Goodwill is a big, sprawling enterprise that nevertheless manages to make business personal, not impersonal for each employee. “The team members we employ, we also serve with activities related to their growth,” said Donn Githens, Chair of the Florida Goodwill Association. “All of our employees have a life coach, a partner coach, someone there to help them with their plan, whether it’s budgeting, education, building skills to go on to a higher career elsewhere, or skills to grow in this operation.” The impact across communities is huge. Githens said almost 65% of Goodwill team members have some disability or barrier to employment when Goodwill takes them in and gives them a chance to work. According to TaxWatch, Goodwill had a $1.2 billion economic impact in Florida in 2023 across its nine independent Goodwill operations in the state, each with numerous stores. The 2024 impact has not yet been fully calculated. Read the full story at Florida Weekly here.
