![]() ![]() (I imagine that paying a caseworker to put in the time to cut through all this red tape is extremely time consuming, and thus is not done as a cost cutting measure!) And training wages are decided as a group and in accordance with Oregon Labor recommendations. And because there are strict wage restrictions on persons receiving state or county benefits, training wages can result in diminished benefits. Each trainee does have an Individual Service Plan. (I also need to point out that each regions’ Goodwills are run completely separately, and the trainee whose family was upset was from a different region.) Also, GICW pays their job training participants. ![]() So many different backgrounds, yet all having Goodwill’s employment career enhancement services in common.Īll the while, we’re poking our noses into their English as a second language (ESL) classrooms, the computer programming school, meeting co-workers and clients who all greet Dale by name and have a smile to share. Goodwill is proud that their entire mission is supported through their retail stores, and receives not a single penny in government funding.īefore I could ask about the controversy surrounding employees being paid less than minimum wage, I was given the full story and told that not one employee of GICW is paid less than minimum wage. From a woman whose traumatic brain injury left her with profound short term memory issues, to a young mother with a history of substance abuse, to developmentally disabled individuals, Dale shared their moving histories. (Goodwill does extensive outreach to homeless shelters, prisons and domestic violence shelters to locate people who would benefit from their programs.) I madly scribbled notes trying (and failing) to keep track of all of the inspirational stories. Dale knew the detailed back story of each and every single one of them. (What? This was here the whole time?!) There’s a long bright hallway with offices and classrooms, and the entire length is dotted with framed photos of Goodwill employees and clients. I met up with Dale Emanuel, the public relations manager of all things Goodwill and instead of going into the retail space, we walked into a different entrance which was kind of a through-the-wardrobe Narnian experience for me. “To provide vocational opportunities to people with barriers to employment.”Īnd because the Goodwill thrift shops are so very successful and profitable, they’re able to do an amazing amount of outreach throughout the community.īut I’m getting ahead of myself here. A way to raise money to support their mission, which is: But of course, the shops are just a means to an end. When I, the thrift store geek frugal queen of Portland think of Goodwill, it’s all about the thrift shops. Why yes, I would enjoy a behind the scenes tour of Goodwill. So when I got an e-mail from the PR department, asking if I would like a behind the scenes tour of the Goodwill of my choice, there was no hesitation. Clean, organized and filled to the brim with treasures for the eagle-eyed customer. Portland cultivates its hipster reputation with its food carts, bicycle culture and Portlandia vibe, but I vote that it’s our Goodwill thrift shops that put us on the map.īecause the Goodwill Industries of The Columbia Willamette (GICW) know what they’re doing. I swear, It’s purely physical!) I hear from readers across the country about how their Goodwills aren’t as good as our Goodwills, and I admit it, I get a little smug. (Okay, okay, I sometimes cheat with the William Temple House thrift shop across town, but I promise it means nothing to me. I am a thrift store geek! And because I live in Portland, Oregon, I am loyal to Goodwill. ![]()
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