Flurry of initiatives announced as Palmetto Goodwill celebrates Goodwill Industries Week

Palmetto Goodwill is celebrating Goodwill Industries Week with a number of announcements that highlight its mission impact throughout the eighteen counties it serves.

First, Palmetto Goodwill officially announced the opening of its newest venture, GW Boutique, in Pawleys Island. The store features an attractive selection of moderately priced curated designer clothing, a variety of home decor items, trendy shoes and accessories galore.

Robert Smith, President and CEO of Palmetto Goodwill, was thrilled to offer residents a different Goodwill experience, saying, “We continue to look for ways in which to maximize the generous donations we receive in order to offer more services to more people throughout the Palmetto Goodwill territory. The GW Boutique concept is part of that process and we believe it’s a perfect fit for Pawleys Island.”

Jermaine Husser, VP of Mission Services for Palmetto Goodwill, used GII Week to announce additional training opportunities for Goodwill clients. “We are excited to now offer fast-track manufacturing and welding certification courses done in partnership with Trident Technical College,” Husser stated. “These, along with our CDL classes, are high demand skills for in-demand jobs within the Production and Mechanical sectors and pay an average annual wage of over $41,000. And best of all qualified applicants receive this training for free. It truly is a life changing opportunity for the people Goodwill serves.”

Now in its 40th year of operation, Palmetto Goodwill provides skills training, credentialing and certification courses, and employment services for individuals facing barriers to employment, including people with disabilities, veterans and military families, older job seekers, and young adults.

Three individuals who epitomize the Goodwill mission were recently recognized at Palmetto Goodwill’s annual Shining Star Awards Banquet. They include Maurice McKoy, Ivan D’Arrigo and Evelyn Hinman. Each of the recipients have overcome numerous challenges in their lives to become not only productive, working members of our community, but true role models in our society.

Robert Smith summed up GII Week saying, “As Palmetto Goodwill celebrates our 40 years of putting people to work, Goodwill Industries Week is a perfect way to help spread awareness about the Goodwill mission and its tremendous impact on the communities we serve. We’ll be highlighting success stories from the past forty years on our 40th Anniversary webpage, but this week in particular we invite people across the country to celebrate the power of work by supporting your local Goodwill so that we can continue to serve those who are looking to improve their lives.”

Palmetto Goodwill is one of 160 autonomous Goodwill organizations in the US and Canada that provide individuals and families with opportunities for economic self-sufficiency and improved quality of life. More than 90 cents of every dollar earned by Palmetto Goodwill goes towards supporting mission related services. Last year Palmetto Goodwill provided 41,844 services to 15,398 people and helped place 3,094 individuals into new jobs. Visit palmettogoodwill.org to find out more on each of these announcements and learn how you can help build a better future for someone in your community.