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Goodwill Does What?! -HBP

Welcome back!  As you may know, 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.

If you have lived in Washington County for a while, there is a good chance that you are familiar with this week’s featured business partner, Hagerstown Bookbinding and Printing Company (HBP).  HBP has been around since 1903 and is now one of the largest independent printing companies in the Mid-Atlantic region.  What you may not know is that since the late 1980’s, they have partnered with Horizon Goodwill Industries.

The relationship was initially formed when Horizon Goodwill began doing subcontracting work for HBP.   Since it’s inception, it has blossomed into a much more robust partnership.  In today’s environment we have full time HBP personnel working at our corporate facility in our warehouse area.  They work alongside our clients who assist HBP with their fulfillment work.  The larger the demand and scope of the project, the more hours our clients are able to work.  This symbiotic supply chain solution benefits both organizations and we are thrilled to have this partnership!

Getting ready for the busy season!
Getting ready for the busy season!

Our clients work on assembling (a.k.a. kitting) packages that will go out to a variety of HBP’s customers.  This type of work requires close attention to detail and gives our clients experience working as part of a larger assembly line type team.  The Holiday season is obviously a big push in retail and our staff if gearing up for what looks to be another great year assisting HBP with this work!  The jobs created here are a great proving ground for our clients and gives them a paycheck along the way.

There is also an additional group that helps get these packages prepared for final shipment to HBP’s end customers.  Working alongside the HBP staff gives our clients a feel for open market competitive employment.

Goodwill workers

They work very well together and have created a great bond.  Horizon Goodwill employee Katie Harrell really likes the work experience and stated, “We work together and laugh together.  We are like family out here, not just a team.”

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

 

New Donation Center Creates New Opportunities in Frostburg MD

With the opening of our new donation center in Frostburg, Maryland, Horizon Goodwill Industries invites you to be part of job creation and training in your local area!

Donation attendants are ready to assist you!
Donation attendants are ready to assist you!

When you donate goods and clothing at the Attended Donation Center on 10 Hampton Inn Drive, you help build these opportunities for growth and success for job seekers with barriers to employment.

By bringing in a not quite right lamp, or pair of shoes you liked but don’t love, or that holiday gift you still haven’t opened, you get to declutter your space, bring joy to the person that does fall in love with these pieces, and provide job training opportunities to the people in your local community that are participating in some of our service programs.

As an added bonus, if you donate between now and Oct 1st, you will receive exclusive Bon Ton coupons as part of the Million Acts of Goodwill event.  These exclusive 25% off coupons are good on many items normally excluded from other sales and are a great way to get a head start on some holiday shopping or finding a fun treat for you.  Even better! You get one coupon for every item you donate.  Any one donated item or set earns one coupon for an extra 15-25% off of a wide range of items including handbags, footwear, fragrances and cosmetics, apparel, luggage housewares and more!

It's drive through! This new donation center is open from 10am – 6pm, 7 days a week. And guess what?… It is drive through!   With the coming winter weather, you can pull up to the drive through bay and unload your donations without having to worry about wind or rain.

Our friendly staff looks forward to seeing you at 10 Hampton Inn Drive,  Frostburg, MD (Up on the hill behind the Burger King).  We will be happy to assist you with unloading your donation and providing a tax receipt and don’t forget your Bon Ton coupons that are available for all donations made before Oct 1st.

Business Services Staff Highlight- Julia Shelton

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, we are going to take a look at an individual who is employed through one of our contracts.  Julia Shelton works in Harpers Ferry servicing a contract we hold with the National Parks Service.  Here is her success story!

Julia was initially referred to Goodwill and started out hanging and tagging clothes in our Martinsburg store.  Although faced with barriers to employment, this opportunity provided insight.  Julia says that, “I learned some important things about myself. I am employable, I am adaptive, and I work to be the best I can be at whatever I’m tasked with!”  This type of attitude is what makes our work so rewarding!

julia-hf

When this opportunity ended, Julia worked a few short term jobs and continued to stay in touch with her contacts at Goodwill.   During one conversation with them, Julia off-handedly mentioned how comfortable she was with Microsoft Excel.  Soon after, she was contacted about a clerical receptionist position that Goodwill needed to fill. She was nervous but also very excited about this new middle-skills opportunity. “So that’s how I got to be where I am now. This has been an amazing opportunity and the government employees I work with everyday are great people who do great work!”

Harpers Ferry Sign 1

Horizon Goodwill does so much to help so many.  And there are so many more people out there for us to help!  Sometimes it just takes that first step before you are able realize your full potential.  “I think I thought I was a burden or something.  But there are so many people who go through this (Goodwill) system and realize, like I did, that we are more capable than we sometimes think we are!”  This is why we are here and what Horizon Goodwill is all about.  Removing barriers, creating opportunities.

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

Fall Back: A Time To Repurpose and Reuse

Fall is a great time to re-prioritize some projects going in to winter when you may have more cold indoor days to work on crafting. And when Fall rolls around, I think of planning for cold winter day projects and of what I can do to rework or repurpose some of what I have. It is also a good time to take a good look at my craft stash and closet and evaluate what I am not using that I may have meant to donate or fix or redo.

Making Plans for Fall Crafting!
Making Plans for Fall Crafting!

Here are my plans for October.  Please comment with your additions and share so we can see more ideas of great autumn clean up craft projects. I will share the results of some of these projects in upcoming posts.

Crafting to do list!

  • Go through the mending pile that has been sitting since April. Anything that I have meant to tailor or adjust, I plan to take a hard look at and if I really loved the piece that much I probably would have done something with it by now.  I’m going to fix the small rips and adjustments but anything that is still a whole garment someone else could use and I haven’t yet, is going in the donation bin.
  • Spruce up my shoes. I have couple pairs of flats that are in need of some touch ups. Some I can fix with leather polish but others I am going to check out the jewelry counter at Goodwill and see if I can find some fun pairs of earrings or a couple ribbons to make some DYI shoe decorations.
  • I so love sweater weather and I have a great collection of felted sweaters that I have saved to make a blanket. I’m almost there so I plan during October to hit the .99 Sunday Sales to pick up the other 5 or 6 I will need to complete this project and have it ready to gift or I might love it so much that I need to plan to make one for me for next year!
  • Two weeks ago we shared some fun denim ideas and I know I have a couple pairs of jeans that just aren’t right but also are too worn to donate. I think I’ll review that list and see what I can come up with for craft use for those. Again, if I need a few more materials I can hit Goodwill. I’d love to make a fun denim skirt that is jean on top and maybe part of a party or wedding dress on the bottom. I think the weekend chic potential of that combo is amazing.
DeStash those crafting supplies!
DeStash those crafting supplies!

I think these 4 things will get me started on my winter crafting spree. I know that closer to the holidays I will be on the hunt for fun containers for gift packaging or unusual clothing to take apart for fabric or buttons. I plan to keep an eye out for these as I make my rounds during regular Horizon Goodwill shopping trips or the Sunday Sales.  I do love a treasure hunt!

What fun items do you plan to craft or repurpose this season? Are you excited about the coming holiday season and making fun gifts?  What are your Fall Back to Basics plans for decluttering your craft room? What fun new pieces do you need to complete your pending projects?

Lots of fun, unusual, and vintage craft supplies can be found at your local Goodwill every day.  I love dropping off a donation of pieces I’m not using and finding new supplies to play with or inspire!  And the added bonus is I know my donations and purchases support a great organization that helps empower people through the dignity of work.

Goodwill Does What!? – Federal Courthouse in Martinsburg, WV

Welcome back!  As you may know, 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.

Each week, we will take you into a new area of our operation.  This week I will be discussing a Federal business customer that we partner with in downtown Martinsburg, WV, the Martinsburg Branch of the U.S. Courthouse.

FOB - Front - King St.

Several years ago Horizon Goodwill was awarded the contract to provided janitorial services to this site through an agreement with the General Services Administration (GSA).  Our team is responsible for keeping the entire Federal space clean.  This includes the courtrooms, Federal Probation areas, Marshall’s offices, and affiliated clerk spaces just to name a few.

Glove

They do a great job and love the work.  This opportunity created 3 full time, year round jobs.  The full time status provides them with benefits as well as transferable skills that will assist in employment opportunities beyond their time with Horizon Goodwill Industries.

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

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