News News Non-Profit Nothing common about Goodwill Commons
Nothing common about Goodwill Commons
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- Published on Friday, 16 August 2013 11:45
- Written by Paul Gordon
Walk into the new Goodwill Commons on War Memorial Drive and you will immediately be struck by how modern and professional the former Goodwill retail store looks.
With new flooring, paint, furniture and so forth, it is nothing like the warehouse-type facility it once was and what people using its services were used to.
That's the way it was planned, said officials of Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois, when discussing the building that houses executive offices, meeting rooms and the classrooms and is the headquarters for the 21-county region it serves.
"We believed it was important that the people we serve — veterans, those in need of a job or improving their skills — feel that they are respected, because they are. We want them to know we value them and give them the opportunity to walk into a nice work environment," said Bob Parkhurst, vice president of administration for Goodwill of Central Illinois.
"We want our clients to feel good about themselves, help build their self-esteem. If they come here, where it is now more of an educational environment like they might see at college, they will know they are worth it," added Bill Bontemps, director of vocational services.
Goodwill Commons took a year to complete, converting what was originally a Caterpillar tractor dealership and then a Goodwill retail store and warehouse into a well-lit, nicely appointed modern office building. It cost $4.5 million, financed through tax-exempt bond funding and PNC Bank. Much of the planning and design work was donated, the latter by Lincoln Office Supply, to the not-for-profit organization that in most ways is typical of Goodwill.
For example, 93 percent of the Goodwill of Central Illinois revenues are from donated goods that are resold through the nine retail stores (with two more being developed) in the region that stretches from the Mississippi River across to nearly the Indiana border. In 2012 those stores generated $9 million in sales and revenues. Another 6 percent of the organization's revenues are from government grants and the remainder is from direct monetary donations, Parkhurst said.
That model, he added, is basically the same as was set up by Goodwill Industries founder Rev. Edgar Helms. He set up thrift stores in the Boston area in 1902 to sell donated items after he learned that immigrants into the United States didn't want handouts. "Like then, Goodwill today exists largely because of the generosity of the individual," Parkhurst said.
Bontemps noted that the business model enables Goodwill to operate without relying too heavily on government grants. "That's comforting to know and while some other agencies have had to cut back when grant money gets cut, we've been able to expand what we do," he said.
Last year Goodwill of Central Illinois received more than 267,500 donations and recycled nearly 4 million pounds worth of goods. Parkhurst said donated items often are shipped to be sold or donated elsewhere, often in foreign countries.
Of its vocational services, 2012 was the agency's busiest year to date as it served more than 2,300 people in central Illinois. From those, 76 homeless veterans found jobs from the more than 170 who were clients of the agency's veteran services program, and 136 homeless veterans were served at the Stand Down for Homeless Veterans event last fall in which they received a hot meal, a shower, winter clothing and materials and other services.
Many homeless veterans, from their 20s into their 60s, stayed for a period at the Gen. Wayne A. Downing Home for Veterans, which Goodwill opened at 403 S. Olive St. in Peoria in 2005. It was the first permanent home of its kind in Illinois. The goal is to get the veterans integrated back into the workplace with jobs training and other assistance.
The agency's Beyond Jobs programs targets female clients, helping them learn new job skills as well as career planning advice to find new or better jobs. That program receives grant funding from WalMart, as well.
The two skills taught most are computer operation skills and forklift operation. Goodwill Commons is the place for both, with three new computer classrooms and warehouse space to teach forklift operations, with certificates presents upon completion to make finding a job easier. There were 611 individuals who learn new computer skills in 2012 and 718 who were certified in forklift operation.
Goodwill of Central Illinois also has youth mentoring programs, targeting at-risk youth ages 12 to 17 and helping them with career planning, post-secondary training and other skills while working with adult mentors. There are new facilities for the mentoring program at Goodwill Commons.
There are also learning centers in Galesburg at 1931 Grand Ave. and in Pekin at 3245 Court St.
Parkhurst said the new Peoria learning center enables Goodwill to hold classes and workshops more frequently than before, meaning more people can be served. Already, added Bontemps, 48 veterans who had never been to Goodwill before have come to Goodwill Commons, which has only been open about a month. "The word is getting out that we are here and that we want to help," he said.
One of the keys to the success of Goodwill programming, Bontemps said, is that the agency follows up with its clients after they have completed programs and secured jobs. "We want to make sure they are adjusting to each other and intervene if there are problems. We want the programs to work and if that's how it gets done, we'll do it," he said.
Bontemps has been director of vocation services for about five years. He has a degree in accounting, has worked at Caterpillar and the former Wabco Co. as well as in marketing at Bradley University. The experience he has gained has helped in this position, but mostly, he said, "I see people in need I want to help them."
Parkhurst said that is the attitude of Goodwill of Central Illinois in general, its staff of 325 and its volunteers. "We are always in need of good volunteers, of course, especially in our youth mentoring program. But Goodwill is doing amazing things every day, whether its here or in the other 165 independently operated, community based Goodwill center across the country and Canada. We all take inspiration from each other to do the best job we can" he said.
