By Nicole Suydam, President and CEO, Goodwill of Orange County
One night a year, Santa flies through the sky, leaving trinkets under trees. Not to knock St. Nick, but the power you yield is far more impressive.
You have the power to help 27,000 local veterans and people with disabilities achieve productivity and independence.
You have the power to support the health and wellness of people with physical disabilities or chronic illness.
You have the power to fund individualized job placement and retention services to adults who have barriers to employment including physical and cognitive disabilities.
You have the power to assist children and adults with disabilities through state-of-the-art communication devices.
You have the power to make a lasting, meaningful impact in the lives of individuals and their families. Transformative change that lasts long after all the ornaments are tucked away.
And you don’t need reindeer to do any of it.
By supporting Goodwill of Orange County through donated goods, shopping at Goodwill stores and charitable monetary donations, you are contributing to a better Orange County. More than 92 cents of every dollar Goodwill spends, is invested directly to help people break down barriers of independence.
From the Rogers A. Severson Fitness & Technology Center, Orange County’s only gym specially designed and fully equipped for people with physical disabilities or chronic illnesses, to the Tierney Center for Veteran Services, which helps our nation’s veterans transition back into civilian life, Goodwill helps you and your neighbors achieve the dignity we each deserve.
By supporting Goodwill, you have helped expand programs that create employment opportunities and job skills training for women, veterans and people with cognitive and physical disabilities.
Founded in 1924 on the belief that every person should have the opportunity to achieve the independence that work provides, Goodwill is one of the most recognized conduits of positive change in America.
Donated goods make up the majority of our funding, but this holiday season, as you’re getting ready to ship off your items to Goodwill (and thank you for that!), consider the power that monetary donations have, as well. And you’ll be pleased to know that Charity Navigator has rated Goodwill with its coveted four-star charity status, the highest rating possible, for our sound fiscal management practices and commitment to accountability and transparency.
The services provided by Goodwill deliver dignity and independence and offer pride and purpose to veterans, people with disabilities and others who face employment challenges.
Santa is pretty impressive. But when it comes to lasting, daily impact that affects the entire community, he’s got nothing on you.
Nicole Suydam is president and CEO of Goodwill of Orange County