Hello Everyone,
Goodwill exists to help people see possibilities, seize opportunities, and prosper. Our work is partnering with individuals in our community to help them achieve their goals around family-sustaining employment – this means accessing jobs that provide better wages, benefits that support their families, and opportunities to develop in order to build a career. We are fully aware that the impacts of COVID-19 will disproportionately impact people in our community who have limited resources, options and access. Our commitment is to stand by and with the people who need us most during this critical time.
Thanks to the generosity of those who donate funds, gently used items, or shop in one of our 26 retail stores and online, we are able to offer all of our services at no cost to participants and employ more than 1000 team members across our region. We are working very hard to maintain operations and services, as long as we can do so safely. Many people are depending on us to keep them healthy and safe, while at the same time supporting them to sustain their families. This is a delicate balance that we take seriously.
Like the rest of our community, we are very concerned about the coronavirus (COVID-19). We have been monitoring recommendations from national, regional, and local authorities and are taking the following actions to do our part to help prevent the spread of the illness and to ensure the health and safety of our team, customers, and those we serve:
- Instituting additional cleaning and sanitizing protocols in all of our stores and facilities.
- Providing additional flexibility for our team members to work from home when possible and adjust their schedules as needed, and have made a commitment to ensure uninterrupted pay for a period of time should a team member be required to be out of the workplace due to a COVID-19 related illness.
- Continuing to offer our skills development training, as well as career and supportive services as much as we can using virtual technology where possible.
- Postponing events larger than 50 people in any of our facilities, and conducting meetings virtually as much as possible.
- Suspending all non-essential business travel.
We appreciate your ongoing support and patronage – it makes a difference, because everyone and everything matters! Across Goodwill, we are practicing the following to keep our community healthy, and encourage you to do the same.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Practice good hand washing. (20 seconds or more with warm soapy water).
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces often.
Again, thank you for your support and understanding during these critical times. This is indeed a challenging time for all of us. I pray that as a community we will work together to get through it and in doing so, will gain some empowering lessons that will make us better.
Sincerely,
Chris
Chris Jackson
President & CEO
Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont
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