See entire July 9, 2010 newsletter

Don’t worry. I have not come undone and I know that it’s not holiday time. Green holiday giving tips will be here soon enough. This is about Goodwill and true sustainability and the real deal on the circle of life.

Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona is the newest organization to become a supporter of Mrs. Green’s mission and vision through their sponsorship. For that, we are all grateful. After spending an afternoon with some of their team, I decided to dedicate this newsletter to the work of Goodwill. I honestly had no clue just how much they do beyond the great resale shops that I have haunted since I was young – with my mom, and now that I am “older”, with my husband. Hopefully, some of this information will knock your organic cotton socks off like it did mine.

Goodwill is the epitome of sustainability, goodwill, circle of life, making a difference. No matter where you live, you have seen a Goodwill Store, gone shopping at a Goodwill store, hopefully made numerous donations to Goodwill (Mr. Green says “they make it so easy!”) or at the very least HEARD of Goodwill. But did you ever stop and think what they do with the money they make? Maybe I did – a little. Okay – so here goes. Did you know that Goodwill’s mission is to provide training, services and jobs for people with barriers to employment? (Translation: sustainability for the ENTIRE community!)

Did you know that they offer FREE one-on-one job search assistance to ANYONE in the community looking for a job? (Much needed in our world right now?) Did you know that Goodwill of Southern Arizona also provides FREE computer/customer service training to people and assists them in finding jobs after graduation? Did you know that they have a partnership with Tucson Rotary Club’s Reading Seed (one of my FAVORITE mentoring programs on the planet) to provide FREE children’s books to low-income children?

Stay with me – it’s worth it. Did you know that Goodwill offers PAID and sheltered employment services for adults with SEVERE disabilities? (Creating a better, more sustainable world for everyone AND saving taxpayers money?) Did you know that you can help them so much by donating books which they sell on EBay AND Amazon.com to raise more money for their great programs? Did you know their Goodwill Guides needs YOU to be a mentor to at-risk youth to keep them from going into the juvenile justice system? (I already am a mentor or I would sign up – most rewarding experience of my life after motherhood!) And lastly, did you know that Goodwill Industries in Tucson (and I am certain other places throughout the country) is a MAJOR employer, employing over 230 people?

Fact: In 2009, Goodwill kept over 16,000,000 lbs of goods out of Arizona landfills!

So what is JUST ONE THING you can do? Donate your household goods, your clothing, your time, your books, and/or your business as a collection site for books – YOUR goodwill to an agency that is quietly, steadily, wonderfully making our world a better place! Peace on earth indeed.

The Mrs. Green team is proud to have them as part of the Mrs. Green community!
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