Goodwill thanks community无毛视频檚 support through 无毛视频楪iveback无毛视频� program
After the COVID-19 pandemic descended on the region and crippled many businesses and nonprofit organizations last year, donations came pouring in from the community to keep the Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania moving forward on its goal of helping those in need.
With its thrift stores closed for part of last year to slow the spread of the coronavirus, jobs for people in need of work and revenue for Goodwill无毛视频檚 social programs dried up.
But that didn无毛视频檛 last long.
Goodwill not only stayed afloat last year, but even thrived with the help of financial donations from area residents and other nonprofit agencies.
无毛视频淚 can honestly say I无毛视频檝e never experienced anything that the COVID pandemic has had on our organization,无毛视频� Goodwill SWPA President and CEO Michael Smith said. 无毛视频淭he good news is we brought back almost all of our employees at some point and we无毛视频檙e probably at a better position now than we were pre-COVID, believe it or not, because of the decisions we made 无毛视频� to operate in this environment.无毛视频�
The community was so generous the nonprofit decided to launch a 无毛视频淕iveback无毛视频� program that issued $200,000 of in-store vouchers to distribute to agencies within Goodwill SWPA无毛视频檚 17-county area in Western Pennsylvania and north-central West Virginia.
The vouchers were given directly to local agencies, which then gave them to their clients to use to purchase various items at Goodwill stores. It was the first time the nonprofit had done such a program, and it made an immediate impact, Smith said.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a way to give back to the community,无毛视频� Smith said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e fueled by donations and they were so supportive.无毛视频�
In Washington, Fayette and Greene counties, the organization has issued about $25,500 to nine different local agencies this year. So far, 389 people have been helped from July through November.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檒l continue this on through the rest of the year and increase it next year,无毛视频� Smith said. 无毛视频淭he hope is that that amount will continue to grow and we无毛视频檒l be able to provide more (vouchers) to more providers. We无毛视频檝e already gotten tremendous feedback from our provider agencies on how they无毛视频檝e been impacted. 无毛视频� It无毛视频檚 been really rewarding.无毛视频�
For more information about the Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, visit www.goodwillswpa.org.