Goodwill has been in business for 113 years, and was the brainchild of Rev. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister and an early social innovator. Helm’s philosophy was simple; collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of the city, then hire and train the underserved to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were then resold or were given to the people who repaired them. The system worked, and the Goodwill philosophy of “a hand up, not a hand out,” was born (“Our History,” n.d.). Fast-forward to present day, and the vision of Rev. Helm’s is alive and well. My time at Goodwill Columbus (Ohio) was spent working as a clothes sorter in their warehouse, but the banners hanging from the ceiling rafters spoke volumes
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This is a proactive commitment on the part of Goodwill, which strengthens their presence in the community, as well as extend their outreach to the most underserved. For most of the workers at the warehouse with criminal backgrounds, this is one of the few opportunities available to them to earn a living, and the work experience can be used as a stepping-stone to other employment opportunities. Coincidentally, my service project experience was similar to Barbara Ehrenreich experiment, chronicled in her book, Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America. The individuals I worked with were low-wage earners, making minimum wage, and some had 2 jobs. The work, although not physically taxing, was tiresome and monotonous, and to quote an old saying, “even a monkey could do it,” would not be a stretch. We had to stand all day (7½ hrs.) on a rubber floor pad (not much relief), and suffice to say, it was murder on my feet and back. They would not even allow workers to sit on a stool to sort the clothes, and banned the use of ear bugs for …show more content…
Each local Goodwill is accredited, goes through a membership application process, and must meet certain criteria established by Goodwill Industries International (GII). The GII Member Services center, located in Rockville, MD, offers local Goodwills a number of benefits to enhance their programs and services, and grow their Goodwills (“Our Structure,” n.d.). Goodwill provides many importance services that are critical to their mission. Some of the services Goodwill provides include; job assistance, training programs, disability services, veteran and military family assistance, career advancement, elderly assistance, childcare, and help with earning credentials (i.e., high school diploma, GED, industry certification, or a college degree). Goodwill offers online learning through their resource centers GoodProspects, and GCFLearnFree.org programs. The GCFLearnFree.org program offers over 750 free, self-paced lessons (“Jobs & Services,”
This is a proactive commitment on the part of Goodwill, which strengthens their presence in the community, as well as extend their outreach to the most underserved. For most of the workers at the warehouse with criminal backgrounds, this is one of the few opportunities available to them to earn a living, and the work experience can be used as a stepping-stone to other employment opportunities. Coincidentally, my service project experience was similar to Barbara Ehrenreich experiment, chronicled in her book, Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America. The individuals I worked with were low-wage earners, making minimum wage, and some had 2 jobs. The work, although not physically taxing, was tiresome and monotonous, and to quote an old saying, “even a monkey could do it,” would not be a stretch. We had to stand all day (7½ hrs.) on a rubber floor pad (not much relief), and suffice to say, it was murder on my feet and back. They would not even allow workers to sit on a stool to sort the clothes, and banned the use of ear bugs for …show more content…
Each local Goodwill is accredited, goes through a membership application process, and must meet certain criteria established by Goodwill Industries International (GII). The GII Member Services center, located in Rockville, MD, offers local Goodwills a number of benefits to enhance their programs and services, and grow their Goodwills (“Our Structure,” n.d.). Goodwill provides many importance services that are critical to their mission. Some of the services Goodwill provides include; job assistance, training programs, disability services, veteran and military family assistance, career advancement, elderly assistance, childcare, and help with earning credentials (i.e., high school diploma, GED, industry certification, or a college degree). Goodwill offers online learning through their resource centers GoodProspects, and GCFLearnFree.org programs. The GCFLearnFree.org program offers over 750 free, self-paced lessons (“Jobs & Services,”