August 2023

Welcome to the Horizon Goodwill Industries company newsletter.

Our Mission is Removing Barriers, Creating Opportunities.

September 2023                                                                                                             Vol. 2, Edition 3

---

Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude – Jimmy Buffett

Hello HGI friends! I had my September newsletter piece all written and ready to turn in, and it was fantastic. In it, I brilliantly connected the Labor Day holiday with our purpose at Goodwill, no doubt leaving everyone inspired as we slowly close the door on summer and turn our attention to the busy fall season. Ok, true confession: As of Friday, I hadn’t written anything at all. 😊

And then, over the Labor Day weekend, Jimmy Buffett passed away. Some of you probably already know this, and others are probably asking why does this matter and why is Dave writing about it???

Well for one, yours truly is a Parrothead, which means I have followed his career and music for almost thirty years. Jimmy Buffett was not only a successful musician and songwriter but also a lifestyle brand in his own right, known for his “Margaritaville” persona and laid-back, tropical attitude.

Here are several lessons I have learned from his music, adventures, and business:

1. Embrace the “Island State of Mind”: Buffett’s music often promotes a relaxed and carefree attitude associated with beach and island life. While not everyone can live on a tropical island, adopting a more relaxed and positive mindset can improve your overall well-being and mental health.
2. Find and Follow Your Passion: Jimmy Buffett’s success is largely attributed to his passion for music and storytelling. He followed his passion and turned it into a successful career. Pursuing what you love can lead to both personal fulfillment and professional success.
3. Resilience: Like many successful artists, Buffett faced many setbacks and challenges in his career. He persevered through difficult times, demonstrating the importance of resilience and determination in achieving your goals.
4. Surround Yourself with Good People: Buffett often collaborated with other more talented musicians and surrounded himself with a supportive team. Building a strong team and support network can help you succeed in your endeavors.
5. Live in the Moment: Many of Buffett’s songs emphasize the idea of living in the present and savoring life’s experiences. Practicing mindfulness and being present can lead to greater contentment and joy.
6. Seek Adventure: Buffett’s songs and life contain stories of adventure and exploration. Embracing a growth mindset and stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to personal growth and memorable moments.
7. Be Kind and Give Back: Jimmy Buffett is known for his generosity and philanthropic efforts, particularly in environmental conservation. Being kind to others and giving back to your community or a cause you’re passionate about can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment and make the world a better place.

We may never get to live the “Margaritaville” lifestyle that he sang about. But if we put our hearts and heads to it, I think we can all find joy and satisfaction in the work we do, the opportunities we have, and what we give back. As he wrote in a song, “with a little love and luck, we will get by.”

With hope and fins up,
Dave

---

Horizon Goodwill Industries Honored With Award As One Of America’s Best Health Plans

Did you know Horizon Goodwill Industries was recently honored at the inaugural “Rosie Awards” presentation in Chicago with a national health plan excellence and stewardship award? Fifty employers or unions with memberships ranging from 27 to 300,000 were honored by over 700 healthcare and benefits professionals, industry experts, and thought leaders gathered at the Chicago Navy Pier on August 7-9 to discuss strategies for delivering better care at a lower cost while improving patient outcomes. The Rosie Awards are presented by Health Rosetta, a collective of people who have seen health’s future in action and are passionately working to make it a reality.

Dave Chase, Health Rosetta Co-founder, offered additional insight on the 2023 Rosie Award selection criteria behind America’s Best Health Plans: “With health plan costs being one of an organization’s top three expenses, it’s imperative that leadership have a comprehensive third-party assessment to help them understand how their plan is operating, how it compares to high-performance plans, and provides detailed best practices and strategies to improve their plan…”

Horizon Goodwill Industries’ selection as one of the 2023 Rosie Award winners also spotlights the award-winning plan design and advisement led by Health Rosetta Advisor Ben Bohonowicz of Employee Benefit Services of Maryland.

“It’s been an exciting and rewarding experience to guide Horizon Goodwill down the path of a high-performing health plan. The Horizon Goodwill Leadership Team was quick to understand there’s a better way of providing comprehensive health coverage. They’ve been particularly thoughtful about their health plan, really focusing on access, quality of care, cost, and the overall member experience. Benefitting the community is ingrained in HGI’s DNA.

You can see it reflected in their health plan, where HGI employees can receive FREE care on a variety of services:

• Primary Care
• Diagnostics, including Labs, X-rays, and Imaging
• Outpatient/Inpatient Care
• Maintenance Generic, Brand, and Specialty Rx
• $250 deductible on other medical services
• 100% employer-paid Direct Primary Care (DPC) membership
• Employee Only Contributions at $40/pay since 2018
• Free dental and vision coverage for employees enrolled in the health plan
• Up to $500 cash incentive for joining the concierge pharmacy, HaloScrips

Horizon Goodwill Industries can be very proud to be recognized as an industry leader with one of the best health plans in America.”

If you’re enrolled in the HGI Insurance plans, please take advantage of these great benefits!

---

YOU are making a difference in the lives of many people. It’s the beginning of a new year, but here is your impact through July 2023:

---

Blessed because Goodwill gives you Chances

Struggling to get by and unable to afford a place for herself and her family in Montgomery County, a friend’s invite brought Tammy Rothgeb-Dawson to Hagerstown and, ultimately, Horizon Goodwill.

Now 60 years old, Tammy grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland. She met her ex-husband at 21, and they had two children – Chris and Billy. But after 27 years of marriage, they decided to separate.

Tammy moved to New Jersey with her youngest, Billy, for eight years. However, things in New Jersey didn’t work out, so they moved back to Montgomery County. By then, her ex-husband had moved out and remarried, so it was just her and her two sons in one of the most expensive counties in the state.

So, grateful for the lifeline from her friend in Hagerstown, she stashed the family’s belongings in storage. She knew she couldn’t stay at her friend’s house indefinitely, but no one was hiring everywhere she looked for work.

“I went everywhere, and nobody was hiring, or I couldn’t get hired on,” she explained. That’s when her friend suggested Goodwill.

After some false starts, the paperwork was finally completed, and she started working in the warehouse. She found a place for her family and, with her brother’s help, moved into the place where she lives to this day.

“I loved it. It made me feel very good because I was helping the less fortunate. Every piece of clothing I would hang was like, I’m helping somebody else,” she said of her work at the warehouse.

The program she was on was temporary but designed to get people on their feet. But after leaving the program, she had difficulty finding something else.

Once again, Goodwill was there. After six months, she came back to work as a core employee. For nearly a decade, she has been working in janitorial services for Goodwill.

“I’ve been with this company for many years now,” she says. “Probably about 8, 10 years. So it’s like my second home.”

It’s a job Tammy enjoys and intends to keep doing until she retires, despite having several health issues.  Read her full story here.

---

Free Book Friday!

For the end of summer, the retail team began a Free Book Friday program at all of the Horizon Goodwill retail stores (excluding / re•find /).

Each Friday, children ages 0-18 can pick out an age-appropriate book at their favorite Horizon Goodwill Store and bring it to the register (no additional purchases are necessary). This promotion is open to all employees and will run from August 18th until Friday, September 8th. There’s still time to take advantage of this great opportunity to help your child enjoy the gift or reading.

Children must be present to receive a free book and are limited to one book per child, one store on Friday only.

This is a Horizon Goodwill Industries-only store promotion. We have stores throughout Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties in Maryland, Fulton and Franklin Counties in Pennsylvania, Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Shenandoah, and Page Counties in Virginia, and Hardy, Grant, Hampshire, Mineral, Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson Counties in West Virginia.

---

Tammy Elrick completes her certification as a Goodwill® Career Coach and Navigator Professional!

Tammy recently completed her certification as a Goodwill® Career Coach and Navigator Professional on August 15th.

This International Coaching Federation (ICF) accredited Professional Certificate includes four beginner-level courses to help you build skills that prepare you for an entry-level Career Coach or Navigator job. She learned from other Career Coaches and Navigator professionals to gain insights from the job seekers and career advancers they serve. Now that she’s completed all the courses, she can use those credits toward the International Coaching Federation (ICF) credential renewal requirements. She now has skills that include human-centered communication, conducting assessments, career planning, preparing clients for a new career, and other items.

She learned about the following items:

• Explain the foundational concepts of Career Coaching and Navigating.
• Familiarize clients with the Career Coaching and Navigation experience.
• Discover career possibilities for Career Navigators and Career Coaches.
• Describe common Career Development theories, models, and tools.
• Summarize Coaching Agreements and Career Service Plans.
• Identify professional and ethical standards.
• Describe human-centered approaches to Career Coaching and Navigating.

This program included more than 40 hours of instruction, including scenario-based activities that enabled her to be in the mindset of a career navigator and to prepare her for real-life situations she may encounter on the job.

Congratulations Tammy!

---

As a reminder, utilize “Ask Here” in Paycom ESS (Employee Self-Service) to connect you to a Resource Coordinator. Access our EAP (Employee Assistance Program) on the BHS Portal online or via the app at portal.BHSonline.com Username: Horizon Goodwill or call 800-327-2251.

---

Milestones & New Hires

Congratulations to the following people for reaching a great milestone, and a big ‘Welcome’ to our newest team members as they begin their journey to their milestones!

Anniversaries				New Hires
Name	Location	Years		Name	Location	Start Date
Daniel Boespflug	Stephens City	1 Yr.		Faquir Williamson	Martinsburg	Aug 1
Emens Rho	Corporate Center	1 Yr.		Andrea Brock	Shepherdstown	Aug 2
Angela Gaither	Corporate Center	1 Yr.		Rachelle Proulx	Corporate Center	Aug 2
Rodney Feller	Cumberland UPIP	1 Yr.		Arnise Journey	Charles Town	Aug 3
Kathryn Klym	Stanley	1 Yr.		Deborah Miller	Corporate Center	Aug 4
Dimitri Bradshaw	Charles Town	1 Yr.		Jennifer Reece	Berkeley Springs	Aug 5
Timothy Waggy	Fort Detrick	1 Yr.		David Daughton	LaVale	Aug 7
Andrew Burns	Waynesboro	1 Yr.		Noah Stribling	Front Royal	Aug 7
Kevin Brooks	Charles Town	1 Yr.		Edward Thomas	Romney	Aug 8
Courtney Baker	Cumberland UPIP	1 Yr.		Norman Calhoun	Oakland	Aug 9
Brenda Creamer	Martinsburg GSA	1 Yr.		Raekwon Momen	HGI-2	Aug 9
Lizzie Shoemaker	Corporate Center	1 Yr.		Nevelle Pierre	Corporate Center	Aug 9
Wende Cordone	Shepherdstown	1 Yr.		Leah Walker	Shepherdstown	Aug 11
Yazmin Trammel	Martinsburg GSA	1 Yr.		Sarah Biedler	Shepherdstown	Aug 15
Lenna Burke	Stanley	2 Yrs.		Dj Jackson	Martinsburg	Aug 15
Christopher Six	Unassigned	2 Yrs.		Kristi Leitma	Martinsburg	Aug 15
Jamie Wethington	HGI-2	2 Yrs.		Philip Adams	HGI-2	Aug 16
Kristina Hood	Romney	2 Yrs.		Brianna Chapman	Martinsburg GSA	Aug 16
Kristen Smialek	Charles Town	2 Yrs.		Barbara Frasch	Martinsburg	Aug 18
Tyrone Glover	Corporate Center	2 Yrs.		Deanna Elliott	Front Royal	Aug 19
Jody Harley	Stephens City	2 Yrs.		Karla Mckenzie	Youghiogheny	Aug 20
April Jenkins	Front Royal	2 Yrs.		Ronald Armstead	Corporate Center	Aug 21
Emily Hebert	Waynesboro	2 Yrs.		Trine Knepper	Greencastle	Aug 21
Brenda Douglas	Sideling Hill	3 Yrs.		John Mcfarland	Shepherdstown	Aug 21
Tonya Knettel	Keyser	3 Yrs.		Daniel Bevagna	Cumberland UPIP	Aug 22
Eddiego Boykin	Cumberland UPIP	3 Yrs.		Raegan Botzan	Greencastle	Aug 22
Samantha Meeker	Corporate Center	3 Yrs.		Makayla Russell	Martinsburg	Aug 22
Mary Ensinger	Corporate Center	3 Yrs.		Corey Tiller	Martinsburg	Aug 22
Dylan Norris	Cumberland UPIP	5 Yrs.		Robert Bernard	Corporate Center	Aug 23
Ronnie Miller	Cumberland UPIP	5 Yrs.		Cristy Corle	South End	Aug 24
Gary Hargett	Fort Detrick	7 Yrs.		Fernandez Evans	HGI-2	Aug 24
Cindy Weaver	Cumberland UPIP	9 Yrs.		Cindy Quaglio	Martinsburg	Aug 24
Sherry Lescalleet	HGI-2	10 Yrs.		Fern Elden	Corporate Center	Aug 28
Anthony Pittman	Sideling Hill	10 Yrs.		Carrie Hinton	Corporate Center	Aug 28
Jordan Smith	Martinsburg GSA	12 Yrs.		Declyn Siix	Cumberland UPIP	Aug 28
Linda Vailati	Romney	13 Yrs.		Emily Youngblood	Oakland	Aug 28
Shawn Sites	Fort Detrick	14 Yrs.		Linda Ganoe	Winchester	Aug 29
Teddy Wentzell	Corporate Center	15 Yrs.		Annette Rawlings	Charles Town	Aug 29
Jennifer Bauserman	Winchester	22 Yrs.
Trina Hanna	Fort Detrick	23 Yrs.

---

Upcoming Events

• 9/9: Maryland Wellness Presents: Breaking through Barriers, Fort Ave, Cumberland (12 PM – 6 PM)
• 9/12: Meritus Health/Horizon Goodwill Job Fair, 151 N. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown (10 AM – 2 PM)
• 9/13: Cut|Cloth|Work! event, Hagerstown MD, 151 N. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown (10 AM – 2 PM)
• 9/15: Allegany County Community Resources Day, Allegany College, Cumberland (10 AM – 2 PM)

Thank you for reading the Horizon Goodwill Industries newsletter. If you have any exciting news or story suggestions, please get in touch with us at marketing@goodwill-hgi.org.