Earlier this summer, Goodwill of Orange County partnered with Bank of America to provide an inside look at the organization through an engaging internship for two local high school students through Bank of America’s Student Leaders program. The philanthropic program offers young people in Orange County an opportunity to build their workforce and leadership skills through a paid summer internship at a local nonprofit to help improve their communities.
Matthew Jacquez, La Habra resident and graduate of La Habra High School and Miguel Quiroz, Santa Ana resident and graduate of Santa Ana Valley High School, were selected by Bank of America’s Student Leaders program to join the Goodwill of Orange County team for eight weeks this summer. Matthew and Miguel were chosen through a rigorous process of more than 100 applicants.
Both Matthew and Miguel graduated top of their classes in high school and had previous experience with helping people with barriers or underprivileged youth, making them ideal internship candidates for Goodwill of Orange County.
Through Student Leaders, Bank of America helps young people gain meaningful work experience, broaden their perspectives on how nonprofits serve community needs and advance their civic engagement.
“I loved working at Goodwill of Orange County,” said Matthew Jacquez. “I grew professionally and personally as I experienced the intersection of business and public service first-hand through the day-to-day operations of the nonprofit.”
Matthew and Miguel spent time in various departments within the Goodwill operation, including Human Services, Marketing and E-Commerce. They prepared for the annual audit, shadowed executives, designed wellness flyers for employees, and visited program participants at organizations and businesses across Orange County. The important tasks required critical thinking skills while also utilizing their passion and creativity for the nonprofit and business industries.
“I learned so much from Goodwill of Orange County,” said Miguel Quiroz. “I was treated more like an employee than an intern. The respect I received from Goodwill of OC employees was as if I had worked there for 10 years.”
Matthew spent a majority of his time with Human Services, observing the complexity and legal coordination involved in the department. He also learned about the on-boarding, auditing, training and employee relations at Goodwill of OC.
Miguel was very interested in Goodwill of Orange County’s e-commerce platform, shopgoodwill.com. He gained insight on how the online entity operates and supports the larger Goodwill mission.
“shopgoodwill.com opened my mind to see how you can make a profit and more importantly, continue to live the Goodwill mission of helping people facing barriers to employment find and keep jobs,” said Miguel.
Both Matthew and Miguel agreed that meeting Nicole Suydam, president and CEO of Goodwill of Orange County, was a highlight of their experience. They discussed with her their feedback on the organization and learned about how the leadership team respects the opinions of its employees and program participants.
Matthew is attending Stanford University and Miguel is headed to University of California, Berkeley this fall.
We can’t thank Matthew and Miguel enough for their important contributions to Goodwill of Orange County this past summer. We are excited to see all that you both accomplish in the future! Two Exceptional and Compassionate Bank of America Student Leaders Intern at Goodwill of Orange County
Earlier this summer, Goodwill of Orange County partnered with Bank of America to provide an inside look at the organization through an engaging internship for two local high school students through Bank of America’s Student Leaders program. The philanthropic program offers young people in Orange County an opportunity to build their workforce and leadership skills through a paid summer internship at a local nonprofit to help improve their communities.
Matthew Jacquez, La Habra resident and graduate of La Habra High School and Miguel Quiroz, Santa Ana resident and graduate of Santa Ana Valley High School, were selected by Bank of America’s Student Leaders program to join the Goodwill of Orange County team for eight weeks this summer. Matthew and Miguel were chosen through a rigorous process of more than 100 applicants.
Both Matthew and Miguel graduated top of their classes in high school and had previous experience with helping people with barriers or underprivileged youth, making them ideal internship candidates for Goodwill of Orange County.
Through Student Leaders, Bank of America helps young people gain meaningful work experience, broaden their perspectives on how nonprofits serve community needs and advance their civic engagement.
“I loved working at Goodwill of Orange County,” said Matthew Jacquez. “I grew professionally and personally as I experienced the intersection of business and public service first-hand through the day-to-day operations of the nonprofit.”
Matthew and Miguel spent time in various departments within the Goodwill operation, including Human Services, Marketing and E-Commerce. They prepared for the annual audit, shadowed executives, designed wellness flyers for employees, and visited program participants at organizations and businesses across Orange County. The important tasks required critical thinking skills while also utilizing their passion and creativity for the nonprofit and business industries.
“I learned so much from Goodwill of Orange County,” said Miguel Quiroz. “I was treated more like an employee than an intern. The respect I received from Goodwill of OC employees was as if I had worked there for 10 years.”
Matthew spent a majority of his time with Human Services, observing the complexity and legal coordination involved in the department. He also learned about the on-boarding, auditing, training and employee relations at Goodwill of OC.
Miguel was very interested in Goodwill of Orange County’s e-commerce platform, shopgoodwill.com. He gained insight on how the online entity operates and supports the larger Goodwill mission.
“shopgoodwill.com opened my mind to see how you can make a profit and more importantly, continue to live the Goodwill mission of helping people facing barriers to employment find and keep jobs,” said Miguel.
Both Matthew and Miguel agreed that meeting Nicole Suydam, president and CEO of Goodwill of Orange County, was a highlight of their experience. They discussed with her their feedback on the organization and learned about how the leadership team respects the opinions of its employees and program participants.
Matthew is attending Stanford University and Miguel is headed to University of California, Berkeley this fall.
We can’t thank Matthew and Miguel enough for their important contributions to Goodwill of Orange County this past summer. We are excited to see all that you both accomplish in the future! 
Saturday, August 17 was National Thrift Store Day! Best day of the year? We think so!
National Thrift Store Day is more than just snagging great deals. On this day, thrifters and bargain shoppers not only celebrate the values of up-cycling, re-using, smart shopping and thrifty fashion, but are given the opportunity to have an even greater impact on their local community.
By shopping at Goodwill, every purchase supports a greater mission. In fact, 94 cents of every dollar spent at Goodwill of Orange County goes back into local programs and services designed to help people with disabilities or other barriers find and keep meaningful employment.
Now that’s second-hand shopping you can feel extra GOOD about!
For this year’s National Thrift Store Day holiday celebration, we ran a special one-day promotion offering 50% off all rugs and boxed furniture as well as kids clothing.
In addition to the awesome discounts, customers received a fun “I Thrifted” sticker for shopping at any of our stores.
Shoppers wore this sticker with pride knowing their secondhand purchases helped reduce Orange County’s environmental impact and supported Goodwill of Orange County’s mission to help people facing a variety of barriers find and keep jobs, which provides purpose, pride and dignity.
Mark your calendars for next year – same day, same place!
#NationalThriftStoreDay | #IThrifted | #OCGoodwill | #CreateGoodwill 
Earlier this month, OC Fair attendees had the opportunity to receive free admission and a free carnival ride ticket simply by donating five new or gently used clothing items to Goodwill of Orange County.
During this year’s clothing drive more than 10,000 community members showed up and donated an amazing 31,538 pounds of clothing!
Each and every donation supports 
Thank you to everyone who participated to make a positive difference in our community, and supporting Goodwill’s mission by donating and joining us at the 2019 Orange County Fair.
We will see you next summer! #OCFairCares #WeCareWednesday #OCGoodwill 
“I think a lot of times people go straight to judgement. You never know the circumstances that led to someone’s situation. Eliminate the judgement. People need a second chance.” – Nicole Suydam, Sharing Goodwill Episode One.
We are so excited to announce the launch of our new podcast, Sharing Goodwill with Nicole Suydam! Good news, inspiring news, uplifting news – that’s what Sharing Goodwill is all about. In each episode, Goodwill of Orange County President and CEO Nicole Suydam will chat with an individual who is doing good for their community, for their network or for their family.
Episode one of Sharing Goodwill is currently available on the platforms listed below! In this first episode, Nicole Suydam shares her story and journey into the world of nonprofits. She is interviewed by her friend, renowned journalist and editor of COAST Magazine Samantha Dunn. They dive into Nicole’s history and the path that brought her to Goodwill. Along the way, they discover many similarities in their journeys and discuss what they are most excited about for the future. Tune in and welcome to Sharing Goodwill!
Listen now on Spreaker: 
Kate Keesee (@katekeeseeoc) is a fantastic do-it-yourself stylist and thrifter from Anaheim, CA with a long and loyal history working with and shopping at Goodwill of OC stores throughout Orange County. Now with more than 130K Instagram followers, she started her career as a first-generation blogger in 2009, later joining Instagram in 2015 to share her love of inspiring women to design beautiful homes without spending too much. Formerly known as Salvage Dior, she uses her unique and curated home décor designs, mostly purchased from local thrift stores and flea markets, to inspire her rapidly growing social media audience.
Goodwill of Orange County stores are filled with lots of items that can be used for inside and outside home décor. If you’re not a seasoned thrifter, that’s okay! Kate showed us how to pick out winning pieces to transform your backyard.
Kate taught guests how to create a cohesive and stylish outdoor space and inspired the audience to make use out of anything and everything they already have at home. For example, she turned a unique bath rug into a gorgeous throw pillow simply by using some fabric, glue and yarn. No sewing experience required? Thank goodness!
Shopping at Goodwill of OC is similar to digging for buried treasure – you never know what you might find! Kate recommends thinking outside the box and brainstorming alternative purposes for items you find. She always browses the purse and handbag aisle for versatile finds. Instead of rocking these as accessories, she uses them throughout her home! Kate describes using a unique handbag as a planter, as a pillow case and even for storage. The event was filled with even more helpful advice as she explained her in-store set up and took specific questions from the audience.
Thanks to Kate, guests in attendance and those who watched via social media had tons of fun and learned some useful and helpful home décor styling tips.
What does your outside space look like? Were you inspired by any of Kate’s amazing tips? Visit your local Goodwill of Orange County store and put what you learned to the test.
To watch our Facebook Live coverage of the in-store event, please visit: 
SWEET SUMMER STYLE
Get ready for your wardrobe to beam brighter than the sun – the neon trend is back and here to stay! We love the pops of neon in this fun blazer paired with a simple camisole and jeans – it’s the perfect look to wear to the office or even on a date night!
Effortless and comfortable, sundresses are the perfect summer look! Accessorized with a neutral belt and strappy sandals, this high-low dress will leave you feeling put together with minimal effort required – yes, please!
BEAT THE HEAT
Stay sharp this summer with staple items such as neutral shorts and printed collared shirts. We love this classic pair of khaki shorts and a muted Hawaiian shirt – essentials for casual Fridays!
Hitting the pool or beach? #OCGoodwill has colorful boardshorts galore! From printed to striped and everything in between, pair your trunks with a casual tank top or t-shirt before soaking up the sun.
What does your summer wardrobe look like this year? Visit your 
The Orange County Fair has begun! You can get into the fair for FREE this year simply by giving back to your local community!
As part of #WeCareWednesday, the OC Fair is partnering with several Orange County nonprofit organizations, including Share our Shelves, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, OC Food Bank, Think Together and Goodwill of Orange County, for themed donation days.
Every Wednesday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., bring specific items for donation and receive admission to the fair plus one free carnival ride ticket. Enjoy fun-filled days of rides, games, and food – all while being charitable and contributing to great causes that make a difference right here in our communities! Check out the weekly themes below and how you can get in on the good.
July 17
July 24
July 31
August 7
LITTLE FIRECRACKERS
Looking for an outfit for your little one? OC Goodwill has fun star-spangled styles for all. Simple sundresses for the gals and festive graphic tees and boardshorts for the dudes – what could be more festive?
GO OUT WITH A BANG
We love this bright red romper and straw hat with navy blue detailing for a sophisticated 4thlook. Want to keep it casual? Opt for denim shorts, your favorite sneakers and a simple striped tee!
#OCGoodwill Style Tip: Not into all the red, white and blue? Pair solids or denim for an understated yet festive look.
RED, WHITE AND DUDES TOO
Fellas – we have you covered! Get your Independence Day on with fun boardshorts, graphic tees and colorful shades from OC Goodwill.
What look will you be rocking this Fourth of July? Visit your local 