Local Goodwill culls top national award
North Fort Myers-based Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida has had a banner year. Not only has the organization topped records for attendance at the Festival of Trees, it also has been selected to receive the 2011 Goodwill Family Strengthening Center of Excellence Award.
The Family Strengthening Center of Excellence Awards is sponsored by Goodwill Industries International and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. They honor only a select few Goodwill agencies that incorporate family financial stability strategies into their organization’s mission, vision and program offerings.
The local agency is being recognized for its corporate philosophy and forward thinking practices that promote economic self-sufficiency for its employees and program participants, said officials.
To be successful at work, everyone needs to be confident that their families are healthy and safe and that their home life is stable, said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International in a prepared statement.
For more than 10 years, Goodwill and the Anne E. Casey Foundation have been partners in family strengthening, enabling local Goodwill agencies to address the unique needs of families by providing career development, financial literacy, certification programs, and charter schools for youth with disabilities and other disadvantages.
Since 2001, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has granted more than $1.4 million to stimulate the family strengthening initiatives of a total of 41 local Goodwill agencies that have received family strengthening awards. The local affiliate is one of only five recipients of all of those throughout the country.
“The award is recognizing the fact that we want we want to work with individuals and their families, whether they be employees of our organizations or individuals coming to us for services,” said Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida President/CEO Tom Feurig.
“The working with families as a whole can help assure that changes made are lasting.”
To provide family strengthening initiatives to the Southwest Florida community, Goodwill operates nine Job-Link family resource centers, which co-locate a number of human service agencies to provide one-stop shops for people with disabilities and other disadvantages. The agency also operates the Goodwill L.I.F.E. Academy, a Lee County Charter School, which serves students with developmental disabilities. The school aims for 100 percent of graduates to have jobs or additional vocational training opportunities upon graduation.
Feurig also commented on what the new year will bring.
“What 2012 will involve is that we are capable to reach out even more to those we serve by bringing services into their communities.”
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. serves Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties by providing programs and services that help people with disabilities and other disadvantages become more independent and self-sufficient.
He also noted the record attendance figures recently released for Goodwill’s signature fund raising event – The Festival of Trees. “From the Festival of Trees, Goodwill will be privileged to be able to give back to our communities we serve in a variety of ways.
“The Festival touched over 5,700 people’s lives to be a part of the entire revitalization efforts of Fort Myers during this holiday season. Funds will be used for various programs and will ensure the continuation of our services over the long term.”
The event, hosted by the Southwest Florida Goodwill Foundation and culminating in the auction of the holiday decorated trees, was held at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2.
“Every year, we’ve seen a jump in the number of people who’ve come to see the trees,” said Director of Public Relations Kirsten O Donnell. “We had more than a thousand more that attended this year.”
She attributes that to local revitalization as well. “I think a lot of it is as more businesses are locating to the Fort Myers River District, with more people discovering what is available in our area.”
Many auction winners donated their trees back, she said. “One was donated to the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, and others went to the PACE School for Girls, The Early Childhood Development Center and more.”
Their “bear tree” had many more bears this year than ever they before. “We had many, many, many donors.”
The trees and wreaths, which were donated by The Home Depot, were then decorated by local businesses, organizations, and individuals, who donated their time and materials to the event.
Visitors to the event came not only from across Florida, but across the globe. “About a quarter of the people who visited us came from other states or countries, O Donnell said. “We had folks from 39 states, from here in Florida to as far away as Alaska. Our international visitors came from 11 different countries, including Norway, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands.
“We understand that most of the out-of-towners were here to visit family and friends for the holidays, but it’s great to know that locals think of our event as a must-see for their out-of-town guests.”
The trees were auctioned at the Tux & Trees Gala, a black-tie fund raiser. Goodwill is currently tabulating the proceeds from the event.
“The whole event is an opportunity to increase our visibility in the community, so people know we are just more than a stores.”
More information about Goodwill s programs and services is available at goodwilswfl.org.