May, 2020 | Goodwill Industries Suncoast

Goodwill Offering Virtual Job Services and Google IT Certification Scholarship

Site launches with full scholarships for the Google IT Support Professional Certificate Program!

Goodwill-Suncoast is offering virtual job services to help as many job seekers as possible at this time of record unemployment. The services are available at a new website, www.myjobconnection.org and complement Goodwill’s in-store, in-person Job Connection Center assistance. The virtual components were created to help as many job seekers as possible due to the unemployment crisis and social distancing resulting from the Covid-19 virus.

After creating a simple account, job seekers will find up-to-date information on community services to help them navigate issues related to unemployment, as well as tools and resources to augment job searches and employment skills. The site contains access to job boards, resume templates and available online certification courses to help increase employability. The website has a live chat portal that allows Goodwill employment specialists to assist with resume development and other needs. Live chat is available Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.; Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Google Scholarships Available

For a limited time, Goodwill-Suncoast is offering full scholarships to IT training developed by Google for applicants age 18 and older. Those completing the five-course curriculum will earn the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, a credential that can help job seekers land one of 150,000 unfilled IT support jobs across the country. As an added bonus, there is also the option to add a stackable credential in programming and IT automation. To apply, anyone interested can login to the My Job Connection website and visit the “Online Training – Certifications” tab. More information about the scholarship is available by calling 727-282-4478 or emailing jobconnection@goodwill-suncoast.com.

For individuals seeking in-person services or access to computers, Job Connection centers are located inside Goodwill stores at 2550 34^th Street in St. Petersburg and at 10739 Big Bend Rd. in Riverview. The job centers are open 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Services are also available by calling 727-282-4478 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday.

Social distancing measures are in place at the Job Connection centers to ensure everyone’s safety. Computer stations are 6 feet apart and they are sanitized after each use. The number of job seekers inside the centers at any one time is also limited.

Goodwill Industries-Suncoast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people achieve their full potential through the dignity and power of work. The organization’s successful donated goods retail operation helps support its human services in 10 counties in West Central Florida including Job Connection centers, employment services for people with disabilities, a children’s literacy program, affordable apartment communities for seniors and people with disabilities, and community corrections programs. For more information, visit goodwill-suncoast.org.

Goodwill-Suncoast2020-05-27T16:17:59-04:00May 27th, 2020|

Goodwill Collects More Than Two Tons of Food for People in Need

Goodwill would like to thank everyone who donated during the recent food drive for people in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Generous donors dropped off 4,507 lbs of nonperishable food at Goodwill stores and donation centers in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties during a food drive from April 15-30. The donations will help supply Feeding Tampa Bay’s community outreach programs, which are experiencing an unprecedented number of food requests during this time of record unemployment.

To find food assistance available through Feeding Tampa Bay, visit http://feedingtampabay.org/find-a-pantry/

Goodwill Industries-Suncoast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people achieve their full potential through the dignity and power of work. The organization’s donated goods retail operation helps support its human services in 10 counties in West Central Florida including training and job placement for people with barriers to employment, a children’s literacy program, affordable apartment communities for seniors and people with disabilities, and community corrections programs. For more information, visit www.goodwill-suncoast.org.

Goodwill-Suncoast2020-05-11T15:56:16-04:00May 11th, 2020|

Taking it to the (mostly empty) streets!

Hello Friends,

I hope you are taking good care of yourself and spending quality time with you friends and families!

As you probably know, all Goodwill-Suncoast retail stores are back open – whoop! The stores are packed FULL of donations collected while everyone on the planet is home cleaning out their closets – so I managed to find some pretty cool items. And, they have new safety measures in place.

Since everyone’s practicing social distancing, the streets have been mostly empty so I planned for a streetwear-style outfit to show off when things return to normal. It’s not usually my go-to style, but I decided now was a good time to explore where fashion could take me!

First I found a lightweight yellow turtle neck for $4.448. I love how subtle the yellow hue is. Yellow makes me look flushed out so I thought this would really suit me well.

Then I found these striped pants from a great brand, Banana Republic, for just $7.98. I love how the stripes give the illusion that I’m taller. (I’m 5’4″ so an extra inch added to my height doesn’t hurt at all!

And now, the shoes. MY OH MY! They are brand new and I found them in the men’s section for only $11.99! I love everything about this sneaker. They are super lightweight and it almost feels like I’m walking on clouds.

Put it all together and what have you got? A fun streetwear outfit!

I really love this simple outfit and I cannot wait to flaunt it on the street once everything has opened back up! In the meantime, I hope you stay safe!

What do you think about this streetwear outfit? Did I do good? Comment and let me know what you think!

Goodwill-Suncoast2020-05-06T13:37:58-04:00May 6th, 2020|

Goodwill Reopening Stores and Job Centers Starting May 1

Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc. is reopening stores and job centers starting May 1 to assist people who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and offer value shopping options for people in West Central Florida.

The reopening dates for Goodwill-Suncoast stores are listed below. For store addresses, visit goodwill-suncoast.org/store-locations/. The stores will be open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday for shoppers and to accept donations.

Opening May 1: Trinity; Spring Hill; Crystal River and Ocala
Opening May 2: Oldsmar; Hwy 301, Tampa; Riverview; Ruskin; Wesley Chapel; Plant City; Lakeland; Winter Haven; Clearwater; Sebring; Oxford (The Villages)
Opening May 3: Brandon
Opening May 4: 34^th Street, St. Pete; Gandy Blvd., St. Pete.; Largo
The store on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa will reopen after renovations are complete and outlet stores will reopen at a later date.

Job Connection centers inside the Riverview and St. Pete 34th Street Goodwill stores will reopen the same dates as their host stores. Services at the job centers include help with resume development, connections with companies that are hiring, and access to computers and the internet. Please check goodwill-suncoast.org/job-connection-center/ for hours of operation.

To ensure the safety of our customers and associates, Goodwill is strictly following CDC guidelines for physical distancing and maintaining occupancy of 25% or less in its stores. Goodwill has implemented safety measures including sanitizing frequent touch points throughout the day; frequently sanitizing shopping carts; establishing one-way traffic in store aisles; and providing team members with face masks. Acrylic “sneeze guards” between cashiers and customers are also being installed in all stores. In the job centers, computer stations have been reconfigured to be 6 feet apart and they will be sanitized after each use. The number of job seekers inside the centers at any one time will be limited. For a more complete list of safety measures, visit goodwill-suncoast.org/safety/.

Goodwill depends on the revenue from stores to fund Job Connection centers and other services to the community. As a self-funded social service organization, Goodwill collects donated items and sells them in its stores to people seeking affordable household goods and clothing. In the process, your local Goodwill keeps tons of items out of landfills and employs more than 1,000 people. As families face layoffs and an uncertain future, Goodwill’s job services and the stores that fund them will be more vital than ever in helping people rebuild their lives.

Goodwill Industries-Suncoast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people achieve their full potential through the dignity and power of work. The organization’s successful donated goods retail operation helps support its human services in 10 counties in West Central Florida including Job Connection centers assisting people with all types of barriers to employment, a children’s literacy program, affordable apartment communities for seniors and people with disabilities, and community corrections programs. For more information, visit goodwill-suncoast.org.

Goodwill-Suncoast2020-05-01T15:45:34-04:00May 1st, 2020|