Our Mission: Committed to serving people with disabilities and disadvantages by offering life-changing opportunities to achieve independence. | | | | |
Happy New Year!
Here's to embracing hope, fresh perspectives, and prosperity in 2025. We are excited about the continued partnerships and new ones we'll forge together. Let's make this year fantastic for everyone in our community!
- Carolyn Johnson, CMO
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As you read our January newsletter, you'll see how Goodwill SWFL has been tirelessly supporting our community. Through our collaboration with community partners and other non-profit agencies, we have delivered essential services that empower individuals and families to thrive. This year, we will continue to expand our initiatives, including engaging legislators in our mission and involving them in discussions to better support their constituents and our community. This commitment is evident in our recent visits to the Lee and Collier Delegation meetings.
It's been an exciting journey, and we invite you to join us in 2025 to spread Goodwill throughout SWFL! For more information on how you can help transform lives, please contact me, Ashley Price, Director of Development, at ashleyprice@goodwillswfl.org.
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CVS/Aetna, Goodr and Goodwill Collaborate
Our Goodwill team joined CVS/Aetna and Goodr, to host two pop-up food distribution events in Southwest Florida. Key service zip codes were identified, and groceries including fresh produce were set up for 300 families at these farmer's market-style events. Goodr and Aetna make these markets so much fun with a live DJ and fun-loving staff with mission in their hearts.
The events were held on Thursday, December 12th and Saturday, Dec 14th, outside Goodwill retail locations in Naples and Lehigh. Goodwill Community Resource Center staff were on site to lend a hand with the preparations and to provide information about Goodwill's programs and services. We saw smiling faces all around. Goodwill is thankful for this collaboration!
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Making Legislative Strides to advance Goodwill's services
In early January, Director of Development Ashley Price and Goodwill SWFL board member Spencer Roach represented our agency and the individuals we serve at the Collier County and Lee County Delegation meetings. They highlighted the essential services Goodwill provides to constituents in Southwest Florida and shared exciting plans for the future progression of our mission programs.
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Breaking Transportation Barriers
Many residents of Immokalee face transportation barriers. To help, our Mobile Community Resource Center (CRC) was out in Immokalee on December 24th serving our Haitian Community at the Nazarene church. During open enrollment, our Community Resource Coordinators assisted with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and continue to help with Medicaid, SNAP, and employment.
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Daisy and Yunier teaching digital skills classes at the Heights Foundation | |
Congratulations! Seal of Approval!
Daisy Barreto and Yunier Lopez, Goodwill SWFL Community Resource Coordinators, have earned the Goodwill® Digital Navigator Specialization Certificate.
Goodwill Industries International and World Education offer this program to help Goodwill resource staff become professional Digital Navigators. Through completing the course, Daisy and Yunier have increased their knowledge of the digital divide and strengthened their relevant navigation skills to guide others toward digital resilience via intentional programming.
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Goodwill: Helping the Community
Mr. Beatson, a Veteran, and his wife Magalie, visited the West Cape CRC requesting help because they lost all their belongings in a recent house fire.
They live with three minor children, and as he said, his wife Magalie, was hospitalized. Since homeowner's insurance does not cover medical expenses, she also needed to apply for Medicaid.
Goodwill of SWFL assisted them with some staple foods and with Goodwill Community Cards to purchase household goods and clothing in our stores.
| | The family was also referred to United Way and linked to other agencies for additional resources and services. | | | |
Goodwill provides Christmas joy to our seniors at Hatton Rogers
For the past several years, Goodwill SWFL has hosted a Christmas party for the seniors who live in our Hatton Rogers Housing Complex. Christmas is a hard time for seniors, especially if they have no family near. We bring Santa, the food and presents all to make the holidays a bit more special for them.
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Celebrating 15 Years
Chris Walker celebrated his 15th anniversary as a Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida employee on January 26th.
Our North Fort Myers Goodwill shoppers know him well. In fact, Chris received a ton of "likes" and comments congratulating him on the Goodwill Facebook post that announced his anniversary.
"Chris is a joy to work with, and he helps get carts out as well as takes hangers to the back. He always has a smile on his face. He is the best." - Tina Wood, North Fort Myers Goodwill Store Manager
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January Notable Anniversaries
Richard Brunetti III, ADC Attendant, 15 years on Jan 19th.
Chris Walker, Sign Waver/Greeter, 15 years on Jan 26th.
Jody Jacoby, Sr. Director of Facilities & Contract Services, 15 years on Jan 26th.
Joseph Barney, Custodial Worker II, 15 years on Jan 22nd.
Amalia Cruz, West Cape Community Resource Coordinator, 10 years on Jan 22nd.
Emmanuel Alejandro Barreto, e-commerce Associate, 5 years on Jan 9th.
Colby Deemer, Donation Door Attendant, 5 years on Jan 9th.
Mike McGarvey, Sr. Director of Operations, 5 years on Jan 30th.
Dayana Morera Ortiz, Retail Processor, 5 years on Jan 30th.
Alexander Moye, Material Handler III Lead, 5 years on Jan 30th
(*Goodwill SWFL recognizes Years of Service every 5 years)
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4th Quarater 2024 Notable Anniversaries
John Collins, Donation Door Attendant, 40 years on Oct. 15th.
Sheryl Stahnke, Port Charlotte Community Resource Coordinator, 25 years on Dec. 15th.
Enas Bendeck, Employment Consultant, 20 years on Dec 6th.
Maryjane Nickerson, Employment Consultant, 20 years on Dec 6th.
Ricardo Ramirez, Retail Processor, 20 years on Nov 19th.
Angela Hemstreet, Director of Employment Services, 15 years on Nov 3rd.
Cheryle Weisend, Island Park Retail Manager, 15 years on Nov. 10th.
Shawn Burger, Donation Driver, 15 years on Dec 15th.
Ebony Edison, Custodial Crew Leader, 15 years on Dec.15th.
Alberta Guyton, Custodial Worker, 15 years on Dec 22nd.
Pam Hebert, Senior Director of HR & Training, 10 years on Oct 29th.
Danny Medina, Donation Door Attendant, 10 years on Nov 6th.
Nancy Zeimet, North Cape Retail Manager, 10 years on Nov 6th.
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New Year, New Career!
Goodwill and the Northwest Regional Library sponsored a Career Fair on Wednesday, January 15th, at the Northwest Regional Library. The well-attended event brought together 25 Business Partners & 241 Jobseekers. We will certainly be collaborating again throughout the year for more job fair events to help the community.
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February MicroEnterprise Classes
Cape Coral - Feb 10th - March 20th, on Mondays and Thursdays, 6pm - 8:30pm at our new West Cape Goodwill, (1499 SW Pine Island Rd, Cape Coral.)
Naples - Feb 24th - April 3rd on Mondays and Thursdays, 5:30pm - 8:00pm at the Collier Library at 2385 Orange Blossom Dr., Naples.
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This six-week small business class assists aspiring entrepreneurs discover if their business idea is feasible (can make money). The students learn directly from industry experts in banking, marketing, legal matters, and more. Once students complete this course they are one step closer to launching their own small business.
Since its inception, the program has graduated 1147 individuals, and assisted in starting/strengthening 660 businesses, giving employment opportunity for additional 55 individuals. To date over 70% are still in operation.
These small business classes are offered to residents of Charlotte (including North Port), Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee counties. For more information about upcoming classes, contact Sandra Plazas at sandraplazas@goodwillswfl.org, or call (239) 995-2106 Ext. 2304.
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Thank you TD Charitable Foundation
Goodwill SWFL is thrilled to announce that we received a financial gift of $6,500 from TD Charitable Foundation to support the MicroEnterprise Institute in Collier and Lee Counties.
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2024 MicroEnterprise Graduation at the
Enterprise Center in Fort Myers.
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The TD Charitable Foundation is the giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 10 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,100 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed over $323 million through donations to local nonprofits from Maine to Florida. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation is available at https://www.tdbank.com/corporate-responsibility/the-ready-commitment/funding-opportunities/. | | | |
PTO's Holiday Celebration
Our Pathways to Opportunity participants enjoyed a wonderful holiday celebration at the Goodwill Opportunity Center, complete with a visit from Santa and presents for everyone.
Thank you to everyone who donated gifts. Your generosity and support made this event truly magical and brought so much joy to everyone involved.
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Thank You, Margaret McCartney & R Parks Williams Charitable Foundation
Pathways to Opportunity received a financial gift of $3,750 from the Margaret McCartney & R. Parks Williams Charitable Foundation to support scholarships for PTO participants.
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Free Ongoing Classes
Citizenship Classes
Join us every Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Goodwill Community Resource Center in Cape Coral for free citizenship classes. We assist with your citizenship application and test preparation. Students must reserve a spot with Keith Edison in advance (text: 508-662-2121). Bring a copy of your application, a notebook, and a pen.
Supportive friends are welcome to come along.
Nutrition Classes
Free Nutrition classes are offered at Goodwill Community Resource Centers in Fort Myers and Bonita Springs. Participants can eat the foods prepared in the class. For more information contact Hilda (Fort Myers) at 239-995-2106 Ext 2228, or Daisy (Bonita Springs) at 239-318-4644.
ACCESS Training
ACCESS Class is offered every Friday at 9:00 AM at the Bonita Springs CRC. Goodwill CRC coordinators are teaching the community how to create a new account in the MyACCESS Portal and do a renewal (or a new application). This is a free service offered by Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida. Contact Daisy or Linda at (239) 318-4644, or stop by the Bonita CRC at 11601 Bonita Beach Road, SE.
Digital Skills Classes
If you want to improve your computer skills, Goodwill provides FREE courses, online and in person, covering basic topics such as typing, using a mouse, email, internet navigation, and more. We also offer advanced software classes, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Office 365. Call (239) 995-2106 Ext. 2226 or Ext. 2228 to locate the nearest Goodwill Community Resource Center and get started today!
| | | Invest in yourself! Goodwill offers employability skills, digital skills, and other free workshops at all Community Resource Centers throughout SWFL. It just takes a commitment from you to take advantage of these free classes that are aimed at helping you take the next step forward! Click HERE to get started. | | | |
Calling all Opportunity Makers! | | Join us in creating a brighter future for someone. Become an Opportunity Maker! To sponsor one of our Community Resource Centers and/or employability workshops, please get in touch with Ashley Price at (239) 995-2106 Ext. 2213 or email AshleyPrice@goodwillswfl.org. | | |
The 3rd Annual Fairways to Opportunity
Tee Off for a Great Cause! Join us for our 3rd Annual Fairways to Opportunity Fundraiser on Sunday, February 16th at Top Golf Fort Myers from 9am to noon!
Grab your friends, family, or coworkers for a fun-filled day of golf, food, and community – all while supporting Pathways to Opportunity!
Get 3 hours of golfing, 2 drink tickets, brunch and some great competition.
It's a fun way to support our PTO participants.
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Allegiant Air Hiring Event in Port Charlotte - Jan 21st
Goodwill is hosting a recruitment event for Allegian Airlines on January 21st from 10am ro 2pm at our Port Charlotte Community Resource Center (CRC). The CRC is located inside of the Kings Highway Goodwill at 24123 Peachland Blvd.
If you want to update your resume prior to the event, contact our coordinators at our Port Charlotte CRC at 941) 255-3884.
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Don't miss our MLK Day Sale! Take 40% off donated goods on Monday, January 20th, at all Goodwill stores in Southwest Florida, including the two blue Boutiques.
*Excludes Goodwill Outlet on Tice
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Mark your calendars for the first 2025 Goodwill Community Appreciation Day Sale. On Saturday, January 25th, take 40% off donated goods at three of our stores:
North Cape - 2040 NE Pine Island Rd., Cape Coral
Challenger - 4950 Challenger Blvd., Fort Myers
Heritage Bay - 8915 Sage Ave, Naples
(Sale is ONLY at the three listed stores on Jan. 25, 2025)
| | Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. l (239) 995-2106 l email l website
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Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. has received a Platinum rating by Candid (formerly GuideStar). https://www.guidestar.org/profile/59-6196141. Our charitable contributions/solicitation registration # is CH1930. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE OF FL. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. PLEASE VISIT www.800helpfla.com FOR OFFICIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. | | | | | | |
