyone arrives you’ll have an amazing spread! We found these images and the great ideas behind them on Pinterest!
Did you know that there are over 12,000 positions at over 38 call centers right here in the Albuquerque area? At any given time, thousands of those positions can be open and employers are eager to meet qualified candidates. Are you ready for a new career? Would you like to be prepared to get the job you really want? Then our newest free community program might be perfect for you! The Call Center Training Program is a free, 3-week training course designed to prepare individuals for an exciting new job as a call center customer service associate. Individuals will receive specially designed training in personal, professional and technical skills to prepare them for a position with a local call center. Training sessions will be held Monday-Friday from 9:00am – 4:00pm at our Goodwill Training Center located at 1021 Venada Plaza Dr in Bernalillo. This first session begins on July 11, 2016. Interested? In-person registration for the first 3-week session will be held on June 27 and 28 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm at the Goodwill Training Center. You can also apply online right now at http://www.goodwillnm.org/call-center-training-program.html or call 505-881-6030 for more information. Spring shopping is the best! If you choose wisely, every piece you buy now can transition into your summer wardrobe. We like the concept of mixing and matching timeless foundation pieces with whimsical accessories to pull off an amazing look for less! When looking for "foundation pieces" choose simple, classic styles, and avoid heavy patterns. In this example, we have paired a traditional white tank top with a very versatile cotton skirt. All the items pictured were found this week at the Goodwill Store on San Mateo. You can put together this entire outfit for under $30! Did you know we have 3 free programs dedicated to helping Veterans as well as their family members? Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program This free program focuses on placing homeless veterans into long-term employment, as well as provides social services. Within the program, Veterans will receive:
Supportive Services for Veteran Families This service helps stabilize housing for very-low income veterans and their families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Veterans will receive help with:
Veteran Family Services Provides employment, job training and comprehensive case management to veterans and their family members. Free services include:
Would one of these programs help you or someone you know? Get started! Apply here Brides-to-be need to save this date! Goodwill is hosting a four-day “Bridal Extravaganza" on April 29th, 30th and May 1st, 2nd at our San Mateo store. Store hours are Monday - Saturday 9 AM - 8 PM and Sunday 10 AM - 7 PM. Store address is 5000 San Mateo Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109. We encourage shoppers to come early as this is first come first sold. Keep in mind that all sales are final. Find the dress of your dreams for less than you ever imagined! More than 100 new wedding dresses, bridesmaid and prom dresses will sell at only $39.99! Some dresses will be priced even lower! You will have an opportunity to try these dresses on so come prepared. Here are a few tips for trying on gowns: Your Makeup Do not wear make-up when trying on wedding gowns. There is nothing worse than finding the “one” only to notice the neckline covered with someone else’s foundation. Your Bra If you already have the bra that you plan to wear on your wedding day bring it! If not, wear a style similar to what you are considering and also bring a strapless style. You will want to know what your dress looks like without seeing unsightly bra straps. Your Underwear Again, if you already have these chosen for your big day then wear them. Otherwise, your best bet is to wear a neutral shade. Your Shapewear Spanx, girdle, shapewear…whatever you call it. Bring it! You can’t be sure what styles you will be trying on, so it’s better to prepare totally for shape skimming styles! Your Extras You may want a few other handy accessories with you. May we suggest a bottle of water, ponytail holder and a pair of shoes that are a similar height to what you plan on wearing on the big day. Here are some of the designer labels you will find:
You can donate almost anything to Goodwill! You can donate stuff, money, recycling, computers and other e-waste. However, before you make your next donation, please scan the list of items we are unable to accept. Among those items that should not be donated are: televisions, household chemicals, building material and other broken or unusable items. This information is important because we rely 100% on your donations to fund the free programs and services we offer to thousands of New Mexicans, New Mexico Veterans and their families. By communicating which items we are not able to accept we can avoid hazardous situations and additional costs associated with waste management. Let’s take a look at what you can donate… Stuff - "stuff" consists of the random collection of toys, clothing, shoes, accessories, knick-knacks, old tennis rackets, ab-blasters, books, furniture and unwanted items that are creating a small hoard in your home. Money - This type of donation is convenient and now even easier with our new online donation tool. Many people find that a one-time or a recurring monetary donation is the most efficient way to express their support of Goodwill's mission. Recycling - Often overlooked is donating your recycling. This action is a home-run for "Intentional Living". Not only are you advocating for the environment but also making a valuable contribution to the mission of Goodwill. Recycling items could include cardboard, paper, metals, and unusable clothing or textiles. Computers and E-Waste - Goodwill Industries of New Mexico has partnered with Dell through the Dell Reconnect program. Dell Reconnect is a free recycling program where consumers can responsibly recycle all brands of unwanted computers, other computer equipment, print cartridges, and phones in any condition. Remember, all donations made online, at a donation location or from a home pick-up are tax-deductible, and you will receive a donation receipt. With winter nearing an end, millions of Americans are gearing up for the annual de-hibernation ritual known as spring cleaning. This year, Goodwill Industries of New Mexico is encouraging everyone to think of the spring-cleaning season as both a time to offer a fresh start for your closets, and to help give individuals seeking employment their fresh start. By donating clothing and households goods to Goodwill®, you can ensure your spring cleaning refuse gets diverted from landfills and helps to fund job training and placement programs for individuals right here in New Mexico. So you’re ready for spring cleaning but where do you start! We are offering seven places to start your search for items that just have to go! 1. Closet Clutter – Every closet in your home holds items no longer used, totally forgotten about or maybe even broken. It’s all good to donate to Goodwill because we recycle unusable items. 2. Kitchen Clean Up – Gather old appliances, used plastic containers, unused utensil, plates, cups and the dusty juicer, and you’ve just made space in the most important room in the house. 3. Holiday Hoarding – Here’s a place we all neglect. If you haven’t used it to decorate for more than two years, let it go. Hint: strings of broken Christmas lights are great for recycling! 4. Extra Electronics – Remember that old Blackberry from 2006? Yes, we had one too, but seriously, you aren’t going to use it again. We love to recycle old electronics. 5. Too Many Toys – Assuming you’re a parent, we probably don’t need to explain the benefit of tossing out unused toys. Think on the bright side; you will make room for more toys! 6. Media Download – Often overlooked is the media library. Do you have old tapes, a set of motivational DVDs or Workout Mania videos? Rejoice and download all of these into your donation box. 7. Bookshelf Blowout – Is your collection of reading material bursting at the seams? If you have never read it or read it 20 times, perhaps it would be ok to donate it to someone else who appreciates literature or has more shelf space. Locate the attended donation center closest to you. And remember, all donations are tax deductible. Donation receipts provided to all donors. Curious about the value of your donation? Calculate the value of your spring cleaning donation
It was December 31, one of the busiest days for Goodwill as individuals bring their donations to secure their final tax deductions for the year. It was a cold, yet clear, beautiful day in New Mexico and traffic to our Coors location was bustling, and getting busier as it came closer to closing time. The community, as always had been generous in donating to support our mission, and we had some fairly large donations made during the day that is what I was expecting from the large SUV pulling up. Dad was driving, Mom riding shotgun and two young boys in car seats in the back seat. As they slowly pulled forward to make their donation, I approached the passenger door and greeted the mom, “Hello, thank you for stopping by Goodwill today, are you making a donation?” She replied, “we donate all the time here, today my son wants to talk to you,” she then opened the back door and there standing up from his car seat, was a young man who appeared to be about four years old. He greeted me with an outstretched arm holding a 1 ½ high rubber dinosaur this by the tail between his thumb and index finger. I said, “That is very cool young man” and he said, “I want to donate it, so another little boy has something to play with, this is my favorite…” As I looked at him in awe, with a quick glance over at his mom as well, I said “buddy, that is the number one best donation we have received all day, and I cannot thank you enough for caring about others as you do. And mom and dad, thank you both for not only driving him over here but for inspiring and encouraging him to share and care about others.” They both said “you’re welcome,” got secured in their seats and we waved at each other as they drove away, knowing they would be returning. I stepped back from the vehicle and told everyone what had just happened. This little dinosaur just spoke volumes, and everyone at Goodwill is grateful to this young man for his heartfelt donation. John Lea served our country in the United States Army. He was unemployed, struggling with the loss of his mother, and living in her home until it foreclosed when he came into Goodwill. John has excellent experience in customer service and classifies himself as a people person. While participating in HVRP John took training in Resume Building, Interview Skills, Job Retention, Financial Management, and participated in Job Club. John maintained excellent communication with his Case Manager and followed through with job leads, service referrals, and verbalized any concerns he had. He took the opportunity to be part of TrialWorks Retail where John received advanced retraining on customer service skills. John did an excellent job in this training program and completed it successfully. During his participation in TrialWorks, John attended a hiring event at Goodwill Corporate Office held by Lowe's Contact Center. A preliminary interview was conducted and shortly after, an official interview. John received good news and was offered full-time employment with Lowe's Contact Center. His next goal is to obtain housing. With as much success as John has had in the past few months, there is no doubt that he will accomplish this goal very soon! The end of the year is approaching and it’s a perfect opportunity for you to make a last-minute donation. Because Goodwill Industries of New Mexico is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit your kind and generous donations are tax-deductible. It is recommended that you consult your CPA or tax preparer to find out just how much you can benefit.
Not only is your donation a personal tax deduction but it also helps many other New Mexicans. Profits from the sale of your donation fund free programs for New Mexicans in search of employment or skills training and those in need of specialized social services. Goodwill Industries of New Mexico spends 92 cents of every dollar made towards these programs that that include helping low income seniors age 55+, homeless or near homeless veterans, those with brain injuries, those needing to brush up on their employment basics or just about any New Mexican seeking employment. What can you donate? Goodwill is happy to accept donations of clothing, furniture, housewares, electronics, books, toys, and jewelry. We’ll also gladly accept vehicle and monetary donations. Ready to donate? Find the donation location nearest you here Christmas is approaching fast, and you want to make a good impression at your gathering, whether it’s enormous, or more intimate, in scale. From ready-made decorations to pieces awaiting your personal creative touch, Goodwill has the budget-friendly supplies you’ll need to make your shindig a memorable one.
Achieve stunning table settings, place settings, and other decorative touches for the home by mixing and matching the right items to suit your style. Need some creative decorating ideas? Find some inspiration on our Thrifty Christmas DIY board on Pinterest. Need some platters, trays, and other dishes to complete the perfect presentation? Goodwill has those, too. No matter your style, budget, or square footage, Goodwill stores have something to meet your holiday decorating needs. At this time of year, cheer and good will towards man are talked about frequently. Proceeds from your purchases allow Goodwill to provide skills training, job development and social services to fellow New Mexicans. 'Tis the season to help yourself and others by shopping or making an end of year donation at the Goodwill nearest you! David Harvey is a Veteran, a man who has protected his country by serving in the US Marines. Sadly, like many Veterans, upon his return to civilian life, David has struggled with employment and homelessness for over six years. David came to Goodwill Industries of New Mexico and started life all over again. Through the Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP), David was able to secure housing with the Veterans Integration Center and is now a community oriented resident often helping others in the same situation. He met with his Case Manager on a regular basis and through HVRP, received training and job retention skills. He was referred by his Case Manager to various community resources to support his goals. In Working with his Case Manager, he developed an updated resume, along with a master application that was easy to adapt to different jobs, an important tool to have in your job search “tool bag”. David followed his job leads diligently and with enthusiasm while searching continued his training in the classroom, applying what he learned from experience with his classroom knowledge, he learned to stay positive and strengthen his skills from the inside out. After his initial class with HVRP, he was interested in obtaining, even more, resume and job readiness skills, so David participated in Goodwill’s TrialWorks Warehouse training program and continued his regular meetings with his Case Manager. Due to his hard work and “stick to it” attitude, David has since gotten a job with Mister Carwash and does community service with the Veterans Integration Center. Looking for a job is tough. Time spent scouring newspapers, job posting sites, and going door-to-door in neighborhood shopping and business centers is tiring and frustrating. That’s why Goodwill Industries of New Mexico is partnering with a new initiative in Albuquerque called TalentABQ. Helping New Mexicans find jobs have long been part of Goodwill’s mission, and this partnership with Innovate+Educate, the City of Albuquerque, the Department of Workforce Solutions, Central New Mexico Community College, and Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry, makes it easier to do that. TalentABQ helps match employers with job seekers based on skills, and has 29 Skill Up Centers throughout Albuquerque where job seekers can electronically assess their abilities through the WorkKeys® program, and access KeyTrain® to improve workplace skills. Goodwill is proud to be one of these Skill Up Centers. KeyTrain® is a free series of online courses job seekers can do at their pace to enhance skills employers want and practice for the WorkKeys® assessments. The skill score shows employers a job seeker’s ability to do a job, instead of basing hiring decisions solely on experience and education. Upon completing the three most common WorkKeys® assessments can earn you a National Career Readiness Certificate, recognized by employers in more than 40 states. To get started, sign up for TalentABQ. Updated Spring 2015 Goodwill® has a more than 110 year-plus track record in providing services that meet critical human needs in local communities in the U.S., Canada, and 14 other countries. Goodwill is a leading social services enterprise, and consistently ranks among top charities that make your donations go further. Because we are widely known and respected as a network of nonprofits that fund job training and employment services through the sales of donated items in Goodwill stores, we sometimes stand in the line of fire from individuals and organizations who are misinformed and/or misrepresent us to the public. This negative rumor mill continually resurfaces in the form of a now seven-year-old email that includes a variation of a message like this: “Think about these before you donate. As you open your pockets to do a good thing and make yourself feel good, please keep these facts in mind…” The message then quotes erroneous information and salary figures for several nonprofit organizations’ chief executives, including a reference to a so-called “Goodwill CEO and OwnerMark Curran, who profits $2.3 million a year.” Jim Gibbons is the CEO of Goodwill Industries International. Learn more about him. Goodwill Industries International earns $5 billion revenue per year, and we spend about 83 cents of every dollar on programs and services for people in need. This is a very healthy number in the nonprofit world, and a solid indicator of our commitment to good stewardship of your donations. Read personal stories of some of the people whose lives have been transformed through Goodwill programs. Goodwill definitely encourages you to “think before you donate” — the one legitimate message that this otherwise spurious email contains — and to research and learn more about the charities you’d like to support. Be certain the organization you choose uses its revenue for charitable purposes that support a mission you can get behind. Review our audited financial information and IRS 990 form on our website. You may also access information about Goodwill Industries International on GuideStar, an online nonprofit database that has certified Goodwill with the GuideStar Exchange Seal for our commitment to transparency. Thanks for your support, and feel free to share this message with your contacts!
|
Archives
September 2023
|