[caption id="attachment_1008" align="alignright" width="100"] Matthew Bourlakas, President and CEO[/caption] In her book, “Edgar James Helms—The Goodwill Man,” Beatrice Plumb recounts Rev. Helms’ early efforts to help people in need without taking from them their self-respect. The year was 1902 and thousands of people were out of...
Two years ago, Randall had been out of work for months and needed a job. He decided to turn to Goodwill Career Solutions for help. During his job hunt, Randall participated in several classes, attended multiple "job jams" and completed his forklift certification. Just a few...
Laura had been out of work for three years and desperately needed to find a job to support her three children. In 2006, a friend told Laura about Goodwill Career Solutions and, just two days later, she got a job at Goodwill. “I’m working for my...
On Friday, June 21, 2013, NBC News reported on the use of Special Minimum Wage Certificates by some other Goodwill agencies. The certificate is a portion of the Fair Labor Standards Acts (FLSA), which allows employers to pay a rate less than minimum wage to...
Steve had been working from home repairing electronics when he got a job offer he couldn’t refuse. “I was shopping at the Goodwill store in Cookeville, and an employee asked me to put in an application,” he remembers. “They called me before I got home.” That...
Beyond Jobs is a two-year program that connects women with the tools they need to advance their careers, succeed in the workforce and achieve personal and career goals. In February, Goodwill began offering the program at six of its Career Solutions centers in Middle and...
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. People who have mental health issues often feel embarrassment or fear, thinking others may know that they have some type of mental illness. Many do not seek assistance for fear of being labeled and privately suffer alone...
Spend a little time talking with Robert and you'll want to see the world the way he does. Cataracts took his sight from him when he was seven years old, but he has not let losing his sight stop him from achieving his goals and...
This week, May 6-10, Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee and the other nearly 200 Goodwills around the world are celebrating Goodwill Week. What are we celebrating? The important work we do, the people we are privileged to serve and our business partners who hire our...
If you need someone to brighten your day, just visit the Donation Express Center in Hermitage and ask for Eric. The 23-year-old is one of the sweetest and most polite people you will ever meet, and his smile can light up a room. “Eric is always smiling, and it...
Not too long ago, one Career Solutions counselor received an email from a client who had enrolled in our program in January. She had been job searching on her own for a while and was not having success landing interviews. Her computer skills were fairly...
[caption id="attachment_949" align="alignright" width="235"] Tanna Clark, life simplifier[/caption] Spring has sprung and it’s time to start tackling the cleaning and decluttering! I don’t know about you, but as soon as the air gets warmer I fling open the windows and toss out the excess. Okay, not...
Where do you dream of being when you are 81 years of age? Retired on a scenic tropical island? Nestled comfortably in the mountains connecting with nature and enjoying the view? Or maybe poolside in your back yard with a great book in hand and...
If you haven’t gotten around to doing your taxes just yet, Goodwill is here to help. Through a joint partnership, funded by the Walmart Foundation, with Goodwill Industries International, United Way Worldwide and the National Disability Institute, Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee is offering free...
When many people in Middle and West Tennessee think of Goodwill, they think of Robert. For years now, he has been featured in Goodwill commercials. However, the Goodwill employee is best known for the commercial featuring him singing "It’s a Good Day Today." That song...
