OUTLOOKThe Official Newsletter for Supporters of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries

Fall 2014

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You Help People Like Jake When You Give to GoodwillLearn About His Extraordinary Talent

You could live your whole life and never be luckyenough to meet a person like Jake. He is skilled. He ispatient. Most importantly, he is determined. He hasnever let his disabilities stand in his way.

Thanks to donors like you, Jake also has a job. He foundit by coming to Goodwill, and it’s one of the reasons he’smaximizing his independence today.

You help individuals overcome barriers to employmenteach time you give to Goodwill. You offer them a chanceto seek independence and dignity through work — andfor someone like Jake that chance means a lot.

Building His Models

Jake likes to build. Specifically, he builds intricate, full-scale models of mansions using balsa wood and his ownremarkable abilities. His models are truly amazing.

“When I was younger, I didn’t feel that I could doanything,” says Jake. “But when I got into this, Ithought that I found my niche in being able to dosomething that not everybody else can do.”

Jake was born with Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rarecondition that can lead to intellectual disabilities,seizures or other medical problems. For Jake, its impacton him is simple to explain.

“I had to learn slower than most,” he says. “But I couldstill learn.”

What’s most incredible about Jake is not what he haslearned. It’s what he has achieved.

His ability to build elaborate models is extraordinary.But to him, it’s one of many accomplishments in his life.He’s married. He can drive. And as his time withGoodwill has shown, Jake can hold down a job.

Doing His Job

As a janitor at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA,Jake has a job he enjoys. He had previous workexperience when he came to Goodwill. He just neededhelp to get some additional training.

“It makes me feel good that I’m needed,” says Jake abouthis job. “It takes me about two hours to get there, sothat’s four hours of commute time. And when I’m there,I’m there for about four hours.”

Jake was referred to Goodwill by the MassachusettsRehabilitation Commission. He has worked throughGoodwill’s AbilityOne program — a federal initiativethat helps people with disabilities work on governmentcontracts through various community rehabilitationagencies — ever since.

Your gifts are the reason Goodwill is able to help people like Jake —who has the remarkable ability to build intricately detailed modelsfrom scratch.

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OUTLOOK Fall 2014

Opening the Door to Independence and DignityGoodwill’s Marathon Team Gives Young People a Chance

You heard a lot about the Boston Marathon this year. After the tragedy of2013, the race was bigger than ever. It had special meaning for our city —and for Goodwill.

Our Running for Great Kids team of 24 runnersaccepted the challenge of running Boston’sgrueling course in April. Before doing so, theyeach committed to raising money for Goodwill’sPeter Morrissey Youth Fund, which is named aftera late, long-time supporter and Board memberwho cared deeply about children in need.

Goodwill’s runners asked family members, friendsand colleagues to support young people who wanta chance to succeed at life. The results wereextraordinary.

Goodwill’s Boston Marathon Team, Running forGreat Kids, raised just over $100,000. And those

funds are now being used to provide opportunities for youth.

We expect to have at least 120 young people who live in Roxbury, Dorchesterand Mattapan turn to the Goodwill Youth Initiative for help this year. Thanksto our marathon team — and with the continued generosity of donors likeyou — we’ll be prepared to help.

With an after-school program that offers academic support, mentoring and achance to build leadership skills, Goodwill is uniquely positioned to makeyour gifts matter. We do our best to meet the needs of all the youth who needus — during the school year and during the summer months. Our jobreadiness workshops, and the help we are able to provide with summer andpart-time jobs, are invaluableto adolescents who wantexperience that will benefitthem long-term.

Everyone at Goodwill isproud of the Running forGreat Kids team —because of theirfundraising and the factthat each runner finishedthe race. Together, they’vemade a difference foryoung people in the sameway you do each timeyou give to Goodwill.

Goodwill is honored to participatein AbilityOne, and proud thatparticipants like Jake clean andmaintain millions of square feet offederal office space each year.Jake’s story is one of many atGoodwill — and that’s the reasonyour continued support matters.

Jake is a talented and caringindividual. Can you imagine if hedidn’t have Goodwill or the valuedsupport of donors like you? Forhim, and for so many others, yourgifts offer more than you couldpossibly know.

Extraordinary Talent from page 1

Watch Jake’s story online!Visit www.goodwillmass.orgtoday. You’ll see some of the

models he has built and you’lllearn just how much he enjoys

the job he found by coming to Goodwill.

You can support youthwho need your help.

Send your gift toGoodwill today orvisit us online at

www.goodwillmass.orgto learn more aboutour Youth Initiative.

Your generouscontribution will

improve lives.

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Fall 2014 OUTLOOK

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Back toWorkThanks toGoodwill’sBostonCareer LinkYour GiftsLead People to Jobs

You can’t reallyknow howimportant a job isto you until youdon’t have oneanymore. Beinglaid off from workis often life-changing — especially when you have young children.

Danilda is a single mother, raising a four-year-old son and she needs ajob to take care of him. That’s why the news that she had been laid offfrom her job was so difficult.

Thanks to support from you and other Goodwill donors, Danilda hada place to turn as she looked for a new job. She went to Boston CareerLink, which is Goodwill’s one-stop career center. It offers jobseekerslike Danilda counseling services, workshops, access to job fairs and thechance to connect with employers.

“Boston Career Link has a great program in place,” says Danilda. “I liked the workshops and I got emails from the career center on aregular basis with information on job openings.”

Your gifts to Goodwill open doors for individualsin need. Danilda was able to work directly with aBoston Career Link career advisor, who led her toa great new job — one that she enjoys.

Today, Danilda is an administrative assistant withLenox Martell, Inc., a soda and refrigerationequipment service company located in Boston’sJamaica Plain neighborhood, and a business thatpartners with Goodwill. It’s the perfect fit for herbecause it offers schedule flexibility. And that’s justwhat she needs as she continues to raise her son.

Upcoming Events at GoodwillAnnual events for programparticipants are a long-standingtradition at Goodwill. Your next giftwill help to make the followingupcoming events possible:

• November 25Thanksgiving-in-a-Basket

• November 26Thanksgiving Dinner

• December 13The Goodwill Holiday Party

Your gifts are thereasonGoodwill isable to helpso manypeopleimprove their lives.

Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industrieswww.goodwillmass.org/outlook

Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.Your gift to support Goodwill is fully tax deductible to the extent provided by law.4

OUTLOOK Fall 2014

Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries1010 Harrison Avenue

Boston, MA 02119Tel: 617-445-1010

www.goodwillmass.org/outlook

For nearly 120 Years, Goodwill has served individuals,families, and communities, simply by helping people go towork. Through our programs, people gain skills they need tobe able to support themselves and their families.

Each year, with the support of friends like you, we helpthousands of low-income, unemployed and underemployedadults with job training and career services programs. Andthrough our Youth Initiative we reach out to more than100 young people.

We rely on your support, so we want to make sure we aremeeting your needs and expectations. We recently maileda short survey to supporters like you — people who makegenerous gifts to advance our mission. The results wereboth surprising and gratifying. For example:

• While every supporter who responded to the surveymakes philanthropic gifts to Goodwill, 60% have alsodonated clothing or household items.

• When asked why they made their first gift toGoodwill, 80% said it was because Goodwill’smission is important to them.

• Just 17% of Goodwill supporters knew that every Goodwillacross the United States is independently operated.

• Out of all respondents, a full 98% said that they plan tocontinue supporting Goodwill in the future.

Everything we do — from providing high quality goods at lowprices in our stores, to helping individuals learn to supportthemselves through work — is only possible because we havethe support of friends like you. Thank you for donating,giving and caring!

We Asked. You Answered.In a recent survey, Goodwill supportersshared their thoughts

Goodwill MilestonesHELP Program Celebrates 10 YearsThanks to continued generous support,Goodwill’s eight-week training program forindividuals who want to work in the humanservices industry as direct supportprofessionals has now spanned an entiredecade (2004-2014).

Put YourClothesto WorkClothingDrive Hits GoalGoodwill’sannual PutYour Clothesto WorkClothingDrive, hostedby Boston-areacorporationsand organizations, generated more than15,000 pounds of interview-appropriatebusiness attire for Goodwill job trainees andthose from other organizations this year.

Salem Job Training CenterReorganizedIndividuals with disabilities who are right forcommunity-based group employment findthose services at Goodwill’s Salem, MA,location — which was reconfigured earlier thisyear to better serve the needs of participants.

Visit www.goodwillmass.org today to learnmore about how your continued supportwill help people achieve self-sufficiencythrough work.