Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries

L to R: Michelle Ruschman, West Supervisor, Lois Kramer, CARE Supervisor (Woodlawn), Mary Anne Camp-Bedel, West CARE Program Manager, Malcolm Colbert and Leslie McCurley, Asst. Director of DD Services.

Friday, April 27th marked the date for the Spring Open House hosted by Ohio Valley Goodwill’s CARE West program. The Goodwill Center for Advocacy, Recreation and Education (CARE) is a satellite of the organization’s award-winning personal development and enrichment program which originally opened in 2004. The Westside CARE program recently celebrated its one year anniversary and wanted to open its doors to interested families in the area so that they could find out more about what the program has to offer for adults with disabilities.  ”We are delighted that the CARE program is available to families on the Westside of Cincinnati and that our program participants have given it their seal of approval,” said Michelle Ruschman, West CARE Supervisor.

The Open House event featured the opportunity for guests to not only learn more about the CARE program and its many options for participants but also to have a little fun. Visitors joined program participants in trying on hats and accessories and posing for photobooth pictures as well as in enjoying homemade cookies and watching the program’s new informational video presentation. “We certainly appreciate the willingness of our families to share their positive experiences with the CARE program in our new video,” said Leslie McCurley, Asst. Director of DD Services. The CARE program is designed to provide individualized enrichment opportunities including recreational, social and personal development as well as paid work training.

Goodwill’s CARE West program is currently accepting referrals and scheduling tours for interested families, transition students and referral sources. Please contact Michelle Ruschman at (513) 661-2333 to schedule a tour or email at mruschman@cincigoodwill.org. The CARE West program also offers door-to-door Goodwill van transportation as well as personal care assistance for individuals in need of these services. For more information about CARE West or any of Ohio Valley Goodwill’s vast array of service options, please visit our website at www.cincinnatigoodwill.org/services.

L to R:Aimee Rittner, Ranaye Hampton, Summer McGriff and Chelsea Combs, Work Site Support Services Team Members.

In our continuing News Blog series focusing on Ohio Valley Goodwill’s programs to help individuals to obtain and maintain employment, this week’s story is about the organization’s Work Site Supports and Job Coaching Services. Directed by Aimee Rittner, Manager, Goodwill’s Work Site Supports and Job Coaching Services often make the difference as to whether someone is able to successfully maintain their employment. As an experienced vocational professional, Aimee brings a unique perspective to the way support services and coaching is provided. “Everything we do reflects our committed and conscientious approach to helping people to experience personal success on the job,” said Rittner.

Work Site Supports and Job Coaching Services include but are not limited to:

• Short-term one-on-one supports on the job
• Short-term off-site supports
• Assistance with accessing public transportation
• Assistance with needed job accommodations
• Assistance with accessing needed community supports
• Help with exploring career directions

“The way that Work Site Supports and Job Coaching come together is through the process of initially helping someone to identify their personal career focus and then, once employed, providing the coaching support needed to successfully maintain employment,” explains Rittner, Manager. “The way we begin the process is by working with the individual and employers in their area of interest to determine an appropriate employment goal. Once the individual enters the Job Placement process, we work with the individual on community supports that they will need to have in place once they do get a job. These could be things like child care, access to medical services, transportation needs and other supports appropriate to that person. Once employed, Goodwill’s Job Coaching services come into play. This involves helping someone learn their route to work using public transportation, learning their job responsibilities, help with building relationships with supervisors and co-workers and other needed supports,” said Rittner.

People are referred to Ohio Valley Goodwill’s Job Coaching Services by two primary referral agencies, Rehabilitation Services Commission and local county boards of Developmental Disabilities. In the case of individuals sponsored through the Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC), job coaching supports are time-limited and conclude once the person has mastered the needed skills to maintain employment. Goodwill’s partnerships with local county boards of Developmental Disabilities allow for job coaching support to continue as long as an individual is employed in the community.

Ohio Valley Goodwill’s Job Coaching Services program was recently recognized by the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities as “Provider of the Year” for the quality of its programs and services. As Manager of the program, Rittner credits the hard work of her team in earning this well-deserved reputation in the Greater Cincinnati community. A dedicated Goodwill employee, Rittner has been with the organization for more than 16 years and in her present role for five years. As part of her educational experience, Rittner taught a class where students with disabilities were included into the regular classroom. This piqued her interest in working directly with people with disabilities. Upon completing her degree, Rittner joined the Goodwill team with a primary focus on helping individuals to obtain employment in the community. “I get a lot of satisfaction from helping people to achieve their employment goals even when there are significant challenges to their doing so,” Rittner said.

For more information about Ohio Valley Goodwill’s Work Site Supports and Job Coaching Services, please contact Aimee Rittner, Manager, at (513) 771-4800, ext. 6213 or email: arittner@cincigoodwill.org

Friday April 20th marked the occasion of the annual Spring Stand Down event co-sponsored by Ohio Valley Goodwill’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) and hosted by Mercy Franciscan at St. John in Over the Rhine. The purpose of the event is to draw attention to the needs of homeless veterans and to offer a variety of services for these individuals including: social service, housing assistance, job and computer services, legal support and other needed services.  A hot lunch is served to all participants in addition to the distribution of clothing to individuals as needed.

The phrase “stand down” comes from an old military term relating to a time that military personnel could have their personal needs attended to. More than 30 service provider agencies were part of this year’s event and hundreds of individuals currently struggling with homelessness participated in the Stand Down.

In addition to Ohio Valley Goodwill, other organizations involved in the Stand Down included: the Veterans Administration, Hamilton County Veterans Services Commission, Social Security Administration, Drop Inn Center, YMCA, Upward Bound Program, Super Jobs and many other organizations.

Ohio Valley Goodwill has been offering services to individuals who are homeless and unemployed for many years. In 2011, the organization served more than 650 veterans and homeless individuals. For more information about Goodwill’s HVRP program, please contact Bill Darnell, Grants Manager at (513) 631-4500.

Ohio Valley Goodwill is grateful to Mercy Franciscan at St. John for their on-going support of this important annual community outreach event.

Ohio Valley Goodwill was pleased to serve as the host location for the joint monthly meeting of the Woodlawn and Springdale Chambers on Wednesday, April 18th. Over 30 members attended the lunchtime meeting which also featured a presentation by Don Gray, President and Founder of Sales Engineering Group who’s  topic was entitled: “Strengthening Customer Relationships.” During the presentation, Don shared his perspectives with the group including the many ways that business individuals can strengthen their relationships with their customers as well as building on distinguishing value.

Don Gray, Founder and President of Sales Engineering Group Featured Speaker – Woodlawn & Springdale Chamber Luncheon – April 18, 2012

Don also discussed the ways that businesses can determine how to build more effective long-term and profitable relationships.  As the President of Sales Engineering Group, Don has helped people to become more effective at hiring the right people by implementing sales processes that accurately reflect the revenue potential, and by improving the performance of the sales team with improved selling skills and value messaging. This is the first time that the two chamber groups have met together in a joint meeting.

Ohio Valley Goodwill is pleased to have been the host location for the chamber event.  Goodwill’s Director of PR and Marketing, George Palmer has served on the Board of Directors for the Woodlawn Chamber of Commerce for the past three years and has been active in planning programs and events for the chamber. As a long-time leader in the local business community, Ohio Valley Goodwill is committed to sponsoring events that will help the overall vitality of the business economy. Proceeds from monies raised in Goodwill’s network of retail stores is used to support the organization’s mission of service in the Greater Cincinnati community.

The proliferation of advice on sustainable living has left many consumers overwhelmed and wondering if their green efforts even make a difference. Goodwill Industries, a pioneer of the reduce-reuse-repurpose philosophy, wants the public to know that simple acts, like donating gently used clothing and household items to Goodwill, can have lasting impact on the planet.

“April 22nd is Earth Day, and it provides the perfect opportunity for individuals to commit to one new green practice that can make a difference. Small acts add up to big change when you harness the power of millions who care about our planet,” said Joe Byrum, President and CEO of Ohio Valley Goodwill.

Through the sale of donations, Goodwill diverts billions of pounds of usuable goods from landfills annually. Revenues from the sale of these goods at Goodwill stores fund programs that put people to work, including people with disabilities as well as our nation’s veterans. And, like donors, shoppers play a key role in the process. When people find bargains in their local Goodwill stores they not only save money, but they also extend the lifespan of items that would otherwise be discarded.

To show people how their donations make a difference, Goodwill developed the patent-pending Donation Impact Calculator at http://www.donate.goodwill.org. The calculator translates the value of donations into job training programs, employment placement services and other vital programs that benefit local communities. For example, the donation of one working computer translates into 5.8 hours of a job search class. In 2011, more than 100,000 people nationally saw the impact their donations made through 288,000 calculations on the site.

“For almost a century, Ohio Valley Goodwill has linked protecting the environment to helping people earn paychecks, support their families and strengthen their communities,” said Joe Byrum, President and CEO. “Each individual shopper and donor is an important partner in what we do.”

This Sunday, April 22nd is the official celebration of Earth Day. Join Ohio Valley Goodwill in honoring our planet by making a donation of a computer, unwanted electronic equipment or other household items at any one of the 29 conveniently located donation centers in the Greater Cincinnati area.  For a complete list, visit www.cincinnatigoodwill.org/donate. And please accept our very sincere thanks for your commitment to responsible recycling.

L to R: Rodney Epperson, Stephanie Eppley, Kelly Manns and Emily Gillespie- Ohio Valley Goodwill Work Evaluation Team Members.

As part of its array of many programs directed towards community employment, Ohio Valley Goodwill also offers a Work Evaluation service. The organization’s Senior Case Manager for Work Evaluation, Stephanie Eppley, was recently singled out for recognition by the Southwest Ohio Rehabilitation Association (SWORA), for her outstanding professionalism in assisting individuals to determine their personal career paths. Eppley has served as a Work Evaluation specialist for more than 16 years and is passionate about her work. “Helping individuals identify and discover what their capabilities are and then supporting them in finding career options that will utilize their strengths is very exciting to me,” said Eppley. “It is so satisfying to watch people come to the realization that there are so many things that they can do that they had previously never even considered,” added Eppley.

Goodwill’s Work Evaluation process offers the opportunity for people to explore their interests, skills and abilities through a variety of formats including personal interviews, paper and pencil tests and job try-outs all designed to provide the individual insights as to future career directions. Evaluations can be structured to meet the individual’s needs in terms of formats used and time required to complete. The goal of the Work Evaluation experience is to provide the individual a road map to guide their vocational future. The comprehensive nature of this process also looks at the person’s characteristics in terms of attendance, punctuality, supervisory interaction skills and all of the other related aspects of employee readiness for the work world. This may also address issues like the essential importance of hygiene, grooming and other critical variables related to obtaining and maintaining employment.

Recently, Eppley worked with a high school-aged student struggling with homelessness.  Through the young man’s participation in the Evaluation process, he was determined appropriate for enrollment in Goodwill’s Food Services Training program. Following graduation from Food Services Training, the individual was able to successfully obtain community employment with the support of Goodwill’s Employment Services team. Now employed at the University of Cincinnati Residents Dining Hall, the individual is earning a paycheck and feeling good about his achievements.

Goodwill’s Work Evaluation program serves an average of more than 100 individuals a year with a variety of disabilities and helps them to get on the path to employment. “It’s really all about helping people find the right jobs that match their personal strengths, skills and abilities,” said Eppley.

Individuals that participate in Goodwill’s Work Evaluation program are typically referred by the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission, Worker’s Compensation, Veterans Administration, Local School Districts, Free Store Food Bank as well as County Boards of Developmental Disabilities. For more information about the Work Evaluation program, please contact Kelly Manns, Asst. Director of Employment and Training Services at (513) 771-4800, ext. 6214 or email: kmanns@cincigoodwill.org.

Ohio Valley Goodwill and Gold Star Chili completed their six-week on-site Chilimobile FREE cheese coney give-aways, but there is still time to support the organization with donations! Gold Star Chili is still collecting clothing donations at 58 of their store locations until April 28th.  You can continue to help Goodwill by donating gently used clothing at Gold Star Chili locations throughout the Greater Cincinnati area.

The two organizations came together this Spring to offer donors and customers a chance to not only donate but also a way to have some fun at the same time.  Over a period of six weeks, the Gold Star Chilimobile was on hand at Goodwill retail store locations to treat donors and customers to FREE cheese coneys to anyone spending $25. in Goodwill stores or to anyone making a donation. “We were so thrilled to have Gold Star bring their Chilimobile to our retail sites to encourage customers and donors to help Goodwill,” said George Palmer, Goodwill’s PR and Marketing Director.  The store events included radio remotes with stations B-105, Q-102 and Rewind 94.9 making the six Saturday events a fun time for everyone visiting Goodwill’s retail stores.

The Gold Star Chili event will repeat again beginning in September for another six weeks to help Goodwill to collect donations and to encourage participation from customers and donors.  “We so appreciate the support of the Gold Star Chili organization in helping to bring in donations for us,” mentioned Palmer.

Goodwill appreciates the Greater Cincinnati community for its support of its mission to serve the needs of individuals with disabilities, homeless veterans and others with barriers to employment.  Donations help to provide the income that is needed to make programs available to the people that the organization supports. Last year, Ohio Valley Goodwill served over 3,100 men and women with disabilities and placed 818 individuals into competitive employment.

Ohio Valley Goodwill and Gold Star Chili are excited to present the last in a series of Saturday radio remotes and FREE cheese coney give-aways this Saturday, April 14th at the Bellevue Goodwill retail store.  The Gold Star Chilimobile will be at Goodwill’s Bellevue location from Noon to 2 pm and be giving out FREE cheese coneys to anyone spending $25. in the store or to anyone making a donation.  Also on hand will be radio station Q102 during the Noon to 2 pm hour with prizes and fun for the entire family.  The Bellevue store will be offering 50% off clothing and housewares all day as well!

Ohio Valley Goodwill partnered with Gold Star Chili this Spring to accept clothing donations at their locations in the Tri-State.  Gold Star has also have been on-hand at six Goodwill locations on consecutive Saturday’s to participate with their Chilimobile to pass out coupons for FREE cheese coneys during the radio remotes and store specials. “We have been delighted to have such wonderful participation from Gold Star Chili and their staff for this partnership and for all that they have done to make this a great opportunity for the collection of donations,” said George Palmer, Goodwill’s Director of PR and Marketing.  The partnership will repeat again for another six-week period in the Fall.

Ohio Valley Goodwill thanks the Gold Star Chili company for their involvement and cooperation in helping to solicit donations from the Greater Cincinnati community and its participation in the radio remotes this Spring.  Goodwill looks forward to another great project again in the Fall of this year!

The 2012 members of “Team Goodwill” are excited about this year’s big race which will take place on Saturday, May 5th. The Hope & Possibility Race is a feature of the annual Flying Pig Marathon designed to pair athletes with and without disabilities in a unique community showcase.

Team Goodwill Members from 2011 Hope & Possibility Race

The 2012 members of “Team Goodwill” include more than 30 representatives of the organization’s Work Adjustment, CARE, Recreation-Leisure, Job Coaching and Retail departments. The Goodwill team is composed of partners that train together to participate in the big race. The 3.2 mile, 5K race takes place in downtown Cincinnati and finishes with a post-race celebration at Sawyer Point.

Ohio Valley Goodwill is a sponsor of the 2012 Celebration event and will provide goodies and give-aways to Race participants. Goodwill has had a team in the Hope & Possibility Race since its beginnings 6 years ago. “The Hope & Possibility Race is a wonderful community showcase for our athletes every year,” said Sharon Hannon, Marketing Specialist and Team Coordinator. Currently, members of “Team Goodwill” are in training for the upcoming event and are excited about the big Race. Stay tuned for Team in Training updates in the coming weeks and watch for 2012 Race results on May 7th.

Ohio Valley Goodwill offers a host of training programs all designed to help individuals to obtain the skills needed to obtain community employment. One of its award-winning programs is its Office Procedures and Computer Technology training. This training program offers students the opportunity to learn 2007 Microsoft Office Systems as well as a variety of associated skill sets essential in today’s business market. Directed by Supervisor, Nancy VanderWoude, Goodwill’s Office Procedures and Computer Technology Training program has been recognized by the Southwest Ohio Rehabilitation Association (SWORA) on three different occasions for the outstanding quality of its programs and services.

Nancy VanderWoude, Supervisor OPCT.

In particular,  SWORA noted the supportive staff team associated with the program under Vanderwoude’s leadership as well as the quality of the program’s outcomes. VanderWoude has served as the Supervisor of the Office Procedures and Computer Technology program at Goodwill for the past 13 years. Overall, she has more than 35 years of experience in supervision and management in the business world in Ohio and Indiana.

Goodwill’s Office Procedures and Computer Technology Training offers students an individualized course of study based on their identified career goals. Course studies are based on the needs of today’s job market and currently includes but is not limited to the following areas:

• Keyboarding
• Data Entry
• Microsoft Access 2007
• Microsoft Word 2007
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2007
• Microsoft Excel 2007
• Windows XP
• Work Readiness classes

In addition to the above comprehensive list of skill training areas, the Computer Technology program also offers Computerized Job Seeking Training which of course, is absolutely essential in today’s job market. This service is a two-week intensive training program designed to provide individuals that have no prior computer experience with the skills to begin a computer-based job search. Students are provided with individualized instruction designed to help them navigate the complexities of seeking employment. In some cases, Goodwill also offers program participants the chance to prepare for completing and obtaining their GED if this is a course of study they wish to pursue.

Students participating in Ohio Valley Goodwill’s Office Procedures and Computer Technology Training program are typically referred by the Rehabilitation Services Commission, Bureau of Worker’s Compensation, Veterans Administration and Private Insurance. For more information about the program or to schedule a tour, please contact Nancy VanderWoude at (513) 771-4800, ext. 6226 or email: nvanderwoude@cincigoodwill.org.