GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF SOUTH TEXAS INC

DONATED GOODS RETAIL: GOODWILL RETAIL STORES AND DONATION STATIONS STAND AT THE CORE OF OUR MISSION: TO PROVIDE JOB TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND OTHER DISADVANTAGES. IN 2024, WE HANDLED OVER 29.5M WORTH OF GENTLY USED CLOTHING, FURNITURE, AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. THESE WERE METICULOUSLY SORTED, PRICED, AND SOLD ACROSS GOODWILL'S 20 RETAIL LOCATIONS, OUR CLEARANCE STORE, AND OUR ECOMMERCE STORE. THIS ENDEAVOR OFFERED SHOPPERS SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS ON HIGH-QUALITY, AFFORDABLE GOODS AND GENERATED ESSENTIAL REVENUE TO BACK OUR PIVOTAL JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS. OFTEN HAILED AS THE 'ORIGINAL RECYCLER,' GOODWILL HAS CHAMPIONED THE REUSE AND RECYCLING OF DONATIONS SINCE 1902, NATIONALLY, AND LOCALLY SINCE 1948. BY THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR, WE REGISTERED OVER 1.76 MILLION TRANSACTIONS, WITH 317,015 GENEROUS DONORS CONTRIBUTING THEIR ITEMS. THIS CONCERTED EFFORT DIVERTED OVER 15.8 TONS OF MATERIAL FROM LOCAL LANDFILLS. NOTABLY, THIS INCLUDES COMPUTERS AND COMPUTER COMPONENTS THAT FOUND A NEW LIFE THROUGH THE DELL RECONNECT RECYCLING PROGRAM.

MISSION SERVICES: SOUTH TEXAS HAS HISTORICALLY GRAPPLED WITH HIGH RATES OF POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT. GOODWILL, A LEADING FORCE IN JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS, FIRMLY BELIEVES IN THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF WORK. BEYOND THE TANGIBLE BENEFITS OF EARNING A PAYCHECK, WORK INSTILLS SELF-CONFIDENCE, FOSTERS FRIENDSHIPS, CULTIVATES INDEPENDENCE, AND RESTORES DIGNITY AND TRUST. THROUGH THIS, WE'RE ENRICHING THE SOUTH TEXAS COMMUNITIES WE PROUDLY SERVE. A UNIVERSAL BARRIER THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO APPROACH GOODWILL FACE IS THE ABSENCE OF MARKETABLE JOB SKILLS. BY OFFERING TRAINING IN FOUNDATIONAL DIGITAL ABILITIES AND BY AIDING IN JOB PLACEMENT AND RETENTION, WE HELP INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND OTHER DISADVANTAGES EITHER ENTER OR RE- INTEGRATE INTO THE WORKFORCE. OUR APPROACH IS HOLISTIC - WE AIM TO ALIGN THE UNIQUE SKILLS, INTERESTS, AND WORK PREFERENCES OF OUR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WITH THE NEEDS OF LOCAL EMPLOYERS. MANY WHOM WE SERVE ARE EX- OFFENDERS, STRIVING TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES. TO SUPPORT THEM, WE'VE PIONEERED RESUME WORKSHOPS IN BOTH COUNTY JAILS AND FEDERAL PRISONS. THESE WORKSHOPS NOT ONLY EQUIP THEM WITH ESSENTIAL SKILLS BUT ALSO LINK THEM WITH RESOURCES OUTSIDE THE PRISON WALLS TO BOLSTER THEIR CHANCES OF EMPLOYMENT. IN 2024, OUR MISSION SERVICES DIVISION EXTENDED ITS OUTREACH BY PROVIDING FREE JOB TRAINING, EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT, AND OTHER VITAL SUPPORT SERVICES TO 4,532 INDIVIDUALS IN THE SOUTH TEXAS REGION. WE ALSO MODERNIZED OUR APPROACH WITH THE "LET'S GET BACK TO WORK" INITIATIVE, AIMING TO SERVE OUR PARTICIPANTS VIRTUALLY. STRATEGICALLY LOCATED ACROSS OUR 20-COUNTY SERVICE DOMAIN, OUR FIVE JOB CONNECTIONS CENTERS ACHIEVED A REMARKABLE FEAT - SECURING STABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR 352 PROGRAM GRADUATES. THIS SUCCESS HAS AMPLIFIED COMMUNITY DEMAND FOR OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AS OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN PLACING THOSE WHO'VE FACED SEVERE EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGES BECOME INCREASINGLY EVIDENT. WE PLACED 74% OF PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED IN PLACEMENT SERVICES EARNING AN AVERAGE OF 12.74 PER HOUR. OUR STORES, DONATION STATIONS, AND BUSINESS SERVICES ALSO SERVE AS CRUCIAL PILLARS SUPPORTING OUR MISSION, WITH 20% OF THOSE COMPLETING OUR PROGRAMS EMPLOYED AT GOODWILL SOUTH TEXAS. OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES DON'T END THERE. IN 2024, WE OFFERED FREE INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE TO 844 INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES (WITH INCOMES BELOW 60,000) THROUGH THE VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) PROGRAM, FACILITATED COMMUNITY SERVICE RESTITUTION FOR 113 INDIVIDUALS, AND PROVIDED CLOTHING VOUCHERS TO 719 RECIPIENTS. FUNDING FOR THESE INDISPENSABLE HUMAN SERVICES ARISES FROM VARIOUS SOURCES - FEES FOR SERVICES FROM REFERRING AGENCIES, REVENUE FROM OUR CONTRACT SERVICES AND RETAIL OPERATIONS (INCLUDING E-COMMERCE), AND THE BENEVOLENT FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL DONORS AND BUSINESSES. GOODWILL SOUTH TEXAS CONTINUOUSLY STRIVES TO INNOVATE, DEEPENING OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, RAISING AWARENESS OF OUR MISSION, AND FOSTERING INCREASED PUBLIC SUPPORT. WHILE WE VALUE AND MAINTAIN OUR GRASSROOTS EFFORTS, WE'RE ACTIVELY EXPANDING OUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT. YOU CAN DISCOVER MORE ABOUT OUR WORK AND IMPACT BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE AT GOODWILLSOUTHTEXAS.COM. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO ENGAGE WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS INCLUDING FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, LINKEDIN, AND YOUTUBE.