Goodwill Industries Week

Help us celebrate Goodwill Industries Week every day

Starting on the first Sunday of every May, Goodwill Industries International marks Goodwill Industries Week, a time for local Goodwills to celebrate their successes and educate their communities about their mission—helping people with disabilities and disadvantages find good work.

Each year, Goodwill Industries International honors its:

* Graduate of the Year -- an outstanding person with a disability or disadvantaging condition who has completed a Goodwill career services program and is employed in the community.

* Achiever of the Year --  an outstanding person with a disability or disadvantaging condition who has shown great progress in overcoming barriers to employment, but still benefits from the Goodwill work environment or receives services to support his or her work.

Check out a slide show of this year's nominees:

2008 Graduate of the Year: Darryl (Astoria, NY)

When Darryl was let go from his job after 14 years, he wasted little time in looking for new work. But, after exhausting his savings and applying for public assistance, Darryl discovered a valuable ally in a progressive program for the blind and visually impaired offered by Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey.  The Goodwill helped Darryl find his dream destination -- a position with  the New York Police Department. He is now poised for long-term employment and a promotion.

"Darryl is a man whose resolve is far more powerful than his disability," said Astoria Goodwill President and CEO Rex Davidson. "We were determined to help him fulfill his dream."

Read more about Darryl's story in the Spring 2008 issue of Working! magazine (PDF).

 2008 Achiever of the Year: Sheryl (San Francisco, CA)

Sheryl has come a long way. A one-time addict of heroin and cocaine, her ephiphany came when she entered the "Sisters" program run by Walden House in the San Francisco Jail. That program referred her to Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties, which gave her a second chance at employment and a clean life. Today, Sheryl is an employment specialist wth the Goodwill, inspring others who face obstacles that she has worked to overcome.

"In my 13 years at Goodwill Industries, I have never seen a harder-working, more dedicated, more dependable or more honest employee," said Sheldon Callum, manager of the Goodwill's As-Is store.

Read more about Sheryl's story in the Spring 2008 issue of Working! magazine (PDF).