Goodwill News: January 2024

Goodwill On-The-Go!

Hamilton Centre MPP, Sarah Jama, joined us on January 18 to recognize the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their support in helping us purchase our new transit passenger van.

The van has allowed us to transport participants of our Hamilton T.E.A.M. (Transitional Employment and Mentoring) program (serving persons with disabilities), to our Oakville thrift store to gain hands-on experience, marketable skills and prepare for work to increase their chances of securing and retaining employment. It has been a long-standing dream of ours to be able to provide an experiential learning component to our T.E.A.M. participants, and thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s capital grant of $65,000, we have been able to make that a reality!

Thank you for joining us in celebrating the impact this gift is having on our community and the people we serve!

Watch the video for coverage of our event, and to see the impact of the work we do with our T.E.A.M. program!

Our Profiles: Nour’s Story

“I learned that if you put yourself out there, show up, and be committed, you will stand out.”

Nour was the first person in her extended family to go to university, graduating from McMaster just as the pandemic started. She wasn’t sure how to find a job and reached out to Goodwill Amity for help. “I didn’t know where to start, I just knew I wanted to find a job where I could help people.”

Following university, Nour joined Goodwill Amity’s Youth Job Connection program where her commitment and effort stood out over the eight weeks of learning.

Nour went on to secure employment with Goodwill Amity and is currently one of the leaders of our T.E.A.M. program!

Read Nour’s Full Story

Start Your Year Shopping Sustainably!

From now until January 31, get 25% off your entire purchase when you donate to a Goodwill Amity store.

Good at either Goodwill Amity Retail Store
One time use per coupon
Coupon is good through to January 31

Bring your well-loved goods to your closest Goodwill Amity location to pick up your coupon!

It pays to shop sustainably!

Find A Store

RBC Gives Back with Goodwill

“We’ve seen a lot of young people go into our general Employment Services, we’ve seen a lot of people employed, and a lot of them go into skills training programs. So it’s been a very beneficial year.”

RBC’s Future Launch funding is creating more opportunities for us to change lives in our communities! With RBC’s support, we’ve been able to maximize our impact through our outreach team and have made significant strides meeting jobseekers where they are present in the community.

Meet Jenna Nieman, Goodwill Amity’s Outreach Coordinator. Working with fellow organizations, attending community events, and sitting as a member of various committees and councils, Jenna connects and engages with community members who are experiencing barriers to employment.

Meeting jobseekers, specifically youth, where they are in the community has had a significant impact. “People are always receptive to resources, and I think they are happy to see those resources in spaces that they use or frequent,” says Jenna. “The work is important because we are reaching people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to these services, who wouldn’t have the information, and maybe wouldn’t have the confidence to reach out to us.”

Thank you to RBC for investing in our communities and helping us change lives and strengthen communities through the power of work!

Thrift Tips for the New Year!

Keep an eye out for vintage classics

There’s no place like a thrift store to find some great vintage pieces for your wardrobe. If you see a half size, or a “woolmark”, those can indicate you’ve spied a vintage item! Check copyright years and always make sure you read the labels. The font type and address on a label can tell you a lot about the garment!

Play both sides!

Most women wouldn’t browse the men’s rack for a good find, and vice versa. But when thrifting, you should always check both departments! You can find hidden gems on every rack – limit yourself to one side of the store and you risk missing out on great items that could work for you and your style!

Look for slight imperfections

Sometimes an item is classified as “unwearable” by a previous owner when it only needs a slight alteration! Shop within your limits, but pay attention to pieces that need only minor modifications to be good as new, or close to it!