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

August 3, 2020

Hi Everyone –

Walk-in traffic at the Career Center has been light, but we still placed four people in jobs last week and referred another nine to GoodTemps! Job orders for GoodTemps are increasing and so are applicants, which is also great news. Kristin and Lori have been busy working with web designers to redesign the GoodTemps online application process to make it user-friendly and easy to apply. Job applicants won’t need nearly as much help from Amanda K. in filling out the application, and should be able to do it on their own which ultimately means that we will find more people great jobs!

The second wave of HealthWest clients are coming back to work this week, and we welcome their return.  VITA services are still available to those who had appointments before the shutdown, as we work to serve those who proactively sought our assistance. There is promising new work in Workforce Development to develop virtual college preparation programming for referrals from Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS). And finally, we are working hard on the new programming for our new young adult reentry grant through GII called IGNITE.

Retail extends our open hours to 8:00 p.m. today in spite of continued staffing challenges in some of our stores. Thank you to all of you, our retail managers, for making this happen. Every hour open means increased revenue. You also made it possible for Ecommerce to have a best every month! Congrats to Ecommerce for bettering their budget for July by more than $10,000! As the world continues to shift toward online shopping, Ecommerce becomes more and more important to our retail business as a whole.

Kristin sent a reminder last week about the seriousness of working our safety protocols, not only for the safety of ourselves and one another (which is the only really important thing), but because violation can result in fines up to $7,000. If you see any protocol not being followed, say something! To your coworker, your supervisor, and to Human Resources – make sure we know so that we can help keep everyone safe. Masks need to be worn over your mouth AND nose, shields need to be worn across the forehead so that they cover your mouth sufficiently, masks need to be removed and adjusted by the straps, and hand sanitizer needs to be used before you put on a mask. Cleaning protocols and wellness checks are critical to our success. We have yet to have a staff member contract the virus at work and we want to keep it that way! Now is the time to increase your commitment to safety in every moment and not to let down your guard.

And finally, if you haven’t had a chance to watch the funeral held last week for John Lewis, take some time to do so. I hope it will break your heart to witness and understand the loss this country has sustained as a result of his passing. I hope it will also inspire you to do everything in your power to protect our democracy. In his eulogy to Mr. Lewis, President Obama reminded us that “It is in our power to remake this country that we love until it more closely aligns with our highest ideals.” He was referring to all of us – regular, everyday American citizens, in whom John Lewis believed “there exists the capacity for great courage; that in all of us there is a longing to do what’s right.” Whether we are talking about the challenges in front of us related to a terrifying pandemic, or about the fight for Black Americans to receive equal treatment, we can be encouraged by Mr. Lewis’s example of perseverance and his belief in the best of who we are.

My best to all of you –

Jeanette