Shoppers Can Earn Discounts while Supporting a Local Nonprofit
by Valerie Clark
Public Relations Specialist, Goodwill Duluth
vclark@goodwillduluth.org
Starting Wednesday, March 7, local shoppers can head to Younkers and Herbergers to stock up on affordable spring fashions – and donate what they no longer need to Goodwill. The semi-annual Goodwill Sale takes place March 7-22, and when shoppers donate their gently used clothing and textiles, they will receive a discount coupon toward new merchandise. The donations will create jobs for people here in the Northland with disabilities or other barriers to employment, and they’ll be sold in Goodwill’s stores to create revenue for its programs.
Shoppers will receive a discount coupon for each item of clothing they donate. The coupons can be used at any Younkers or Herbergers stores to purchase apparel, shoes and accessories at a 20 percent discount; and cosmetics, fragrances and luggage merchandise at a 15 percent discount.
Participating stores in Goodwill – Duluth’s territory are: Virginia Herbergers – 1440 S 12th Avenue; Fergus Falls Herbergers – 2001 W Lincoln Avenue Suite 2; Baxter Herbergers – 14136 Baxter Dr Suite 1; Bemidji Herbergers – 1201 Paul Bunyan Drive; Duluth Younkers – 1600 Miller Trunk Hwy., Superior Younkers – 69 North 28 Street.
By Gayle Goetz
VP of Development and Career Services at Goodwill Industries of Kansas
Question
“What online opportunities exist to obtain my GED diploma?”– Luanne from Sacramento, CA
Answer
Many wonderful programs — including educational opportunities through Goodwill — exist to help adults obtain their GED diplomas and improve their job prospects.
First, a word of warning: NO online program can give you a GED certificate in 15 days for $199, as I saw offered on the web last week. Those “purchased” degrees are quickly identified as fake by employers and higher educational institutions.
Qualified GED programs (both online and land-based) offer assistance in preparing to take the GED exam, which must be taken in person at an accredited GED testing center.
Many GED preparation programs are internet based, which means that you can study from home at hours convenient to you. An instructor will be assigned to you at the time of your enrollment and can be reached by phone or email at various times. These instructors have access to records of the time you spend online, and your performance in pre and post- test study evaluations.
You will also be given an individualized study plan. As you progress, the instructor will assign you increasingly difficult sections as skills are mastered. When you reach an acceptable level of accomplishment, you will be asked to take an official practice test (OPT) test that determines readiness for the actual GED exam. These OPT tests must also be taken at accredited testing facilities. When you are proficient in all subjects, you will be directed to schedule the GED exam at an accredited facility.
If you’re thinking about preparing for and taking the GED exam but are not sure where to start, consider getting in touch with your local Goodwill. Some Goodwills, like the one I work for in Kansas, are actively offering online GED preparation programs. Even if your nearest Goodwill doesn’t have an official GED program yet, experienced career and education counselors can still help you think through the steps you need to be successful.
Finally, if you’re thinking about going to college, know that many Goodwills are partnering with local community and/or technical colleges to offer graduating GED students further opportunities to obtain higher, certified skills and competitive job placement.
For more details on the GED, visit the official website on GED testing.
Next up: time to clean out the closet!
By Valerie Clark
Public Relations Specialist, Goodwill Duluth
vclark@goodwillduluth.org
Have you ever heard the saying that if you haven’t used an item in a year or more, it’s time to get rid of it?
It’s easier said than done, I know. I’m just a couple of magazine stacks and a shoe-filled fish tank away from being cast on an episode of “Hoarders.” But if you can get into the tough mindset of answering “NO” to that question of “Do I REALLY need this,” you’ll find yourself making great progress toward seeing your closet floor for the first time since the Nixon administration.
For example, I took advantage of the long Presidents’ Day weekend to start purging and packing because I’m buying a house (moving, AGAIN!). It is hard for a softhearted packrat such as myself to part with past artifacts of my life, even silly things like an 8-year-old checkbook register that chronicles the purchase of my wedding dress. I often wonder, what’s an acceptable and mentally healthy amount of nostalgia to attach to such an inanimate object, even if it reminds you of something special? There is no easy, black-and-white answer, but I think it depends on the degree to which your “stuff” is getting in the way of your life.
So, when going through shoeboxes full of old bills and unneeded papers this past weekend, I had an idea to start a scrapbook of all those little things that are actually worth saving, like concert ticket stubs and receipts from exciting travels. This way, I’ll have an organized way to keep those little reminders that make me smile without having them take over my life in the form of clutter.
But that doesn’t mean that I should keep everything. I still have to get tough on myself with any unnecessary item that could be seen as having sentimental value. Do I REALLY need my old tennis skirt from high school, or is it more important to have that much more space in my dresser drawer and keep the memories of the inaugural team’s fun-but-losing 4-8 season? I’ll take the space, thanks very much, without looking back.
Aside from making room, the other advantage to purging is that I’ll be able to make a donation to Goodwill. We turn gently used goods into jobs for people in the Northland with disabilities or others with barriers to employment. I already have a pile started for Goodwill, and today I hope it will grow even bigger after I tackle my closet!
You can donate your gently used clothing, furniture and household goods to any Goodwill store during regular store hours. All donations are tax-deductible, and receipts are available upon request.
Good luck with your purge!
Willie Stevens
Willie Stevens has faced down some demons in his day, battling depression, alcoholism, and physical problems. But with help from Goodwill, his church community, and his own positive attitude and faith, Willie provides inspiration to all who meet him.
Willie, 47, was born and raised in Duluth. He was born with poor eyesight, and degenerative disc disease eventually led to difficulties with his legs that made it necessary for him to use a wheelchair.
“I’ve had problems since I was a kid,” Willie says. “My legs started going bad as I got older.”
He dealt with various health problems and faced depression through the years, and on top of everything else, had a hard time finding work. But at the age of 32, he found a light at the end of the tunnel.
“In 1996, Goodwill came into the picture,” Willie said. “I was without a job after dealing with some illness.”
After an evaluation, Willie started working with Goodwill’s match repackaging program. Through finally finding meaningful employment, Willie felt himself turning a corner.
“It was an important time in my life,” he said. “After six or eight years of not working…there was a big gap there.”
When the partnership with the match manufacturer ended, Willie got a job through Goodwill at St. Louis County Social Services, where he does office work and “all the little things” that the busy staffers don’t always have time for.
“Whatever they ask me, I’ll do it,” says Willie, who will have worked for SLCSS for 10 years as of June 2012. “Goodwill having me here is a real blessing. I’m glad that they keep me here.”
In addition to working about 25 hours a week at St. Louis County, Willie keeps busy by volunteering with his church, Hermantown Community Church, and the Lincoln Park VCAP (Volunteers Caring and Patrolling).
“I do a lot of volunteering,” he said. His strong personal faith and church community have played major roles in his life.
He also loves arts and crafts, and enjoys making keychains and jewelry in his free time. And instead of taking lunch breaks at work, he likes going to the YMCA to squeeze in a quick workout.
“I love the YMCA,” he said. “I’m very grateful now that they’ve remodeled. I do like to exercise every day.”
He appreciates the impact that Goodwill has had on his life.
“They’re a great outfit,” he says. “They help people with different things. They got me off of a stretch of unemployment. I’m a lot better off working than not. I can’t just sit and do nothing.”
Having a purpose in his life, Willie says, helps him to stay positive.
“Working helps with the symptoms of mental health problems,” he says. “It makes a big difference.”
Goodwill's Ely store
Do you enjoy:
- FREE cookies and popcorn
- FREE coffee
- A chance to win a FREE 32” Magnavox HDTV
- Entering to win a FREE $20 Goodwill gift certificate
- Great values on clothes and more
- Festivals
- ArtWalks
- Ely
- Snow sculptures
- Puppies
- All of the above?
If so, you’ll want to clear your calendar for this Saturday, Feb. 11 for the Grand Opening of our Ely Goodwill store! It will take place during the Ely Winter Festival and ArtWalk. Our store, located at 40 N. 2nd Ave. E. in downtown Ely, will be right in the heart of all the action. We’re participating in ArtWalk, showcasing the photography and fine art of Kahsha Hyde, Eric Sherman and Steve Voiles.
Sound great? You betcha!
And no, the grand opening really has nothing to do with puppies. I only wrote that to get your attention. Just watch this.
By Valerie Clark
Public Relations Specialist, Goodwill Duluth
vclark@goodwillduluth.org
College is back in session for the spring semester, and here in the Twin Ports we are lucky to have such a large population of students at our many local schools. Welcome back!
Bear with me for a moment in considering the plight of the stereotypical college student: Away from home for perhaps the first time, she has found it difficult to manage her own finances and often turns to that steadfast dinner staple of Ramen 
noodles for sustenance. (Actually I still enjoy them to this day, but I suspect they have the nutritional value of cardboard soaked in brine.)
Maybe he’s underestimated the cost of those overpriced textbooks, which he will sell at a 500% loss at the end of the semester, and is left with no funds for liquid libations. (Priorities!)
Maybe she’s found a part-time job waiting tables, but even on her busiest night she doesn’t earn quite enough to cover her rent at a house she’s sharing with approximately 19 other people. (Who is that sleeping next to the hot water heater?)
How is a college student supposed to pay for basic necessities? Goodwill is here to help! Whether you need new (or at least “new to you”) clothes or a desk for your apartment, you’ll be sure to find it in one of our area stores. Click here for a complete list: http://www.goodwillduluth.org/shop-locations.htm
If it’s been awhile since you’ve shopped at Goodwill, stop by and be amazed at what you find! Store inventories change daily, so there are always new treasures to be discovered. Impress your hipster friends with your eco-friendly, thrifty trendiness. And know that what you spend here goes to a good cause of employment for people with disabilities!
Boots: $3.99; Dress: $4.99; Sweater, $4.29. Total: $13.27
This started with just one coupon.
by Valerie Clark
Public Relations Specialist, Goodwill Duluth
vclark@goodwillduluth.org
The Piles were starting to take over my house, leaning and swaying ominously with each new piece of mail. No one can quite remember how they got started, but like a Gremlin that you’re never supposed to get wet, they’ve somehow multiplied and now threaten to take over the entire house. They’ve even infiltrated the kitchen table, covering every surface with unpaid bills (whoops!), expired Arby’s coupons (d’oh!) and unread magazines and catalogs that “I might look at someday.”
This past weekend it was time to conquer the teetering Piles once and for all (at least until 3 months from now when they inevitably re-form again, of course). Thanks to my husband’s ruthless sorting and purging, which is the necessary antidote to my sentimental junk mail hoarding tendencies, we could see the surfaces of our kitchen table and end tables within 20 minutes.
Afterwards, I sat down to pay bills, balance the checkbook and label billing dates on my new 2012 calendar. It was an exciting weekend at the Clark house to be sure! Actually, it really did feel good to get organized and start a clean slate for a new week, new month and new year.
Did you know that January is Get Organized Month? It’s a great reason to start going through your own piles and de-cluttering your house. Here are three quick tips that could make a big difference!
- Take 10 minutes a day to de-clutter. Work into your daily schedule a time period each day when you can give the house a quick clean-up and throw away any clutter before it gets the chance to accumulate. Make it a time that you’ll be able to stick to as part of your routine, whether it’s right when you get home from work or just before you leave the house in the morning.
- Take the time to put things away, and train your kids to do the same. Laying your coat on the back of a chair or leaving dirty socks on the bedroom floor might not seem like a big deal, but if you do it every day you’ll have a very messy house by the end of the week. Take those few extra seconds to put things in their rightful place. Clean as you go!
- Anytime you buy something new, look at it as an opportunity to evaluate your existing belongings. For instance, if you buy a new DVD, is it time to get rid of one of the older movies that you don’t watch anymore?
All your hard work can have a beneficial byproduct as well. Once you’re done sorting, you can bring your gently used purge-ables down to Goodwill. Your donations will help us provide work for someone in your community with a disability or another barrier to employment!
By Question
“I’m employed but my job doesn’t pay enough to keep up with my household expenses. How do I find out about training opportunities that can help me get into a job that pays higher wages?” – Jeannie from Charleston, WV
Answer
You’re right that more education means more money. By getting more training, you are investing in yourself. Community colleges are a great place to train for a new career or get the skills you need to move up in your current field. They are less expensive than four-year universities and they focus on the skills that matter to employers.
1. Your first step should be to figure out what kind of job you want to train for. Look for a job that:
- Is a good fit for YOU – Try these tools to match your interests or skills to jobs.
- Has openings – Check out which jobs the government expects to have the most openings and to grow quickly. Talk to your local OneStop to get more information on your specific area of interest.
- Will pay enough to cover your expenses – How much do you need to earn each month? Make a budget and compare your needs to typical wages for different jobs in your area.
- Has a career ladder with growth opportunities – Check out these example career pathways.
2. Next, you will need to figure out what training you will need to get the type of job you want. Do you just need a skill or two, or a whole new degree or professional license? If you are unsure, ask someone who has the kind of job you want to get into and look at the requirements in job ads. Online job databases and your local OneStop can also help you figure this out.
3. Then, you’ll need to decide which training program to enroll in. You can search for both short-term certificate and longer-term degree programs near you on the Career OneStop website. Consider your work schedule and what options are available for the type of training you’re interested in – evening, weekend, online, full-time or part-time – as well as the length of the training.
4. Of course, you will need to figure out how you’re going to pay for training. Cost is one of the scariest parts of going back to school, but there are far more resources available than most people know about, especially for job training programs at community colleges:
- Fill out your FAFSA application for federal financial aid.
- Ask the workforce training office at your college about funding programs such as Worker Retraining (for laid off), WorkFirst (TANF), SNAPET (for those on food stamps) and the Workforce Investment Act (for low-income workers).
- Search for scholarships online.
- Ask the college about payment plans or take fewer classes each term to reduce costs.
5. And finally, you will enroll in the training program you’ve selected:
- Fill out the college application and take a placement test
- Meet with an Advisor and register for classes
- Get your books and supplies and connect with on-campus resources (tutoring, disability services, computer lab, etc.)
Going back to school as an adult can be scary, but it can also be tremendously rewarding. The College for Adults website has lots of helpful tips. Some community organizations, including many Goodwill agencies, help support adults seeking job training – assistance can range from guidance, to money for tuition and books, to specially reserved seats in classes.
You will succeed in getting on a new career path if you go to class, do your best, ask questions whenever you’re unsure or struggling and keep your goal in mind. Good luck!
Excitement awaits.
By Valerie Clark
Public Relations Specialist, Goodwill Duluth
vclark@goodwillduluth.org
Happy Boxing Day! Finally, now that Christmas is over, we get to experience that magical time of year when, um…the day of the…the much anticipated…OK, I have no idea what Boxing Day is. In the interest of public education, here are a few theories:
• It’s the traditional day-after-Christmas event where Uncle Biff and Uncle Bill come to blows over their annual argument over who crashed Grandpa’s truck into the ice hut that time back in ’76.
• It celebrates the many exciting and glamorous uses of the box, which include storage. And packing! And…storage. Also, fort building.
• It’s a day to spread awareness about possible uses of the deconstructed box. Laid out flat, boxes make legendary breakdancing platforms. Or…single-use, slow-moving makeshift sleds. Use your imagination, kids!
OK, maybe I should find a more reputable source for information on this mystery-shrouded holiday. According to Wikipedia, which is never wrong, it’s unclear how Boxing Day, celebrated in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K., got its start. One of the prevailing theories is that it got its name from the tradition of collecting for the less fortunate by using metal boxes placed outside churches.
On that note, I propose we adopt a new tradition for Boxing Day that’s better than fist fighting or breakdancing combined (though possibly not dance fighting). Take the now-empty boxes used for this year’s Christmas presents and fill them with gently used items from around your house that you haven’t seen since last December. A good de-cluttering rule of thumb to remember: If you haven’t seen it or used it in a year or more, give it away.
So keep that in mind, de-clutter your house, and give to Goodwill! Your donations help to create jobs and support our mission of employment and training for people in our community with disabilities. And by the way, that box you used to bring in your donations? We’ll recycle it for you. You’re welcome, Earth!
goodwillduluth
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