Horizon Goodwill Awards Business Partner of the Year to Schroeder Industries

May 8, 2023

Horizon Goodwill Awards Business Partner of the Year to Schroeder Industries

(Hagerstown, Maryland, May 2023) Schroeder Industries was named “Business Partner of the Year” at Horizon Goodwill Industries’ (HGI) 68th Annual Power of Work Awards. The event, held in Hagerstown on May 3, 2023, is scheduled annually to coincide with National Goodwill Week.

The Power of Work Awards recognizes HGI’s participants’ and community partners’ hard work, dedication, and mission support each year. These individuals and businesses embody the HGI Mission of Removing Barriers and Creating Opportunities for employment throughout their four-state territory.

This year, nearly 150 people were in attendance including local officials, program participants, staff, representatives from partnering organizations, and community members.

The Business Partner of the Year award recognizes a business or organization that has partnered with Horizon Goodwill Industries through a contract relationship, which significantly benefits HGI clients by providing work opportunities for the individuals we serve.

Schroeder Industries has partnered with Horizon Goodwill Industries to provide paid work training opportunities for program participants to develop job skills and habits in a real work environment. These experiences are designed to help prepare individuals for competitive employment while also strengthening their work history. Maintaining close communication with HGI’s workforce development team, Schroeder staff share frequent performance feedback and assist program participants in achieving their paid work training goals.

“Out of the four program participants, we converted two to full-time employment with us this year.” Schroeder Industries Human Resources Generalist Sherry Alt stated.

“We found the experience a win-win for the participants, us, and Horizon Goodwill. We believe in giving second chances to individuals allowing opportunities to gain workforce experience, better themselves, and become productive employees for us as well. Horizon Goodwill has fostered an environment of breaking barriers to employment for their participants. We are proud to have been part of the process and look forward to working with them in the future.” She added.

So far, Schroeder has provided five program participants the opportunity to complete 90 days of paid work training and has offered additional temporary labor position opportunities to four program participants that successfully completed the paid training program. Schroeder has also provided gas stipend bonuses – added to each paycheck – for program participants that reached weekly attendance goals.

Horizon Goodwill Awards Employer of the Year to Meritus Health

May 5, 2023

Horizon Goodwill Awards Employer of the Year to Meritus Health

(Hagerstown, Maryland, May 2023) Meritus Health was named “Employer of the Year” at Horizon Goodwill Industries’ (HGI) 68th Annual Power of Work Awards. The event, held in Hagerstown on May 3, 2023, is scheduled annually to coincide with National Goodwill Week.

This year, nearly 150 people were in attendance including local officials, program participants, staff, representatives from partnering organizations, and community members.

The Employer of the Year Award recognizes an employer who has demonstrated outstanding support for assisting individuals by hiring program graduates or otherwise contributing to greater outplacement of program participants through their partnering with Horizon Goodwill Industries.

Meritus Health was selected because of its community support and work connecting people with sustainable employment opportunities. A team consisting of members representing Meritus Health, HGI, and Maryland Physicians Care (MPC) developed an innovative pilot program called “Pathways to Healthcare Careers,” which places low/moderate income candidates directly into living wage positions in one of five identified divisions at Meritus with support from HGI and MPC.

In addition to partnering on this innovative employment program, Meritus Health has also worked with HGI on several other health and community development initiatives. The two organizations successfully obtained funding from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) SEED fund. The SEED Community Development Anchor Institution Fund will aid in creating a full-service grocery store operated by HGI in the Hagerstown downtown core on Prospect St. This project aims to improve community economic and health outcomes by offering affordable healthy food options in the city.

Further collaborative efforts to improve access to healthcare resulted in the award of funds from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission’s “Pathways to Health Equity” program. This resulting project is known as the Hagerstown Health HUB. The two-year grant supports a primary care office at HGI’s downtown Hagerstown location. Meritus Health will provide a full-time nurse practitioner to staff the site. Patients will not be turned away based on insurance status; they will be seen and then connected to a healthcare navigator to assist them in obtaining health insurance.

“At Meritus, we are passionate about our community, and when we find team members who share that passion, it’s a natural fit. We’ve been so fortunate to find team members through this program who want to make a positive impact on their community,” said Dave Lehr, chief strategy officer for Meritus Health. “We’re honored to receive this award from Horizon Goodwill, but we’re even more honored to be able to share the outcomes of our initiatives that demonstrate not only the power of work but the power of working together,” he said.

2022 Power of Work Awards

March 22, 2022

67th Annual Power of Work Awards

Wednesday, May 4th, 2022

This year’s awards event is going to be a little different. Instead of a sit-down dinner in a sea of tables, we’ll invite you to experience how we are More Than Just A Store!

Each year, our Awards Program recognizes the hard work, dedication, and mission support of our clients and partners in the community. These individuals and businesses embody our mission of
removing barriers and creating opportunities for employment throughout our four-state territory. We hope that you will consider sponsoring this day of recognition. Thank you!

TITLE SPONSORSHIP $3,000.00 (SOLD!)

Most prominent Corporate Logo Placements on all Promotional Materials, Advertising, and highlighted
on Social Media
Company banner placed outside of the building during the event and for one (1) week following the event.
Recognition at the Power of Work Awards as the Title Sponsor.
Recognition during Award and Recipient Video Presentation during Power of Work Awards.
Acknowledgment as the Title sponsor in the Power of Work Awards Program.

PLATINUM SPONSORSHIP $2,000.00

Corporate Logo Placements on all Promotional Materials, Advertising, and highlighted on Social Media.
Your company banner will be placed outside the building during the event.
Recognition at the Power of Work Awards as a Platinum sponsor.
Recognition during Award and Recipient Video Presentation during Power of Work Awards.
Acknowledgment as a Platinum sponsor in the Power of Work Awards Program.

GOLD SPONSORSHIP $1,000.00

Corporate Logo Placements on all Promotional Materials, Advertising, and highlighted on Social Media.
Your Company logo was placed on a banner outside the building during the event.
Recognition during Award and Recipient Video Presentation during Power of Work Awards.
Acknowledgment as a Gold sponsor in the Power of Work Awards Program.

SILVER SPONSORSHIP $500.00

Corporate Logo Placements on all Promotional Materials, Advertising, and highlighted on Social Media.
Acknowledgment as a Silver sponsor in the Power of Work Awards Program.

BRONZE SPONSORSHIP $250.00

Sponsorship Recognition.
Acknowledgment as a Bronze sponsor in the Power of Work Awards Program.

To pay by credit card, please click the button located below to reach our financial donation page. Use the ‘custom amount’ option and put your sponsorship level in the comments field.

* For more information on these sponsorship opportunities or Horizon Goodwill Industries and its Mission in the Community, don’t hesitate to contact Amanda Rossen at arossen@goodwill-hgi.org or call 301-988-0501.

Our First Cut and Cloth Event

July 23, 2021

Making A Difference in Lives

On July 21st, Horizon Goodwill Industries held its first Cut & Cloth event in partnership with Award Beauty School located on Antietam Street in Hagerstown MD. Community members who stopped by to participate were greeted with an offering of pizza and water.

25 people left with a fresh haircut and a few articles of clean clothing. We were also able to sign 15 people up for employment services and a few others for housing navigation. Horizon Goodwill looks forward to holding this event quarterly and continuing to collaborate with community partners to serve Washington County.

This event brings the following quote to mind: “𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑.” – Georges St-Pierre

Business Services Employee Spotlight: Clarence Drew

August 17, 2018

Welcome back! My goal is to educate and excite you about all that Goodwill does for our community and what it can possibly do for you and/or your business! If this is the first blog you have read in this series, please feel free to see how it all got started from my first entry here.

This week’s Business Services Employee Spotlight is focused on Clarence Drew! Drew is a team member on our custodial contract with the ATF&E in Martinsburg, WV. This Federal partnership provides an opportunity for sustainable full-time employment in the community we serve. This Federal site always looks spotless thanks to all the hard-working individuals on our Horizon Goodwill team.

Finding a job can be tough. Most of you reading this have at one time or another experienced how frustrating it can be to be willing to work, but unable to find a good fit with an employer that can utilize your skills. Drew’s story is no different. It is our mutual good fortune that he came to our Martinsburg Resource Center looking for an opportunity. Finding work opportunities is at the heart of what we do and it was not long after initially connecting with Goodwill that we were able to put Drew into his current role.

Drew is now a Custodial Crew Leader on this contract. In this role he has leadership responsibilities as the first-tier oversight on the work being done for the ATF&E. This opportunity has helped Drew achieve his potential and grow his dignity back after living without a job. One of Drew’s specialty is hard floor care. The floors at this job site shine thanks to his efforts. This creates a better work environment for us and our customer. When asked what Drew likes most about the job, he responded “I enjoy working with the team”. His supervisor is extremely happy with Drew and stated, “it is a real pleasure to work with Drew as he is very detail oriented”. Pride in a job well done is what makes Drew and the team successful!

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to contact me with questions or comments regarding the blog or what our Business Services division can do for you! bmarks@goodwill-hgi.org

Business Services Employee Spotlight: Lois Yost

June 15, 2018

This week’s Business Services Employee Spotlight is focused on Lois Yost! Lois is a custodian at one of our GSA job sites. She works at the Federal Courthouse in Martinsburg, WV. This is a big property and it needs to be spotless to meet the customer’s needs and expectations. Lois ensures that her efforts are impactful and keep the customer happy. They love having our crew on the job and they know that we will take care of business for them so that they have a product they can be proud of as well!

Insurance and benefits are near the top of the list of what job applicants are looking for. When Lois started with us back in January of 2012, this was one of the most appealing aspects of the job. As an employee on this Federal contract, Lois is very happy with the fringe benefits that are extended to her. Without insurance, it can feel like everything in your world is on thin ice. One accident without these benefits can be financially devastating. The peace of mind that having a fully comprehensive benefits package can offer lets you take that off the list of worries and allows you to focus on the things that matter most.

We are lucky to have Lois on our team! We were fortunate to have made the connection and as Lois stated, “everything works out for a reason”. Her supervisor appreciates her dedication and said, “I’m very thankful for her to be on my team and her job performance is great”. The symbiotic relationship that occurs when both the organization and the employee see the mutual benefit is part of what makes a job feel less like “work” and more like being a part of something bigger.

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to contact me with questions or comments regarding the blog or what our Business Services division can do for you! bmarks@goodwill-hgi.org