Retail Program Wins National AwardThe Donated Goods Retail Program was recently honored with the Goodwill Industries International Growing the Business Comparable Growth Award at the Goodwill Summer Learning event. The presti-gious award recognizes the organization with the highest growth rate in donated goods revenue over the previous year among the 162 Goodwill organizations in the United States and Canada. This is the first time in Goodwill SWPA’s history that it has received this national award. l

Grand Opening Held for Goodwill Donation Processing CenterGoodwill recently celebrated its efforts to change the landscape of the way individu-als in the community with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are hired and trained. A grand opening of Goodwill’s

Donation Processing Center (DPC) was held on October 3 to introduce this new workforce concept and to recognize Goodwill’s sup-porters, contributors, partners and employees for their role in its success to date.

At the grand opening, visitors learned about Goodwill’s transformation away from a traditional sheltered workshop model that served individuals with the most significant I/DDs to a model that provides an integrated work setting where many populations of people with various employment barriers, including I/DDs, are working together.

Instead of soliciting work from area businesses, Goodwill has hired participants in the Donation Processing Center to sort and process materials donated for sale in its retail

stores. The DPC is initially focusing on book and clothing processing; however, as capac-ity increases, employees may also process housewares and linens.

GoodWORKSFALL 2017 – Volume 36 Number 3

Continued on page 4

Production Associate Darci Landa at work in the Donation Processing Center.

Accepting the International Growing the Business Comparable Growth Award were, left to right, Rose Paris, Regional Director; Andrew Marano, Vice President of Donated Goods Retail; Lisa Davis, Regional Director; and Kevin Akans, Regional Director.

Goodwill Launches Leadership Development ProgramBy Michael J. SmithPresident/CEO

The success of any organization begins with the dedication of the employees who lead day in and day out. Goodwill has always known this core truth and has put this knowl-edge to work by launching the Goodwill Leadership Academy to advance leadership in our employees.

For nearly 100 years, Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania has been dedicated to creating community impact that lasts, fosters change, and enriches lives. Our strategic plan focuses on these goals with an emphasis on our team who works tirelessly to ensure our mission remains front and center into the future. This legacy of excellence starts with providing development opportunities that can advance leadership in our team.

The Goodwill Leadership Academy is designed to teach our employees the impor-tance of leading by example, creating valuable and genuine partnerships, developing leader-ship in others, and expanding beyond their comfort zone to create meaningful change.

The Academy consists of three courses:1. Caring Leader is designed for all super-

visors and focuses on understanding the mission of Goodwill in relation to different aspects of the organization. Participants use that information to connect with staff and

colleagues, thus creating engaged and moti-vated employees.

2. Sustaining Leader is for both existing supervisors and aspiring supervisors. It focuses on seminar style tactics-based learning with one concept covered at each seminar.

3. Strategic Leader is for supervisors seeking a larger leadership role within Goodwill. It focuses on how each piece of the organiza-tion ties together to create a bigger picture of the mission. Leadership theory is discussed, debated and applied.

For our employees, the program is invaluable as they learn how to make the organization stronger by connecting, sharing

and learning together. For instance, Rebekah Fombelle, Service Delivery Manager, shares her experience:“The Caring Leader course gave me the opportunity to meet and connect with people in the company I otherwise would never have met. Months after the training, I reached out to another super-visor who attended the same

training to ask questions and get input. Beingfrom the Human Services division, it was great to have a friend in Retail to connect me to infor-mation. Since then, I’ve continued to learn and appreciate so much more about our Goodwill team across all divisions.”

It is important for Goodwill to always look forward, set team goals, and be strong in all areas to make our mission work each and every day. For our leaders, the Leadership Academy is an excellent stepping stone on that path to our future. l

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Goodwill “Does the Most Good” in the World

Results of the 2017 World ValueSM Index report showed that consumers once again ranked Goodwill as the #1 brand doing the most good in the world. For the second consecutive year, Goodwill outranked several well-known nonprofit and for-profit brands.

Entitled “How People Perceive Brands’ Purpose,” the 2017 World ValueSM Index report measures brands on awareness of purpose, alignment with purpose, active support of the purpose, and the purpose’s impact on purchases. l

www.goodwillswpa.org

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PNC Recruits Customer Care CandidatesMost people can recall a time when they had a positive experience talking to a cus-tomer service representative who was truly dedicated to helping them solve a problem. The best experiences are those in which the representatives are well trained to solve the problem, or know when it is best to direct the caller to someone better suited to help. At PNC Financial Services Group, this commit-ment to true customer satisfaction is at the heart of its Customer Care Center.

Last spring, Tracey Lewis, Recruiter, Talent Acquisition, attended a job fair at Goodwill to try to find the perfect employees who were enthusiastic to learn and willing to be trained to talk with customers in need of assistance. Because of her involvement with Goodwill’s Business Advisory Council, she knew that Goodwill would have strong candidates who could rise to the challenge. She was right.

PNC hired a Goodwill client to work as a care consultant at PNC’s Customer Care Center on Smithfield Street in downtown Pittsburgh. PNC Customer Care Center consultants attend training for two weeks, during which time they learn the ins and outs

of helping customers solve their problems, including how to best speak with customers. The consultants receive classroom experi-ence before being trained on the floor by coaches who provide guidance in answering questions from actual customers. Speaking to anywhere from 80 to 110 customers per day, the consultants discuss things like how to replace a lost ATM card, what to do if a customer is locked out of an account, or where a customer can find the nearest ATM.

“Our care consultants are the first line of communication with our customers,” explains Lewis. “They will either solve your problem or direct you to the correct person.”

Lewis’ first experience with hiring can-didates from Goodwill was a positive one, starting with the job fair.

“It was a great event,” she recalls. “A lot of people attended, and we encour-aged everyone to apply. Many people don’t realize they have customer care experi-ence, but I see something in every person I talk to. It is always rewarding to work with Goodwill’s clients and to help them find a job – I love it.” l

Shoppers Encouraged to Round Up for Change Shoppers may have noticed signs of the Wild West throughout Goodwill retail stores due to the new rodeo-inspired Round Up campaign. From the staff’s sheriff badges to a life-sized cowboy display, Goodwill hopes all this rootin’ tootin’ fun will inspire shoppers to Round Up for change. Together, their collective action and donations can make a big difference for Goodwill programs and services. l

New Sign Highlights Cheswick Store The next generation Cheswick retail store just keeps getting better. Long known for its excel-lent location, the store now boasts a new outdoor sign to attract even more attention. Shoppers can’t miss the store at 1306 Pittsburgh Street during the day or at night, thanks to the light-up sign. l

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Northside Common Ministries Opens Produce Stand Thanks to the generous support of the Sprout Fund and Walmart Foundation, Northside Common Ministries has constructed and furnished a new produce stand to enhance the offerings at their food pantry. Opened on August 28, the Produce to the People stand will provide low cost fresh fruits and vegeta-bles year-round to more than 900 households in some of Pittsburgh’s impoverished and low-income neighborhoods.

Produce for the fall distribution season was secured by Goodwill’s partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. The produce stand will be open weekly for distribution on Thursday mornings for food pantry shoppers to shop once per month. l

The DPC provides items for sale in Goodwill stores while offering employees tasks that are systematic and routine, which is well-suited to some individuals with disabilities and other employment barriers. The jobs include material handlers, donation sorters, donation taggers, donation hangers, book sorters and book scanners – all based on workers’ abilities.

Employment at the DPC is open to anyone who is interested, including I/DD program participants, work services clients, workers from reintegration programs, vet-erans or anyone receiving services through other Goodwill programs. l

Grand Opening Held for Donation Processing Center(continued from page 1)

Left to right: Goodwill Team Members Mike Smith, Brandon Dean and Raeann Olander, Jana Sharlow from Eat’n Park, Bill Flanagan from the Allegheny Conference, and Don Clark from the Allegheny County Department of Human Services joined for the Donation Processing Center Grand Opening.

Volunteers LouAnn and Missy helped to prepare for the opening of the new Produce to the People stand. Along with fighting hunger, they hope the low cost produce available at the stand will promote healthy lifestyles and help individu-als achieve a better quality of life.

www.goodwillswpa.org

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Nominations Invited for Power of Work Awards Goodwill created the Power of Work Awards program in 1997 to acknowl-edge employers and organizations that make a major, positive impact on the lives of people with barriers to employment. Goodwill is accepting nominations for the 21st Annual Power of Works Awards. Anyone can submit a nomination online at goodwillswpa.org. Winners will be announced in January 2018 and honored at the Power of Work Awards luncheon on March 20, 2018 at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square. For more information or to purchase tickets for the luncheon, contact Gabi Lloyd, 412-632-1931 or gabriella.lloyd @goodwillswpa.org. l

Fundraising News

Aspire Clients Visit Phipps Conservatory

Clients from the Aspire program have been working with nonprofit FIT Farms in the Goodwill onsite greenhouse to help to grow vegetables — and their personal skills. Aspire offers engaging experiences both at the Goodwill facility and in the community, including a recent visit to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Enjoying the sunshine at Phipps were Wayne and Cassie, Aspire participants. l

POWER OF WORK AWARDS

West Virginia Donors May be Eligible for Tax Credits Donors to West Virginia’s Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) allows individu-als and businesses that make monetary gifts to Goodwill to receive up to 50 percent of the contributed amount in the form of state tax credits. Those who make online credit card donations and personal checks of at least $500 to Goodwill through March 14, 2018 will receive a tax credit voucher on a first-come, first-served basis.For more information, call 1-888-449-6298, ext. 1941, or e-mail goodwill.donations@goodwillswpa.org.

EITC Provides Tax Credits to Pennsylvania Businesses Goodwill was recently approved as a par-ticipant in the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. Pennsylvania businesses that choose to donate through an EITC contribution can receive up to a 90 percent tax credit while benefitting Goodwill’s YouthWorks program.Businesses can apply for EITC tax credits at newpa.com/eitc.

Federal Employee Giving Season Begins Thanks to the All-Around Giving initia-tive, federal employees can donate to nonprofit organizations across the nation, no matter the region or state where they work. Federal employees are invited to make tax-deductible donations through December 15 via the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Donations to approved organizations, including Goodwill, can be made by visiting cfccharities.opm.gov. l

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Iyana Gains Work Experience through Learn & Earn For youth, having a job is an important step toward adulthood and a successful future. That is why Sto-Rox student Iyana chose to participate in Goodwill’s Learn & Earn employment program this past summer. She wanted to get a jump-start on building her skills to become career and college ready, as well as earn her own money.

When Iyana first found out she was matched with Goodwill, she assumed she would be working in one of the retail stores. However, Iyana was pleasantly surprised to discover that her job would be an adminis-trative position. During her six weeks with Goodwill, Iyana learned how to take inven-

tory, file paperwork and handle mailings, among other things. She is proud to have left Goodwill with a resume full of new skills.

The Learn & Earn program helps to instill the value of work while offering at-risk youth, like Iyana, the opportunity to explore career possibilities. By partnering with the community, the program has offered thou-sands of participants a six-week paid summer work experience at one of over 30 employer sites since its inception.

Learn & Earn is a collaborative effort between Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh and Partner4Work, with support from local foundations. The program serves youth ages 14 to 21 living in Allegheny County who meet eligibility requirements. For more information, contact Tiffanee Heywood, tiffanee.heywood@ goodwillswpa.org. l

Dave Thrives Thanks to Assistive Technology Services When his career as a camera operator ended due to the physical demands, Dave turned to Goodwill for assistance in identifying accommodations that could meet his indi-vidual needs. He was referred to Assistive Technology Services to complete an indi-vidualized evaluation and determine which accessibility services or devices would help him in exploring a new career in information technology (IT).

Assistive Technology Services helped Dave to obtain and use voice recognition and text-to-speech software programs and a voice recorder to enhance his learning and studying while in school. Thanks to these accommoda-tions, Dave has been able to overcome his cognitive and memory limitations to succeed in his IT classes.

Dave is one of over 250 individuals who benefitted from Assistive Technology Services in 2016. The services enable indi-viduals living with a disability to live, work and learn more independently to achieve their goals. Program staff host free equipment demonstrations and trainings for the public

and provide information about new technolo-gies to educate and encourage individuals and businesses interested in increasing accessibil-ity in the community.Accessibility services and devices are avail-able to all Goodwill program participants, employees and program areas. For more information, contact Adrienne Tolentino, adrienne.tolentino@goodwillswpa.org. l

Iyana

Dave

www.goodwillswpa.org

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Goodwill Expands Financial Education Services Since 2015, Goodwill has offered financial education services at Northside Common Ministries. To help more families in need achieve financial stability, Goodwill recently expanded these services to the Workforce Development Center in Lawrenceville and the Goodwill building in the South Side.

Free services offered at all three sites include assistance with accessing income sup-ports, financial education and financial coach-ing. In addition, free workshops are available at the Lawrenceville location.

Addresses and hours for the financial services are: • Lawrenceville: Walk-ins are welcome from

1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Workforce Development Center, 118 52nd Street.

• South Side: Walk-ins are welcome from 2 to 4 p.m. Mondays at the Goodwill building, 2400 East Carson Street.

• Northside: Services are offered by appoint-ment only at Northside Common Ministries, 1601 Brighton Road.

For more information, visit goodwillswpa.org/ financial-education, or contact Karen Wagner, 412-323-1163 or karen.wagner@ncmin.org. l

Food Service Training Program Sets Margaret Up for Success The Food Service Training Program pro-vides vocational assistance, job training, job search assistance and job placement services to adults with intellectual disabilities who have graduated out of the school system. Participants receive both classroom instruc-tion and on-the-job training so they can learn the skills needed to obtain competitive employment in the community.

Food service training is a popular program at Goodwill. Just ask Margaret, who has been training and making great strides in Goodwill’s café program for the past two years. Though she was nervous and unsure of herself while learning each of the café sta-tions, she is now confident when waiting on customers and performing daily tasks, includ-ing working the grill.

Margaret has mastered each of the café stations and sharpened her customer service skills. In fact, she goes above and beyond

to make special orders and help those who have difficulties carrying their trays. Staff say Margaret is bursting with enthusiasm and hopes to apply her new skills as a food ser-vices staff member at a local nursing home.

Job Training benefits participants, like Margaret, by giving them the knowledge and experience they need for successful employ-ment and increase their independence. The program also provides the community with a prepared workforce interested and eager to gain employment in various lines of work.For more information, call 1-877-GW-WELCOME or email welcome@goodwillswpa.org. l

Margaret

Thirty Years and Counting Numerous employees were recognized recently for their years of dedication and service to Goodwill SWPA. Congratulations to Ella Holsinger, left, Vice President of Human Services, and Betsy Neidle, right, Director of Housing, who each celebrated 30 years of employment.

UPMC Project SEARCH Wins National Award The UPMC Project SEARCH programs at UPMC Mercy and UPMC Passavant were rec-ognized with Employment Outcome Awards at the 11th annual Project SEARCH Conference in July. They were two of 198 programs honored for achieving 70 to 100 percent employment placement for graduates during the 2015-2016 school year. lCelebrating these accolades were, left to right, Susie Rutkowski, Project SEARCH Co-founder; Holly Opatick and Craig Krieger, Goodwill; Amanda Suski, UPMC Mercy Business Liaison; Lindsay Kelley, UPMC Passavant Business Liaison; and Erin Riehle, Project SEARCH Co-founder.

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People of Goodwill

Leadership Appointments Announced Two leadership promotions were recently announced at Goodwill SWPA. Robert Stape was named Senior Vice President and in this new role, he will expand his leadership and strategic vision to all disciplines within the organization. Stape has been employed in several positions at Goodwill since 1999. Andrew Marano was promoted to Vice President of Donated Goods Retail. Marano was previously the Assistant Vice President of Retail. He began his career with Goodwill in northern Arizona, where he served for 11 years.

Mike Smith Elected President of Rotary Club Mike Smith, Goodwill President/CEO, was recently elected President of the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh for the 2017-2018 year. He will lead a local network of neighbors, friends and leaders to make positive, lasting change in the greater Pittsburgh community.

Former Goodwill Intern Profiled by CMU Quinn Zsido was recognized by CMU in an article that highlighted his recent work as a Strategy Consultant Intern at Goodwill. Whether observing on-site at a recyclables processing plant or assisting with job placements, Quinn explained that his varying day-to-day internship respon-sibilities helped him to achieve his goal of effective communication between different departments.

www.goodwillswpa.org

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Golfers Enjoy a Day on the Links Nearly 200 golfers hit the links on August 14 for the annual Golf for Goodwill event, held simultaneously at the Pittsburgh Field Club and Fox Chapel Golf Club. Presented by Peoples, this year’s event raised over $140,000 to support Goodwill’s veteran services. Thank you to the following generous sponsors, golfers and volunteers for making this year’s event such a success:

PRESENTINGPeoples

PLATINUM Newmark Grubb Knight Frank

GOLD Application VerificationFifth Third BankHighmark Huntington Insurance PNCUPMC

SILVER Accel Sign Group ComDoc Henderson Brothers, Inc.Lennon, Smith, Souleret Engineering, Inc.

A special thank you to KeyBank.

For more information about Golf for Goodwill, contact Gabi Lloyd, 412-632-1931 or gabriella.lloyd@goodwillswpa.org. l

Bottom photo: Goodwill presented Peoples with a special award in honor of their ongoing sponsorship of the event. At the awards ceremony were, left to right, Mike Smith, Goodwill President/CEO, Joe Gregorini, Peoples; John Luke, Peoples; and Chris Mueller, Event Emcee from 97.7 The Fan.

A great day for friendships on the course was had by all who took to the greens for the annual Golf for Goodwill outing.

Top photo: One of the foursomes was comprised of, left to right, Mike Smith, President/CEO, Goodwill; Ryan Burke, Huntington Insurance; John O’Britz, Goodwill; and William Fetcko, Huntington Insurance.

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Outlet Shopper Finds Hall of Famer’s Baseball Bat

Regular thrift store shopper Grant Hartley walked into the Heidelberg outlet store on July 1 hoping to find something “weird or cool.” Little did he know he would find a valuable piece of sports memorabilia mixed in with the rest of the usual goods for sale that day.

Hartley purchased the baseball bat for only $2.22; he later sold it for $4,145 at Mears Auctions after learning the bat was used by Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame third baseman Harold “Pie” Traynor between 1926 and 1934.

Hartley’s thrift store find is rare, but it shows that shoppers who take the time to search through the bins and racks can some-times walk away with valuable treasures. l

Rochester Renovations The Rochester Goodwill store underwent a complete renovation recently that included new fixtures, flooring, paint, signage and selection of goods for sale. At the grand re-opening celebration in September, shoppers found some great buys and checked out a nice supply of vinyl records.

RMU Students Support Robinson Store Goodwill gets by with a little help from friends and neighbors, including volunteers from Robert Morris University. Special thanks to Sherri Aufman, Caitlin Engel, Jessica Kost, Samantha Thauvette and Lori Wyberg for their help at the Robinson retail store in June.

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A Store Near YouMonroeville is a “Good Store”Terri Davis knows a good store when she sees one. She should know -- she was a Goodwill district manager for eight years working with various stores in the region to ensure they were running efficiently and effec-tively. Today, she is the store manager of the Monroeville Goodwill.

Her assessment of the quality of the Monroeville store comes from the satisfaction she sees by customers and employees alike.

“We get a lot of compliments on the layout and organization of our store,” explains Davis. Store employees work hard to orga-

nize and separate goods in ways that are easy for customers to understand. This includes simple things, like separating the shirts with sleeves from the sleeveless ones, or grouping goods by season. This attention to detail is especially appreciated by the store’s regular customers who know they will find something different every day, or even every hour, as new goods are introduced on racks and carts every 15 to 20 minutes.

This focus on what the customer wants carries over into Davis’ relationship with her employees. By doing simple things like pro-viding a monthly luncheon to offering flexible work hours and schedules, Davis consistently sees employees show their appreciation by working together to take various shifts or work extra hours.

“We have a great team in our store,” states Davis. “It feels like a family. Even when we are short staffed, everyone manages to take care of each other. We are a really good group, and this is a really good store.” l

About the Monroeville Store

l Location: 2604 Monroeville Blvd.

Monroeville, PA 15146

l Staff: 20 employees: 15 part-time; 5 full-time

l Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

l Telephone: 412-856-9840

Members of the Monroeville Store team include: (left to right) Jeff Griest, Anthony Mousseau, Shayla Smith, Katelynn McCoy, Vee West and Kimberly Straw.

Goodwill of Southwestern PennsylvaniaRobert S. Foltz Building118 52nd StreetPittsburgh, PA 15201

www.goodwillswpa.org

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DPITTSBURGH, PAPERMIT NO. 2972

Give to Goodwill at www.goodwillswpa.org/donate-money

Goodwill of Southwestern PennsylvaniaRobert S. Foltz Building118 52nd Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201412-481-9005 www.goodwillswpa.org

AffiliatesGoodwill of Fayette County724-437-9878Goodwill of North Central West Virginia1-888-4GW-NCWV (1-888-449-6298)Goodwill Commercial Services, Inc.412-913-1982Goodwill Housing412-257-4844Northside Common Ministries412-323-1163

Our MissionWe help people improve their quality of life through work and related services.

Goodwill’s Code of Conduct Goodwill SWPA is committed to conducting its business in accordance with the highest standards of ethical behavior and regulatory compliance and to treating everyone with dignity and respect. The agency’s full Code of Conduct document – “Ethics at Work” – may be viewed at www.goodwillswpa.org.

Non-discrimination StatementGoodwill SWPA and its affiliates prohibit discrimi-nation on the basis of race, color, religious creed, disability, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, or sexual orientation.

Equal Opportunity EmployerGoodwill SWPA is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aides and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. For more information, call 412-632-1809 or email accommodations.request@goodwillswpa.org

Goodwill SWPA is CARF accredited.Alternative formats are available upon request.Your comments and suggestions are welcome.

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GIVINGTUESDAY Black Friday…Cyber Monday…

GIVING TUESDAY!November 28, 2017

Thrifty DemonstrationsLearning how to be fashionable while remaining thrifty is the hallmark of many of Goodwill customer’s shop-ping sprees. Customers learned tips and tricks for creating a stylish wardrobe from thrift store finds during several recent events at local stores. The Thrifty Yinzer, Christen Malone, left, held an upcycling demonstra-tion during opening weekend at the new Cranberry super store. Follow @thriftyyinzerstylist on Instagram or check out her blog at thethriftyyinzer.com. Patrice McKenzie, right, Founder of Thrift Out Loud, showed women how to dress professionally and fashionably on a budget during Thrift Night Out at the South Side store in September. Check out Patrice on Instagram at @ThriftOutLoud.