Category: Retail

GEM Award Winner-Oscar

Congrats to Oscar, Assistant Manager, at our Aberdeen store on receiving the GEM award. GEM Awards are giving to Team Members who go the extra mile and demonstrate excellent customer service, superb team excellence, process improvement and Goodwill spirit. Nominated by Maria, Regional Manager “Oscar was in charge of the store in Lorrie’s absence. During this time Oscar maintained positive sales and did what needed to be done to keep the store running in the right direction. There was not one situation that arose during this time that Oscar was not in control of. The Aberdeen store is truly blessed to have Oscar on the team. I truly feel Oscar did an amazing job during Lorrie’s absence.

GEM Award Winner-Krystal

Congrats to Krystal, Retail Team Lead at Sioux City (W. 4th St.) store on receiving the GEM award. GEM Awards are giving to Team Members who go the extra mile and demonstrate excellent customer service, superb team excellence, process improvement and Goodwill spirit. Nominated by Vickie, Store Manager, Sioux City (W. 4th St.) “Krystal helps train new associates and helps bring in donations on holidays even though she has plans with family. She always volunteers when help is needed. She never calls in sick and is always up for a challenge”

GEM Award Winner-Vickie

Congrats to Vickie, Store Manager of Sioux City (W. 4th St) store on receiving the GEM award! GEM Awards are given to Team Members who go the extra mile and demonstrate excellent customer service, superb team excellence, process improvement and Goodwill spirit. Nominated by Christine (Job Coach) “Everyday Vickie works alongside the participants in our training program. She has a gift of finding the perfect work tasks that match their natural abilities and challenges our participants daily. She gives each participant her time and attention no matter how she’s feeling or other work she has to contend with. Vickie has a special quality that makes her a pleasure to work with and she truly believes in our mission statement. It is great to see our participants grow and build on their skills while working in the store during their time in the training program.”

DIY How to Create a Patriotic Red, White, and Blue T-shirt Wreath

Do you have a few old t-shirts you longer use? Give them a new life by creating an easy patriotic wreath perfect for the 4th of July. (Need some t-shirts? Stop by Goodwill and grab a few for this fun DIY. )

Materials needed:

  • 1 of each t-shirt color of red, white, and blue
  • Hot glue gun
  • Hot glue sticks
  • Scissors
  • Ruler or measuring tape
  • Patriotic garland
  • Patriotic bow

  1. Gather old red, white, and blue t-shirts (or old towels and linens can work also).

2. Cut the t-shirts into at least 8-10 strips approximately 17 inches (height) x 2 1/2 inches (width)

3. Fold the blue strips together accordion style.

4. Glue each section together using a hot glue gun.

6. Glue each strip together around the wreath ring.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 while alternating between the red and white strips.

8. Gather tinsel garland

9. Wrap garland around the wreath and glue together.

10. Grab a patriotic bow.

11. Glue the bow to the wreath and proudly place your finished wreath on your front door or in your living room.

Eating Healthier and Reducing Waste on Pack Your Lunch Day 2020 with Goodwill

Do you tend to splurge and eat out for lunch every day? Fast food and takeout purchases can add up over time and before you know can leave a large dent in your wallet. Start a healthy, money-saving habit by bringing your lunch on Pack Your Lunch Day on March 10th. Don’t know where to start? Continue reading for helpful tips for you to save money and eat healthier.

1) Invest in quality food storage- Igloos and Thermos are excellent ways to keep your food fresh and organized. Pyrex and Tupperware containers are essentials you should have on hand and can use every day to store your food in. At Goodwill, we have lunch coolers, thermos, and storage containers to keep your food fresh until lunch. Choose to use reusable food storage and lessen the waste of plastic and brown bags.

2) Meal plan- It’s hard enough to get up in the morning and have energy to prep for lunch. Start the night before and use leftovers from dinner or make food ahead of time for you to grab and go in the morning. Meal planning helps your waistline and budget. At the end of the week think about all the money you are saving because you are not wasting food. (Photo by Vegan Liftz)

3) Bring a Reusable Water Bottle- Water is an essential for keeping a healthy lifestyle. Drinking sugary or energy drinks can make you feel full sooner and are loaded with calories. Drinking water will help you eat healthier.  Buying a reusable water bottle from Goodwill will help to reduce plastic waste and live a healthy life.