Goodwill News: September 2021

Summer can be a more leisurely season but we didn’t slow down so wanted to share Goodwill Amity happenings since our June newsletter.

15th Annual Power of Work Awards

Virtual event: Tuesday, October 26, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

We hope you will join us at this year’s celebration of job seekers, leading employers, and the power of work to change lives and strengthen communities. It is sure to be inspiring as we recognize individuals who have overcome adversity to achieve their goals, and outstanding businesses who championed meaningful work for people who are marginalized or face barriers to employment.
Thanks to RBC for returning as our Presenting Sponsor!

Women out of Work Study Reveals the Pandemic Impacts

Goodwill Amity collaborated with the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce on their Women out of Work: Assessing Hamilton’s Employment Disparities During COVID-19 study, released in August. While the findings were not surprising, they provide critical insights and provide actionable recommendations.

Watch our own Andrea Peters, Employment Services Manager, discussing steps towards a fair and equitable recovery at the event.

Community Cultures Host Kimberly Calderbank Profiles Goodwill

On Monday, September 13 YourTV Halton’s Community Cultures program, hosted by Kimberly Calderbank, aired a 30 minute story on Goodwill Amity! The story brings to life the ways Goodwill Amity helps people enter or re-enter the workforce, helps employers find their teams, supports skill development and job readiness, and highlights the role our stores play not only in providing workplace training but in enabling our communities to save the environment through reuse and recycling – with all proceeds reinvested in our local social service delivery.

We Earned CARF Accreditation!

In July we learned that we had received our CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) certification. Similar to the ISO certifications for private enterprise, CARF accreditation is official third-party affirmation that our organization is guided by internationally recognized service standards and best practices.

Mission Moment

Warren Noel (not his real name) was referred to Goodwill by Support House, a housing resource and one of Goodwill’s community partners in Halton. Warren faced a number of barriers to finding and keeping employment. He disclosed that he was a homeless young trans man, living temporarily on a friend’s couch, with no family supports, and with several mental health disabilities such as severe anxiety, depression, and trauma. COVID had exacerbated his sense of isolation in the past year and a half.

In Goodwill’s Pathways to Employment program, which serves youth with disabilities, Warren gained confidence, learned and practiced job search skills, and attained coping strategies to manage his work-related anxieties. As a result of Goodwill’s support and Warren’s efforts he landed a job and is on his way to sustained and meaningful employment.

A Special 35 Year Anniversary

John Wass is our Warehouse Associate, started as a client with Goodwill 38 years ago and has been on staff for 3 ½ decades. He even met his wife – who also began as a client of Goodwill – at a Goodwill Valentine’s social event! In his spare time he has medalled countless times in the Special Olympics. We had a small, socially distanced gathering to extend our appreciation and congratulations to John on attaining this milestone.

How You Can Make an Impact

Our work is made possible through the support of our funders and supporters. As the Women out of Work study and the Mission Moment make clear, though, there is more to do. We know that the labour market disruptions caused by COVID will require more skill training so displaced workers can make career transitions, more supports for marginalized job seekers who risk being overlooked in a tightening job market, the need for more wrap-around services from food and child care to language and transportation for those who have been out of the workforce for some time.

If you would like to contribute to helping neighbours in need get back on their feet, please consider donating.

Through and beyond the pandemic, we will continue to do everything we can to support individuals in finding meaningful work. We are grateful for your friendship in those efforts.