Helping people prepare for, find, and keep good jobs is what Goodwill is about.

Hello Everyone –

There is a COVID-19 surge here in Michigan. The new variant, B.1.1.7, is 50-70% more contagious than previous strains and Michigan has one of the highest rates of this strain. It is more easily transmitted by children, and the people sick in this surge are much younger than previously. The good news is that all three vaccines are effective against this strain, so I urge you to get a vaccine. We also know that correct mask usage, washing hands frequently, and keeping your distance WORKS. Because of the surge, we are delaying our return-to-work date to June 1. It will be a little longer before we are all together in person again, but we know how to get there so let’s all do our part – get a vaccine, practice safety precautions – we can do this!

I want to honor the work of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and to give you a preview of what is to come. Over the last couple of years, we have put in place some foundational components of this work that we did not have before:

1.    Mission, vision, values – we went through a robust process to rewrite and reimagine our purpose and intent and worked hard to include within our vision, the mandate that we address barriers that include systemic issues like racism, discrimination, generational poverty, and other social inequities and social injustices.

2.    DEI objectives are now part of the strategic plan – we have annual goals that we are holding ourselves accountable to.

3.    Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – we have identified data points that will help us know whether or not we are making progress.

4.    A comprehensive DEI statement – one that not only outlines what we believe and who we will continually strive to be, but one that gives us descriptions of actions that offer both a roadmap and a measuring tool for our efforts.

These four components give us the foundation from which to move forward. Other steps we have enacted, include:

·       The approval of MLK Day as a paid holiday.

·       Restroom signs being non-gendered when they are single stalls.

·       Support of and participation in DEI related community events.

·       The addition of awareness opportunities each month in our corporate calendar.

·       The use of diverse interview hiring teams.

·       The addition of DEI questions in interviews to help applicants know who we are and what we value to ensure that they are a good fit for our culture.

·       Specific training for various team members.

·       Participation in external DEI teams – GII, Talent 2025, West Michigan Sustainability Forum, and Muskegon Rotary.

·       Expanded coverage in our benefits package for mental health, substance abuse, transgender, and gender specific needs.

The foundation has been set, and this year we will be establishing ongoing training for all team members, with opportunities for continued conversations. Additionally, we will implement an annual staff “temperature” survey with communication of our results and any attending actions that we take. Part of training will include an official introduction to the DEI Statement which you can find easily on our website.

We are in an interesting space where for some of us, this feels like a lot of change in a short period of time. Usually people who feel this way are white, as they may be having uncomfortable conversations about race and other diversity issues for the first time. At the same time, there are also people who feel that we are not moving fast enough or that we have made no progress at all. Most often these are people of color, for whom all the things I mentioned make very little impact on the reality of their lives now. The feeling that there has been a lot of change and the feeling that there has been none or very little are both real and can exist at the same time. It is within this challenging context that we will continue our movement toward the goal that everyone feels a sense of belonging. One notable example of how we have done this is in the difference between how we used to engage with our clients returning from prison and jail and how we do so now, including a marked increase in hiring.

We have had some great things happen since my last update at the same time that we struggle with staffing issues in nearly all areas. While there are 36 positions open, it is still amazing what we can do!

·       Retail hit more than $15,000 in RoundUp in March! This is an all-time record. Excellent work!

·       Industrial Services has a new piece of equipment called a granulator that will recycle plastic trays that currently end up in landfill. Marsha Bailey, Amy Cumings, and Chad Kuipers all had intensive training on using the machine from Padnos.  This will provide work opportunities for our Ignite program participants.

·       We have our first graduate of the Ignite program, Dionte, who has done an amazing job learning to drive our new stand-up fork truck, among other things. Congratulations!

·       SpartanNash Earth Week is April 23-25. Bring in a donation for Goodwill to any SpartanNash location and get a $10 off a $25 purchase.  It’s a great partnership and a great deal!

·       VITA will wrap up on May 17. Carl Lewis and his team are working hard to get as many returns done as they possibly can.

·       Project Overcome is the new name for the interview tutorial opportunity using virtual reality with people returning from prison or jail. We are looking for opportunities to test it out, so if you have ideas, contact Dina Butler.

·       We have several new staff members and also some internal promotions: Terri Edwards is our new District Manager in retail, and Katti Brooks will be taking on an additional role in retail training. Congratulations to both of them! LaTonya Burks began as our new Career Coach.  Our new janitorial supervisor is Adam Bell. We welcome them both!

·       E-commerce began training with Upright Labs, a contract partner that will help us to increase efficiency and sales.

·       The new Electronics Room is off to a great start, bringing in $1,200-$1,500 per week! We are also grateful for the load of computers that came in from Whitehall Schools.

Take good care of yourselves!

Jeanette