A Mission Moment

Submitted by Tenisha Davis
Retail Recruiter
Goodwill of Greater Washington

I had the opportunity to meet a woman with the most powerful story that I have ever heard. One of Goodwill’s trainers referred a woman to me by the name of “Jeannie” who applied for a part time Sales Associate position. It began with an informal interview, but ended with a couple of tears on my cheek.

The interview started off with an introduction about Goodwill's mission. Before I could proceed to the questions about Jeannie’s work experience, she began telling me how Goodwill’s mission and her testimony are intertwined.

Jeannie initiated telling me about how two years prior she was working at a bookstore as a book-keeper/ customer service representative. While working there she started to have neck pain. At first she didn't give too much thought about it, until she started feeling numbness in her fingers. -- Read More

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Goodwill Offers Access to Free Computer Cleaning Software

Goodwill has added several links on our website (www.dcgoodwill.org) that allow the user to download hard drive erasing software. The links are located on the donation guidelines page.

Goodwill strongly recommends that anyone donating a computer thoroughly erase their hard drive before handing over the computer.

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Green DC Week

Goodwill of Greater Washington has been invited by the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) to host a vendor table on April 21st for the Green DC Day event on Freedom Plaza!

Every item donated to Goodwill of Greater Washington is one less item tossed into a landfill. Not only do your donations help our environment, but they also help Goodwill provide job training and employment services to the disadvantaged and disabled. Goodwill continues to be one of our nation’s largest recyclers. Please go to your nearest Goodwill to help the environment and DONATE!

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Subcommittee Considers Reforms to Support Disabled Veterans

Subcommittee Considers Reforms to Support Disabled Veterans On Feb. 14, officials from the Government Accounting Office (GAO) testified before the House Veterans Affairs Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee. During the hearing, the GAO officials explained that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims systems needs fundamental changes, including more staff to handle hundreds of thousands of veterans’ disability claims. They also suggested that other fundamental reforms may be needed to improve its disability program for the longer term.

“Programs remain mired in concepts from the past, particularly the concept that impairment equates to an inability to work,” said Daniel Bertoni GAO’s Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues Director. “We found that these programs are poorly positioned to provide meaningful and timely support for Americans with disabilities.”

Rep. John Hall (D-NY), who chairs the subcommittee, signaled his support for electronically transferring records from the U.S. Department of Defense to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affair for members of the armed forces who have become disabled. “They should be compensated from day one,” said Hall, who did not rule offering legislation to make the changes. “We have to move in the direction where some of these things are automatic.” Hall said he hoped to enact reforms, including changes that would allow service members with multiple disability claims to receive benefits immediately upon their discharge for readily-apparent injuries, such as a lost limb.

Go to http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?NewsID=189 to access information, including testimony, from the hearing.

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Goodwill Once Again to Provide Cleaning for the National Cherry Blossom Festival Sakura Matsuri

For the fifth straight year, Goodwill of Greater Washington will be providing the cleaning services for the largest event associated with the National Cherry Blossom Festival: The Sakura Matsuri Street Festival on Saturday, April 12th in downtown Washington, DC.

As a member of the Washington, DC community, Goodwill is very proud to again play a role in the largest event in the nation’s capital. Most of the workers handling the cleaning are students or graduates of Goodwill’s Janitorial Services training program. So not only are we serving our community, but the Cherry Blossom Festival is providing employment opportunities to people who need them.

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