Craig, an employee at our Northfield store in Louisville, just celebrated his 18th anniversary with Goodwill and wanted to give a few shout outs, especially to his supervisor, Chad.

"If they see this on the Goodwill website, I am going to be very happy," he said!

Meet a Goodwiller! Excitedly and sadly, this week’s feature is also a farewell post. Cari Ralston is our beloved manager of creative services and has served Goodwill for 20 years. She leaves us tomorrow to pursue her next career opportunity!

When asked what she loves most about ...Goodwill, with the instructions to keep it to two sentences, she exclaimed, “I can’t say anything about Goodwill in even four paragraphs.” 😅

She continued, “Goodwillers on every spectrum, from our donation attendants to our CEO, are the kindest humans I’ve ever known in my life. I love the deep passion and the meaning I see behind their work. I love that no matter what role someone at Goodwill has, you are connected to the mission of helping people improve their lives. Most importantly, our mission. It’s all about second (and maybe even more) chances. Every day, we see lives being completely transformed.”

Two fun facts about Cari: She is a wannabe meteorologist while also being terrified of severe storms, and she is a true crime enthusiast with killer amateur investigative skills.

Good luck on your next adventure, Cari! Goodwill will miss you. 💙

May is Older Americans Month, a time to recognize the countless contributions that older adults make to our communities.

At Goodwill, we celebrate Older Americans Month by sharing stories from our Senior Community Service & Employment Program (SCSEP), like Judy’s. Through SCSEP, Judy... was given on-the-job training and eventually found the job she wanted.

#MissionMonday

We continue to be blown away by the youth who participate in our annual 4-H Meets Goodwill Upcycle Challenge! They use their creativity and sewing skills to take Goodwill items and transform them into something new. 🍀

Meet a Goodwiller! Kaycee Ackaway is a senior career coach who has been with Goodwill for two years.

When asked what she loves best about Goodwill, she said, "I love working for a company where you see its mission being lived out every day. I love working with so many people that ...have been given a second chance and seeing their lives being restored to their full potential. My favorite program Goodwill offers is Good Smiles. One of the highlights of my job is seeing the confidence my clients gain when they get their new smiles."

Two fun facts about Kaycee: Staying hydrated by drinking a lot of water is "basically one of her personality traits." And she despises Band-Aids!

Spotlight #19.

Yesterday was KY Gives Day and we want to thank everyone who contributed to our campaign by making a gift or spreading the word. Thanks to your support, more than 50 donations came in and we raised nearly $4,000 for our statewide Opportunity Centers.

#KyGives23

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Lauren Deitering, manager of marketing and public relations, talks about her journey with mental health in the video below, detailing a panic attack, subsequent time off work, her love-hate relationship with therapy and how Goodwill offered her endless ...support.

"There can be stigma around therapy, and I think we should do our best as society to squash that stigma ... In therapy, you have a safe space to talk about your problems, and everybody deserves to hear from an objective third party who has professional experience to give you the tools you need."

When it’s Oaks Day AND Goodwill Week, you set up a self timer in the office and take a fun photo. 💙

Under Roland Blahnik's 30-year leadership, from 1984-2014, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky transitioned from a small agency with just two donated good centers to one of the most successful Goodwill organizations in the country, with 63 stores employing nearly 1,000 people in the retail program... alone.