All of us at Goodwill are grateful for the opportunity to serve so many people. One small thing that we can do is to say “Thank You” at every opportunity. Therefore:

• We say “Thank You” to our donors;
• We say “Thank You” to our shoppers;
• We say “Thank You” to our fellow employees;
• We say “Thank You” to our participants;
• We say “Thank You” to our community partners and
• We say “Thank You” to the communities in which operate.

On a daily basis we literally have thousands of decisions that are made by individuals within our organization. Our decisions have a great impact on the people around us, our participants, donors, shoppers, the organization and ourselves. By thinking and asking questions before we act, we give ourselves the best opportunity to:

• Create a safe environment;
• Create an environment with high ethics that we can all be proud of;
• Create an environment that puts the person and their needs first, and
• Create a respectful and trustful environment that allows everyone the opportunity to be successful and productive.

An organizational strength of our Goodwill is that we believe everyone we come into contact can help make us a stronger organization. By respecting everyone’s unique talents, backgrounds, and views we can become better listeners, better learners and better people.

The nature of our work can often times be described as “organized chaos”. We may get slammed with multiple donations at our donation centers; our retail stores have “special” sales events that can challenge our associates at every level and our participants can sometimes have complex barriers that we work through together. Goodwill employees address these challenges with the required energy and inspiration. When the job is done, we look back with pride at what we accomplished and while it was hard work, it was also FUN!

Goodwill is reliant on the generosity of our donors and their amazing donations that pass through our doors everyday. But that is only the beginning. By respecting these donations we are able to create a financially sound organization. We then use our financial resources to help people improve their lives while also making a positive impact on our planet through recycling and repurposing.

Goodwill is committed to providing a safe space where everyone can be their true, authentic self. By embracing the differences and similarities in who we are and how we think, we become a better, stronger organization. Through intentional action we strive to create a peaceful workplace with a culture of acceptance where everyone can feel connected and valued. We acknowledge that we have work to do, and we are committed to the journey of becoming a diverse, inclusive, and equitable place to work where everyone belongs.

Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois is an equal opportunity employer. We offer a welcoming and inclusive environment in service to one another, the diverse customers we serve, and the communities we call home. We do all of this with kindness, empathy and respect for each other.