In The Spotlight - Community Employment Partners
Aspen Athletic Club
Dear Friends,
We have put tremendous focus over the past
two years on finding integrated community
employment for people with disabilities. This
has been a greater emphasis recently than ever
before in our history due to changes in public
policy and funding at the national, state and
local levels.
We have said goodbye to many long-time
clients over this course of time as they
realized employment success outside of our
Goodwill. While we still use our stores and
contract sites to provide invaluable training
and work experience, long-term placement and
employment with Goodwill is not the end goal
for most of those we serve today.
So much of the workplace success realized
by our clients with disabilities is attributed
to outstanding partnership with community
employers. Three such employers are
highlighted in this issue. You can also view
the stories of many others on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/GoodwillHeartland
I can’t say thank you enough to our employer
partners for their willingness to work with
Goodwill to create job opportunities for people
with disabilities and other barriers. Together,
we help people realize their potential through
the amazing power of work.
The incredible success stories we see unfold
everyday couldn’t happen without our
retail stores and the funds they generate to
support our mission. We have an outstanding
retail team and I’m so very proud of their
contributions, including an impressive 2016
Halloween campaign. Check out the story on
our biggest Halloween costume promotion ever.
In closing, I wish to extend well wishes and
blessings to you, our loyal supporters and
friends. May your holidays and the coming year
be filled with much joy and Goodwill!
Eco Lips
Coralville Public Library
Pictured L-R: Goodwill Employment Specialist Kim Harks visits with Aspen
Athletic Club Manager Rob Markut and employee Ray Seney at the Cedar
Rapids location. Employment partners like Aspen are creating opportunities
for people with disabilities to succeed in community-based jobs.
Pictured L-R: Kayla Turnis and Conor O’Malley are both friends and coworkers. They are happy not only for the chance to work, but to work
together. They are employed at Eco Lips in Cedar Rapids. The company
believes this employment match is a win for all involved.
Aspen Athletic Club in Cedar Rapids offers a great job fit for a
man who stated he would work there eight days a week if he
could. This is the story of Ray Seney of Cedar Rapids.
Ray completes the valued and much appreciated cleaning
tasks at Aspen that help to make the club a top notch athletic
facility. Ray is responsible for wiping down the exercise
machines, yoga mats, fitness balls, weights and other
equipment that club members utilize each day.
Rob Markut, Manager of Aspen Athletic Club, fielded the
business proposal from Goodwill about cleaning the club
equipment. He recalls thinking it was an idea that made
sense for the business. With regard to Ray, Rob said his work
ethic and desire to work won him the job.
Ray quietly goes about his cleaning tasks for the day, careful
not to get in the way. While club members are working out
and moving from station to station, Ray makes the rounds to
assure that the equipment is kept cleaned and sanitized.
Two former Goodwill of the Heartland clients (and best
friends), Conor O’Malley and Kayla Turnis, found jobs they
love and a caring support system at Eco Lips in Cedar Rapids.
Eco Lips is a manufacturer of organic lip care products. The
company launched its first organic lip balm in 2003 and the
business has grown steadily ever since.
Eco Lips CEO Steve Shriver is happy to have the pair as part of
their workforce. “Conor and Kayla are a great addition to the
team here,” he said. He describes the relationship as a big win
for all involved. “They’re providing great work for us and we’re
providing them with meaningful employment,” Steve said.
The two friends work at Eco Lips folding lip balm boxes and
inserting the product into them. Conor and Kayla previously
worked for Goodwill’s contracts operation completing
assembly and packaging projects. Through Goodwill they
received the training and experience needed to be successful
at Eco Lips. The jobs they have now perfectly fit their skill sets.
Goodwill Employment Specialist Sarah Markut worked
closely with Conor and Kayla to prepare them for community
employment and assisted them in finding jobs. Sarah said,
“Both of them needed just the right environment to be
successful. They have a lot of great natural supports here.”
Conor and Kayla both enjoy their jobs at Eco Lips. Kayla said,
“It means everything. I’m happy that I have this job. Just
because I have a disability doesn’t mean I can’t still work.”
Goodwill is grateful to Eco Lips for creating this employment
opportunity. Eco Lips has offered Conor and Kayla not only
the chance to work, but the chance to work together. Conor
shared, “Kayla and I work together all the time and we’ll
always be friends to the very end!”
Adult Services Coordinator Laura Crossett is pictured holding a certificate
of appreciation presented by Goodwill employees. Pictured L-R: Job
Placement Specialist Kolbi Jamison, Employment Specialist Bethany
Jura, Job Placement Specialist Mark Jensen and Job Coach Cathy Hall.
The library is an outstanding partner in job creation for people with
employment barriers, people like Troy Crane (seated).
As Rob watched Ray at work cleaning the chest press he said,
“Ray definitely brings value and contributes to what we need
done here.”
Because Ray uses a wheelchair, it can be more difficult to get
some tasks done, but he doesn’t back away from a challenge.
Some potential employers were concerned that Ray’s barriers
would limit his ability to be successful on job. Rob looked
past Ray’s wheelchair and recognized his determination and
passion to get the job done, and done well.
In 2015 our Goodwill placed 778 people in community jobs. Individuals with more significant barriers may need support
from job coaches to maintain community employment. In order to help these people succeed, we also provided 74,531 job
coaching hours at work sites. Job coaching is provided at no cost to the employer. We appreciate our partners for embracing
this supported employment model and for welcoming both Goodwill clients and job coaches into their businesses.
So what exactly is job carving? It is the act of analyzing
work duties performed in a given job and identifying
specific tasks that might be fulfilled by an employee with
disabilities. It may require some flexibility on the part of
the employer and a willingness to try something new. The
Coralville Public Library is partnering with Goodwill to make
such opportunities possible.
The library has worked with Goodwill to carve out,
or customize, jobs for three individuals – long-time
Goodwill clients that lacked experience with community
employment. As part of the customization and placement
process, each individual got to try job shadows. Worksite
assessments were also performed. It was important to
ensure the work tasks would be a good match, and also
benefit the library.
The employees’ main duty is processing books that
have been pulled out of circulation. After the barcodes
are marked, the books are either designated for sale at
fundraising events or offered for free for public use. The
group also wipes down book and CD covers.
Brian Buelow and Troy Crane are two Goodwill clients now
working at the library. Brian said his work is something that
he can do and he really likes his coworkers. Troy shared
that he enjoys keeping busy and meeting new people.
Throughout the whole process Laura Crossett, the library’s
Adult Services Coordinator, was an enthusiastic advocate
of Goodwill and the idea of job carving and supported
employment. She remarked how the entire library team
attaches value to these new employees.
Washington Store: 312 E Washington Street
On the cover: Goodwill employees acted as costume models for this year’s Halloween promotion. Pictured L-R: Store Manager
Luther Batte, Retail Recruiter Maria Molina, Lead Veterans Specialist Ryan Bloomberg, E-Commerce Manager Jason Wilcox,
Marketing Intern Katie Sextro, Vice President of Marketing Mindy Kayser and Vice President of Retail Jason Toms.
Rock Island Store: 4664 44th Street
Muscatine Store: 2001 Cedar Plaza Drive
In The Works is published by Goodwill of the Heartland, a not-for-profit organization serving southeast
Iowa and the Quad Cities area. Goodwill is accredited by CARF International.
A United Way Agency.
Marion Store: 3202 7th Avenue
Keokuk Store: 1226 Main Street
Iowa City Store: 445 Highway 6
Iowa City Goodwill Reboot: 445 Highway 6
Geneseo Store: 465 E Highway 6
Fairfield Store: 2005 W Burlington Avenue
Davenport Store: 5360 Villa Drive
Coralville Store: 2551 Heartland Place
Clinton Store: 1015 13th Avenue N
Cedar Rapids South Store: 2405 Mt Vernon Road SE
Halloween billboards like this one, and featuring our own team members,
appeared in Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities in support of our biggest
costume promotion ever.
Cedar Rapids West Store: 2000 Scotty Drive SW
Our Goodwill Halloween looks were also featured on three
different television stations in our service area – great
exposure for our stores and our mission. We hope to build
upon the successes of this first-time effort in the years ahead.
Cedar Rapids East Store: 5520 Council Street NE
With a little creativity and the assistance of our Halloween
Helpers, those talented members of our retail team, the
costume possibilities are certainly endless at Goodwill. We
did however have some featured looks for 2016 which
included: devil, vampire, pirate, cowboy/girl, witch, zombie,
fairy/princess and many retro options spanning the decades.
Burlington Store: 165 W Burlington Avenue
1410 S First Avenue
Iowa City, IA 52240
Return Service Requested
We utilized a “store within a store” concept designating
space at each retail location as the Halloween Headquarters.
Our campaign was supported by amazing marketing including
photography featuring our own employees in costumes put
together from our stores. The photography and design work
was done completely in-house by our marketing department.
Moline Store: 4805 22nd Avenue
This fall Goodwill’s retail team, including all 17 stores,
implemented our largest Halloween costume promotion ever.
We branded our stores as the go-to destination for unique
looks, complete costumes and incredible value. The
Halloween push brought both loyal shoppers and new
customers to Goodwill in search of just that.
Bettendorf Store: 2333 Cumberland Square Drive
In his sixties and dealing with the reality of being laid off,
Garold Paxton of Moline recently discovered that looking
for a job today is radically different. Paper applications
are mostly a thing of the past. Computer access and skills
are now a must to search available job openings and apply
online. So much had changed since his last job hunt.
Garold, a long-time worker with many years of foundry
floor experience, had never imagined a layoff during his
later years of employment. Faced with his unemployment
benefits running out, he had no idea where to turn.
Fortunately for Garold, his wife is a frequent Goodwill
shopper and she thought there might be help at the Helms
Career Center located inside the Moline Goodwill store.
She checked it out and learned that Garold could get free
employment assistance there.
Garold didn’t know how to use a computer, let alone how
to complete an online job application. He admits he tried
to convince his wife, who does have computer skills, to
complete job applications for him. She told him he needed
to undertake the process on his own.
Goodwill volunteer Evenlyn Stokes recalls Garold’s first
visits to the Helms Career Center. Evelyn said that while
Garold knew nothing about using a computer, he definitely
had the drive to learn.
Amani Tayh, Coordinator at the Moline career center,
recalls Garold as a frequent and determined visitor. During
his job search, Garold came to the center almost daily to
look for jobs and complete applications.
His persistence paid off. Garold now works for Chick-fil-A
helping customers at the brand new restaurant which
opened in September in the Quad Cities. After years of
industrial work, Garold’s new part-time job is a good fit for
him at this point in his life.
Garold enjoys the sense of purpose that work brings,
along with the paycheck. He also likes the interaction with
co-workers and restaurant patrons. Garold is happy to be
employed and is grateful that the Helms Career Center was
there when he needed it.
Our team members had the chance to show off Goodwill Halloween
costumes during an October taping of Paula Sands Live on KWQC-TV6 in
the Quad Cities. Pictured L-R: Vice President of Marketing Mindy Kayser,
Store Manger Sarah Richards, Host Paula Sands, Retail Project Manager
Robyn Lynott, Lead Veterans Specialist Ryan Bloomberg and Assistant
Store Manager Ashley Whalen.
Phone: 866-466-7881
Pictured L-R: As the Helms Career Center Coordinator in Moline, Amani
Tayh provides free employment assistance to job seekers like Garold
Paxton. Goodwill of the Heartland currently has two such centers, the
one inside its Moline store and another at its Muscatine store.
Goodwill Goes All
Out for Halloween
STORES AND DONATION SITES:
Career Center Connects Job
Seekers with Employers
Winter 2016
in the
WORKS
www.goodwillheartland.org
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