PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Goodwill, Gainesville ISD, and Texas Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation Services are partnering to provide training to students in high school in the special education department. Goodwill has teachers and job coaches on the high school campus five days a week to provide training in money management, job seeking skills, dressing for success, disability disclosure, and other skills on how to maintain a job. This partnership is very beneficial for all the students involved and allows these students to live more productive lives while in school and after graduation. Goodwill contracts with TWS-VRS to provide Vocational Adjustment Training, Job Coaching, Job Placement, and Support Employment Services. Through this partnership individuals with disabilities and disadvantage can learn the skills need to live and work successfully.
Since July of 2017 United Way has provided grant funding to Goodwill to provide training to high school students in Grayson County. This training is for high school special education students. The training consists of employment related training as well as life skills training. This training assists in preparing students for the world of work after graduation.
Goodwill contracts with WorkQuest to place individuals with disabilities and disadvantages into competitive employment. Goodwill currently has employees placed at Sherman DPS office, Health and Human Services in Mt. Vernon and Mt. Pleasant, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Mt. Pleasant, Attorney Generals office in Texarkana.
For the past 2 years we have built a relationship with Blake Utter Ford through their Lincoln Drive to Give Campaign. It is not unusual to see Blake Utter himself not only promote the event but attend as well. Lincoln Drive to Give is a fundraising campaign for non-profits that Lincoln selects through an application process. They commit to having 4-6 of their fleet made available to anyone with a valid driver’s license test drive 1 to 3 of their cars. For every test drive, Lincoln gives $20 back to the selected non-profit. We trust our fleet of vehicles to Blake Utter for more than their maintenance and efficiency, we trust them because we feel valued by them.
In 2017 we partnered with Moncrief Cancer Institute. Each quarter they bring their mobilized unit to our store located on Texoma Parkway in Sherman. Moncrief offers a free service to screen women for breast cancer as well as ovarian cancer. Insurance is not an issue, this is a service offered for the benefit of awareness. If anything is detected, Moncrief works with the individual and their insurance if they have any, to help get the necessary resources and treatment required. We believe in non-profits working together for the benefit of the communities we serve.
The first Thursday of every month we are featured on K-Ten for a spot showcasing our donations. Thrifty Thursday is the spotlight time that enables us to share how donations turn into opportunities for individuals with disadvantages and disabilities. Our segment was at 5:50 AM, however, we have moved our time to the lunch hour, which enables us to have our success stories join us from time to time, as well as engage a wider audience.
In 2017 we became members of Sherman Downtown Now. Having them as a partner and to help us have a platform to share our Mission has been such a blessing. We feel the community engagement and appreciate all that Sherman Downtown Now offers to Goodwill Industries of Northeast Texas.
SWAP IT UP
SWAP IT UP was a six-week competition between the Advanced Manufacturing Program (AMP) students at Pottsboro, Sherman, and Whitesboro High Schools held in September-October 2018. Each student team traded products and services with Chamber businesses with the goal to provide the most valuable item to a lo-cal non-profit. This first-year program was a success for all its participants as the businesses received free advertising, many of the non-profits’ needs were met, and the students marketed AMP to their communities. The team from SHERMAN HIGH SCHOOL selected Goodwill Industries of Northeast Texas as their non-profit. By the end of the competition, the team collected a total value of $9,581 in products and services. This included reams of copy paper, 40 t-shirts, and eight computers which were items Goodwill requested on their needs list. SEDCO is proud of the teams’ accomplishments and looking forward to growing the Swap It Up program in years
SHERMAN ISD
Sherman ISD has been fortunate to partner with Goodwill Industries in providing work preparation and experience for our students with cognitive impairment. We have had two classes attend work preparation classes with Goodwill and look forward to more classes in the next semester. We have found their support for our students to be of great benefit in improving their employment and social skills.
~Kaye Allen, Special Education Director
(Sherman Independent School District)
Our partnership with Goodwill Industries provides valuable job training and work experiences that allow our students to learn and develop confidence in a real-world setting. These authentic learning opportunities greatly enhance our classroom curriculum and I know our students will graduate better prepared for the future as a result of learning and working with our local Goodwill!
~David Hicks
(Sherman Independent School District)
DENISON ISD
Terry Snow reported that the Goodwill work study program has meant a great deal to the students at DENISON HIGH SCHOOL. He shared, “The students not only get to learn about writing a resume and how to interview with potential employers, but they get to work in the process with the help of Miss Wendy and Miss Connie. The students have learned how to sort donated clothes or products, hang up clothes, move products around in the warehouse.” “Our students learned skills that will last them a lifetime.”Goodwill allows the students to start at the beginning by learning who the students are and what their special qualities are. They work on a resume for each student and starts with filling out job applications and learning to talk to people that may one day give them a job. They play team bonding games and learn how to work together. Once they have completed the paperwork, they get to go in the warehouse and work. Each student, with supervision, gets to work and learn how it is to complete a task they could one day get paid to do.
“Terry Snow, the Vocational Teacher, said, “The people at Goodwill mean the world to the DHS teachers and students.” “Miss Katrina, Miss Katharine, Miss Wendy, Miss Connie and Miss Charity work with us each visit to make sure the students are learning and also enjoying their time together. All of the Goodwill employees love to see us coming and love being a part of helping our students become better qualified to work in our community.”
We at Denison High School look forward to many years of working with the Goodwill team. It is our goal to cooperatively guide our students to achieve their dream of working and living independently.
Lori May, Director of Special Education Terry Snow, Transition Class, Jackets at Work Program
Mission in Motion: Rebecca, Ashley and Echo
Our goal with #MissionPossible is to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities or disadvantages. This is accomplished through education, training, and placement in gainful employment.
“Working at Goodwill, we don’t feel like we are felons. We are treated with respect and have opportunities to advance in the company, despite our records.
This is the first time we all have kept stable employment. We highly recommend working for Goodwill Industries for anybody looking for a second chance.”
~Rebecca Edwards, Ashley Bell & Echo Schubert
To learn more about what we do and how we do it, please visit our Mission Services page.
Basel Aftimos
Basel Aftimos was referred to Goodwill Industries of Northeast Texas from the Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation Services for employment services. Basel had a very strong desire to work to support himself and his family. Basel was volunteering at different organizations in the Sherman area to gain new work skills.
When Basel was a young man both of his legs were amputated. Basel has not let the fact that he has prosthetic legs ever deter him from his desire to work. Basel expressed an interest in working many different places, with Goodwill being one of those organizations.
In 2016, Basel accepted a position as a custodian for Goodwill’s AS-IS store. Basel’s supervisor, Bruce Hill states that Basel demonstrates excellent work habits and job proficiency. Basel always meets or exceeds expectations. Bruce also states Basel works safely, reports to work on time, and is very personable and polite. Basel is a great example of Goodwill’s Mission of “Giving a Hand Up Rather Than a Hand Out”.
Due to Basel’s hard work and dedication he is receiving the award of Achiever of the Year. Congratulations!
