Goodwill® is celebrating Goodwill Week. For 115 years, Goodwill Industries International, Inc.  has worked in communities to help people get back to work and support their families.
 
Goodwill is an organization that everyone knows, but few really understand.  Thrift stores and donation centers are what most people associate with Goodwill, but they may not know that they help to fund the mission to provide job training and placement services to help individuals gain employment.
 
For more than 50 years, Goodwill Southeast Georgia has helped anyone overcoming barriers to employment — including youth, older job seekers, veterans and military families, immigrants, and individuals with disabilities or other specialized needs.
 
“At Goodwill here in Southeast Georgia, we train individuals for jobs because we believe every individual should be given the opportunity to achieve their highest level of self-sufficiency.”  states Michael Winckler, president and CEO.   “One of the most impactful ways we’ve have found to do that is through helping individuals develop the soft skills that have become increasingly elusive.  Things like attending work each day, dressing appropriately, dealing with challenging situations and knowing how to properly interact with bosses, fellow employees and customers level the playing field for anybody in the workforce.   Soft skills are the great equalizer.  So, if someone is at a disadvantage, arming them with soft skills can become a game changer.”
 
In 2016, Goodwill Southeast Georgia served more than 6,906 individuals, assisting more than 1,200 to secure employment in our local communities.  Additionally, the non-profit mentored a total of 4,426 hours through their GoodGuides Youth Program and diverted over 15 million pounds from landfills.
“It is with the generous support of the community that we are able to support all of our work.  We invite people across Southeast Georgia to celebrate Goodwill Week and make a difference in their local community.” said Winckler.

A variety of special events will be held during the week.   All 17 local retail locations will host daily a scavenger hunt where shoppers have a chance to win a $10 gift card twice a day.

Each of the five Goodwill Job Connections will host a region-wide Job Fair Extravaganza from 10 am to 1 pm on Wednesday, May 10 , at the following locations:

Savannah:          Moses Jackson Advancement Center, 1410-B Richards St., Savannah

Brunswick:         Goodwill Job Connection Center, 249 Village at Glynn Place

Jesup:                Goodwill Job Connection Center, 990 North Macon St., Jesup

Statesboro:        Goodwill Job Connection Center, 24015 Highway 80 East, Statesboro

Waycross:          Goodwill Job Connection Center, 2101 Memorial Dr., Waycross