small magnet handmade gift with a message

blog post

A Goodwill Gift: Program Participants’ Handmade Magnets

June 28, 2021

In a time when people are as isolated as ever, Goodwill of Orange County’s program participants sparked an idea to help bring OC Goodwill employees together through a simple gift: handcrafted magnets.

Job Coach Maria Brown was on a Zoom meeting with some of her program participants and asked how quarantine affected them. Everyone shared one common feeling — loneliness.

As conversation continued, Janet, Samantha, Christine and Angela wanted to let Goodwill employees know they were thinking of them. Most importantly, they wanted people to know they were not forgotten.

Over several Zoom meetings, Maria and the team brainstormed different ways to spread kindness to fellow employees. The idea they landed on: handmake magnets and pair with a nice note of encouragement.

“Keeping our group together during this time of separation has been a challenge, not just for me, but for all of the Job Coaches, Coordinators, Supervisors and office personal at Goodwill. We hope this would create smiles! I am proud of the thoughtfulness and gift giving of my four young ladies,” Maria said.

In a time of so much uncertainty, these handmade gifts exemplified kindness– a core value at Goodwill of Orange County. May we all strive to show kindness to one another like these wonderful program participants!

small magnet handmade gift with a message “Take care and Be Safe, is the way we end our zoom meetings, with the crossing of the arms and the heart shape made with our fingers,” Maria said.

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