To continue our vocational service theme for the month of January, we welcomed Denis Robinson Sr., Director of Mission Services at Goodwill. The mission of the Goodwill states, "We Believe in the Value of People and the Power of Work." Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries began service to the community in 1893 as the Christ Mission Settlement on East Federal Street in downtown Youngstown. The Settlement was established in response to the specific needs of the population. Over the years, the specific programs and services offered by the organization have evolved as the needs of the community have changed, but the essence has remained the same.
Goodwill Facilities Locations:
Youngstown
Boardman
Hermitage
Columbiana County
Calcutta
Mercer County
Lawrence County - New Castle
Warren market
The training center for Goodwill is located in Youngstown, off Belmont Ave.
Mission Services:
Vocational Training: vocational evaluation, work adjustment, skills training, job placement & job coaching, sheltered employment, classroom instruction. Goodwill provides services to many people who want to determine a vocational goal, receive training, attend classes, develop a resume and improve job seeking skills in order to obtain successful employment. The agency is conveniently located and easily accessible by public transportation. Programs begin between 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and end by 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Job Placement: The Job Placement Program assists persons seeking employment in choosing and obtaining successful community employment in opportunities in line with their choices and preferences. Individuals who complete programs at Goodwill, as well as those directly referred who are job ready, can participate. Weekly job club is held —as well as individual meetings—to provide information on contacting employers, the local labor market, benefits, employment policies and practices, and job matches. Direct referrals attend classes in job seeking skills that include employment application preparation, interview techniques and resume development. The instructor and job placement specialist work together to ensure an easy transition to the world of work.
Radio Reading: Operating over the SCA (sideband) of WYSU-FM, the Youngstown Radio Reading Service (YRRS) is a private, non-profit station serving the print impaired. The YRRS broadcasts print materials which are not otherwise accessible to its listeners. Programming includes in-depth coverage of local newspapers along with readings from magazines, and best-selling books presented in series. Talk shows and special interest programs encourage listeners to share experiences, exchange views, and gain knowledge. Specially tuned radios are provided free of charge to qualified listeners.
Vision Services: Individuals who are blind or visually impaired are served at Goodwill through many different programs. A comprehensive rehabilitation plan is developed to incorporate the consumer’s expressed goals and identify needs and available resources as assessed by the staff.
Business Services:
Janitorial: Goodwill's janitorial services division is available to help clean office spaces or place someone to handle janitorial duties at your business. In addition, Goodwill provides janitorial services to various companies across the community. Services offered include: office cleaning, retail space cleaning, medical office cleaning, educational facility cleaning, high-security area cleaning, construction cleanup, green chemical cleaning, window washing, floor stripping and waxing, and carpet cleaning.
Laundry: Goodwill provides quality commercial laundry services to hospitals, residential facilities and other businesses in the community, and currently processes approximately 300,000 pounds of laundry per year.
Contract Services: Goodwill employees have experience in soldering, assembling, packaging, counting, shipping and various other time consuming tasks. Instead of retraining temporary workers, Goodwill's qualified workforce will be ready to complete orders in a timely manner.
Today, we presented a $1200 check to Mickey Carder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Youngstown.
According to the Sleep in Heavenly Peace website: "Sleep in Heavenly Peace had its start like many other charities, in a garage. It was Christmas time, a time of joy and happiness, a time of giving and love, but also a time of bitter, cold weather and snow storms. A project, that was started with the build of one bed for a single family developed into something a whole lot more. With wood left over from the first bunk, another idea was created. 'Who else could benefit from this bunk?'
A simple post on Facebook sparked an unexpected response. What was thought would be a litter of requests from needy families, turned into a litany of local people eager to help and volunteer. The generosity of these volunteers was so surprising that it was no longer a search for one who needed a bed, but a question of how many beds we could provide. From there, the idea grew into reality. We can make a difference."
Carder found out about the project on Facebook, saw the Returning the Favor video, and he knew right away that he needed to get involved. He traveled to Twin Falls, Idaho and got involved, bringing a chapter to Youngstown. Working on a study with students at YSU for a more accurate #, an estimated 12, 000 children are sleeping on the floor in the Valley. A recent build with Fitch High School saw the construction of 22 bunk beds, and donations from the community.
Every dollar raised goes directly towards the materials for the beds — mattresses, pillows, sheets, bedding — so that children are ready to climb into their new bed once it's delivered.
Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) is coming up! 100 juniors in high school will be invited to practice their leadership skills. RYLA coordinators are looking for help from Rotarians for small business giveaways to include in the 100 goody bags that will be given out when the students arrive. If you have any questions, or have donations, please contact Ken Goldsboro.
Have a friend, coworker, acquaintance, or someone you know that might be interested in Rotary join us for a complimentary lunch! Our new club cards are ready to go to get the word out about Boardman Rotary. If you need more, contact Jill Cox.
The Pancake Breakfast is set for the last two weekends in March (March 23-24 & March 30-31), and we need help securing sponsorships! An email has been sent out to the club with information about sponsorship opportunities, which help us pay for the breakfast. The more money we are able to secure via sponsorships, the more money we are able to put back in the community!
Online registration is open for the Pancake 5K, which will take place March 30 at 9:00 am. Information is now up on our Rotary Facebook page. Please feel free to share on your personal pages, and with anyone you think may be interested in running the 5K!
The Struthers Rotary is looking to have a joint meeting on February 19th. Guest speaker will be Youngstown State President Jim Tressel. Lunch is $10. If you are interested in attending, but have not yet registered, please let Beth Ann know by end of day on Tuesday, February 5th.
District 6650 Foundation Fundraising Event will take place on February 1, 2019, in Youngstown. The event will showcase art from Rotarians across the district and will be raising money for the Rotary International Foundation. The call for artists and sponsorship opportunities are now available — check Beth Ann’s monthly update email for the forms. $35/person or $60/couple. JD Eicher will be performing. RSVP by January 25th
Each week we will feature two Rotarians on our Instagram page through the end of the year! The features will include two sentences on "Why Rotary?" — why you chose to be a Rotarian. Sign up sheets will go around within the next few weeks so we can start to schedule your feature on our Instagram page! Questions? Contact Beth Ann or Kati.
The next board meeting will take place Thursday, January 17, at 7:00 am, at Burgan Real Estate Boardman (5335 Market Street). This is an opportunity for a make-up, if one is needed, and is a great way to check out what's going on with Boardman Rotary! Thanks to John for allowing us to use the space each month!
