November 15, 1996
Dear Personal Donor:
In the short while since Goodwill helped him find his job, Robert has
learned to thoroughly clean a motel room in about 40 minutes. His job
objectives call for him to do it in 30.
He has no time to waste.
Neither do we. With the help of friends like you, Goodwill has
continued to adapt our services to meet the human needs of our changing
society.
We don't waste time as we are helping the community. And we don't
waste money. The gift that I am asking you to make will be used to
continue our mission of helping people prepare for, find and keep
jobs.
In their December, 1995 review of the nation's best charities, U.S.
News & World Report called Goodwill one of the five "Standout Good
Guys." The magazine stated that Goodwill (as well as the other standouts)
is "uniquely effective, innovative or valuable."
While I appreciate U.S. News & World Report's endorsement, the
true value of your support is measured by the way Goodwill takes on
problems that affect all of us.
Every time we help someone find a solution to their employment
barrier, the positive effects radiate throughout our community: The
business community welcomes not only another worker, but a consumer with
increased purchasing power. Parents act as role models of
self-sufficiency instead of dependency. Tax dollars that would have been
spent on public assistance are saved.
You and I know that solutions to difficult problems don't just happen.
At Goodwill, it is the hard work of staff and those who benefit from our
services that produces the kind of inspiring results I see every day:
A Goodwill staff member addresses a group of welfare recipients: "You
can earn the money to support yourself and your family," she says. "You
can get off welfare. I know you can... I did."
A participant in a Goodwill program rushes back from a job interview
to share the results with his classmates in our desktop publishing
training program. once his tears have subsided, he confirms what his
classmates have already figured out: he just received a job offer -- his
first in five years.
Addressing a meeting at a neighborhood center, a Goodwill staff member
tells the audience how Goodwill can help them find and keep jobs. On his
way home, he shares the story with four people at a street corner. At the
next corner he tells five more.
In order to develop job skills, a man with some serious disabilities
begins working in Goodwill's industrial division. It takes a long time
for him to gain the self-confidence to work elsewhere in the community.
Eventually, he turns your support into a payoff for all of us. He proudly
leaves Goodwill to support himself.
These people and their successes are real. Just like the respect we've
earned from U.S. News & World Report. Just like the impact Goodwill's
work has on our community.
Real work. Real results. A real difference in people's lives -- in all
of our lives.
The people who can benefit most directly from your generosity have no
time to waste. Neither do the rest of us who feel the positive results of
their success. Your support helps provide real solutions.
Please use the enclosed response card and envelope to give generously
to Goodwill today.
Sincerely,
Jack Dustman Board Member and Former Chairman
