Am

ba

ssad

or |

Win

ter 2009

1Our business is changing lives.

AmbassadorA Publication of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc. | Winter 2009

Less Mess for Project Organize Winner

Cash Cabin23 Winners600 Guests

One Big Night!

4 Big Ticket Items Sell Online from the

Am

ba

ssa

do

r | W

inte

r 200

9

2

Am

ba

ssad

or |

Win

ter 2009

3

Chairman:John W. Stone, III, Partner

White & Reasor, PLC

Vice Chairman:Robert McNeilly, III, President and CEO

SunTrust Bank

Secretary:Donna B. Yurdin, Owner

Credo Management Consulting

Treasurer:Kathryn S. Gibson, Accounting Manager

Vanderbilt University Medical CenterDepartment of Finance

Legal Counsel:Christopher S. Dunn, Attorney

Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis, LLP

Other Officers:David Lifsey, President

Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

Tammy Glass,Vice President of Finance

Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

Betty Johnson,Vice President of Employment Services

Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

J. B. BakerPresident & CEO

Volunteer Express, Inc.

J. Mike BishopAsst. Vice PresidentPharmacy Services

Health Trust Purchasing Group

William H. Cammack, Trustee

ChairmanEquitable Trust

Company

Steele ClaytonPartner

Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC

David CondraChairman

Dalcon Enterprises

Gary W. CordellConsultant

Robert W. DuthieFounder

Duthie Associates, Inc.

Deborah Y. FaulknerInspector General

State of Tennessee - TennCare

John C. GreerVice President

TennComm, LLC

L. Hall Hardaway, Jr.Chairman (Retired)

The Hardaway Group

Jeffrey A. HoffmanRichelieu America, Ltd.

Decosta JenkinsPresident & CEONashville Electric

Service

Robert B. KennedyVice PresidentFirst Horizon

Insurance Group, Inc.

James L. Knight, Trustee

President (Retired)Check Printers, Inc.

R. Craig LaineRinaldo Group, L.P.

Kevin P. McDermottPartner

KPMG LLP

Fred T. McLaughlin, Trustee

Branch Manager, Sr. VP InvestmentsRobert W. Baird &

Co., Inc.

Thomas S. StumbPresident

Nashville Bank & Trust

John TishlerChairman

Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP

George Van AllenPresident

Nashville State Community College

Boa

rd O

ffic

ers

Boa

rd o

f Dir

ecto

rs

AmbassadorINSIDE

cover story

Goodwill gets a peek inside Johnny and June Carter Cash’s private getaway.

p.14

Safety and Steaks..........................................p.4

Goodwill Night on Broadway....................p.5

Goodwill Walks to Fight Breast Cancer..p.8

Madison Closes............................................p.9

Project Organize..........................................p.9

What is Career Solutions?........................p.10

Ageless Experience...................................p.12

Homeless to Graduate of the Year........p.13

2009 Annual Dinner.................................p.14

shining starsGoodwill’s Annual Dinner celebrates employees’ successes.

p.6President & CEO - David Lifsey

Sr. Director of Marketing & Community Relations - Karl HoustonWriter & Editor - Suzanne Kay-Pittman

Art Director & Photographer - Scott Bryant

Ambassador is a quarterly newsletter published by Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

1015 Herman St.Nashville, TN 37208

For the nearest retail store, donation center, or Career Solutions facility, please call 615.742.4151 or visit giveit2goodwill.org.

The Ambassador provides its readers with stories about the events, activities and people who support the mission of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee. We are pleased to provide you this information and hope

you will share our publication with others. Please note, the opinions expressed in the Ambassador do not necessarily reflect an opinion or official position of the management or employees of

Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

Goodwill’s Mission: We sell donated goods to provide employment and training opportunities for people who have disabilities and others who have trouble finding and keeping jobs.

Am

ba

ssa

do

r | W

inte

r 200

9

4

Am

ba

ssad

or |

Win

ter 2009

5

Goodwill Night on BroadwaySpotlight on our donors at TPAC.

Ten-year-old Carly Sonenclar had just finished her performance as youngest daughter Carrie in, “Little House on the Prairie, the Musical,” when she approached

six-year-old Mary Cate McNamara of Nashville at a dessert reception after the show. Mary Cate’s mom, Paula, says “Carly took Mary Cate under her wing and introduced her to cast mates and got their autographs on her playbill. The two girls were like long lost friends just chatting away!” The McNamaras, and more than 50 other donors, joined a full house at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center for Goodwill Night on Broadway. The discount offer on tickets to the October 29 performance was available to donors who gave to Goodwill throughout September and October.

Although Mary Cate did not come dressed in prairie garb, many of our donors’ daughters did come to the show dressed as the young Laura Engalls Wilder, whose book serves as the basis for the production. Melissa Gilbert, who starred in the television version of “Little House on the Prairie,” plays the role of Ma in the musical.

Donors not only had the chance to mingle with the cast of the show, they also nibbled on pastries donated to Goodwill by Ellen and Dan Einstein of Sweet 16th, a bakery in East Nashville.

As for Mary Cate, her mom says, “She was so delighted and honored that Carly was her new friend. Mary Cate had show and tell in school the next day. She brought her signed program and told the class all about her wonderful night at TPAC. Thank you Goodwill for this special evening that we will never forget.”

There’s a price to be paid for staying safe at Goodwill and that price is a sit down lunch of steak, baked potatoes and chocolate cake!

Deborah Fuller, a book processor in the Story Building, said, “It was so special for us. The food was delicious and it makes me feel appreciated!”

David Pippin, loss prevention manager, and several senior directors, manned the grill to cook steaks to-order for members of the three teams that went injury-free from September 1, 2008 throughSeptember, 30 2009. “This is unprecedented in our Goodwill. We’ve never had this many groups go without a single injury through a complete year,” says Pippin.

The safest teams are the sorters at the Herman Street processing plant in Nashville, the transportation maintenance group and the hard goods team at the Story building.

Injuries are measured month-to-month and not by the calendar year, which means every group in our Goodwill is eligible as soon as it goes a single month without injuries. Teams that go three months without injury are treated to a pizza party. Pippin faces an interesting dilemma should a team go two years without any injuries. “I have had several questions about what we are going to do when they reach that two year milestone. At least employees are in a safety mindset, and I hope I have to come up with another fun idea!”

Safety=Steaks!

Sorting TeamHerman Street - Nashville

Hardgoods ProcessingStory Building - Nashville

Transportation/MaintenanceHerman Street - Nashville

Cast members with the daughters of our donors - Alayna Drew, 6 of Joelton & Larissa Miller, 12 of Clarksville

“Little House on the Prairie, the Musical” cast at the dessert reception

Carly Sonenclar - Carrie in LHOP with Mary Cate McNamara

“Meeting the cast members made the show so special for our little girls.” -Rhonda Schremmer, Goodwill donor

Am

ba

ssa

do

r | W

inte

r 200

9

6

Am

ba

ssad

or |

Win

ter 2009

7

Cash CabinCash Cabin Rick And Robin Farlow are taking their new home back to its roots. The couple

recently purchased a furnished pre-Civil War log cabin on six acres near Nashville. It just happens to have once been Johnny and June Carter Cash’s private getaway. “We actually negotiated the contents of the cabin into the purchase of the home with the intent to donate everything to charity,” said Rick. The Farlows chose our Goodwill. The Farlows bought the Hendersonville home from an individual who prefers to remain anonymous and is the link between the Farlows and the Cashes. That individual had furnished the home

with contemporary furniture and stainless steel appliances.

The Farlows say they have been loyal Goodwill donors for many years and did not hesitate when considering where to donate the items from the cabin.

“I even went to Goodwill’s online auction site and hoped that’s where the items would be sold to raise the most money.” Farlow was right in his assumption. A slate pool table, armoire, an oversized white couch and a leather loveseat were sold on onlinegoodwill.com. The almost-new appliances will be used in the kitchen in the Life

Skills room in the new Career Solutions Building. The story of the generous donation by the Farlows received national media attention. The publicity resulted in a flood of phone calls and e-mails from shoppers across the country who contacted our Goodwill about buying the items.

The Cabin

The Farlow’s cabin is located on what is known as Cash Mountain. Its sweeping vista views are breathtaking and the silence is only broken by the birds, frogs and fellow creatures. It’s what attracted the Farlows to the property.

“Our goal is to keep the cabin very simple and not worry about a lot of fancy items inside or extensive landscaping. We just want to enjoy nature and the

home the way it was intended to be,” says Farlow.

The couple thinks this is what the Cashes would have wanted. Farlow met with Tommy Cash, Johnny’s brother, who told him the cabin was the Cashes’ escape after traveling and performing and is where Johnny wrote a number of songs and a book.

The Farlows are working with contractors familiar with historic homes and have been told the cabin was built between 1770 and 1800. Its exposed poplar wood walls and heart pine floors are original.

To maintain the home’s historic integrity, the Farlows will use vintage materials for the addition of a bathroom and laundry room. They also plan to finish the home’s attic by creating a large closet and bedroom and hope to have construction completed by early 2010.

END-OF-THE-YEAR TAX WRITE-OFFS

As 2009 comes to a close, don’t forget that your donations to Goodwill are tax deductible. This year your donations are especially needed since donor numbers are down. We are in need of clothing, books and household goods. Donations are the lifeblood of Goodwill and fuel our ability to serve our mission of providing employment and training opportunities for people who have disabilities and others who have trouble finding and keeping jobs.

Year’s end is always a good time to clean out your closets, clear the clutter and give the gently-used items you no longer need, want or use, to Goodwill. And if you’re like the Farlows, and have a remodeling project underway, consider Goodwill for the household items that don’t fit with your new décor.

Please check with your tax professional for any questions regarding your taxes.

“To me, I knew Goodwill was the appropriate organization for us. I’ve always thought Goodwill does the right thing for people in the community.” -Rick Farlow

Top Photo: Pool table donated and sold on onlinegoodwill.com

Left: Second floor atrium in the cabin where Johnny Cash wrote music

Upper Right: Etched glass window in the cabin given to June Carter Cash by fans in England

Far Right: Donors Rick and Robin Farlow

Am

ba

ssa

do

r | W

inte

r 200

9

8

Am

ba

ssad

or |

Win

ter 2009

9

Goodwill Joins the Fight Against Breast Cancer

Community relations efforts continue to evolve.Goodwill’s retail store in

Madison has closed. The store’s lease was up for

renewal, and due to declining sales at the location, senior management determined it was in the company’s best interest to shutter the store.

The 17 employees who worked at the Madison store, including members of the retail and donations teams, were transferred or returned to assessment programs within the company.

The store, located at 820 Gallatin Road, closed on Saturday, October 24.

Goodwill now operates 31 retail stores and an outlet store throughout middle and west Tennessee.

Ernest Washington wanted to take part in the MAKING STRIDES Against Breast Cancer walk to honor three friends who have recently

been diagnosed with breast cancer. Washington works in SignSolutions and was a member of our first-ever team to take part in the walk. Susan McCullen, a merchandiser in e-Commerce, brought her son and daughter along for the walk and raised $100. “I wanted the kids with me because their grandmother died from breast cancer.”

The Goodwill Walkers team included employees, family and friends. To support the October 24 event, our stores in the Nashville area displayed posters and provided informational materials for shoppers at check-out. The Goodwill Walkers joined 14,000 others in the five-mile walk through downtown Nashville and raised $250 for the fight against breast cancer. The Nashville chapter of the American Cancer Society reports it raised $500,000 from the event. MAKING STRIDES Against Breast Cancer is the American Cancer Society’s premier event to raise awareness and dollars to fight breast cancer. It is also designed to honor breast cancer survivors and remember friends and family who have been lost to the disease. Donations raised from this walk will be used to fund breast cancer research, education, advocacy, and patient support programs.

Goodwill’s Madison Store Closes

Mt. Juliet family wins a clean sweep.

Sometimes it feels like we’re just here to eat and sleep and then go again,” says Kama Mayfield about life at her Mt. Juliet home. What parent doesn’t feel that

way as they chauffeur their kids to school, extracurricular activities and the drive-through?

A hectic life with toddlers and teenagers meant little time to spit shine the Mayfield’s home. Finding that balance between family activities and housework was as simple as entering our Goodwill’s Project Organize contest for Mayfield.

Entry photos of the Mayfield’s three messiest rooms and her note which said, “We have too much stuff! We suspect our stuff reproduces when we’re not home,” convinced the judges this home needed some TLC.

Enter Tanna Clark of Complete Organizing Solutions. Clark is a professional organizer, and with a few storage bins, some tough decisions about which items should stay, go to the trash, or be donated to Goodwill, the Mayfield children now have the best bedrooms on the block.

Mom Kama’s only prerequisite was that if a toy made noise, it had to go. “I just hope my children don’t come home and want the barking squirrel from the hamburger meal they had three weeks ago!”

Now that the Mayfields have found the calm after the storm, the family will have the luxury of having a certified green cleaning donated by Maid Brigade.

Kama says, “This is a pretty cool thing. I’m definitely going to keep giving to Goodwill.”

Project Organize to the Rescue!

If you happened into the Tin Roof restaurant in Cool Springs in late September, you couldn’t miss the 200 bras strung across the room. Goodwill partnered with the Nashville Junior Chamber of Commerce and supplied the bras, of varying sizes and colors, for the group’s Hot Pink fund-raiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

More than 125 guests participated in the event which included a silent auction. The fund-raiser brought in more than $4,800 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. For more information about the fight against breast cancer, please call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org. You may also call the Susan G. Komen Foundation at 1-877-465-6636 or go to the organization’s Web site, http://ww5.komen.org/.

The Bras Were the Stars

Goodwill WalkersTop, L - R, Tinnie Holt, Mary Fizer, Cheryl Nixon, Ernest Washington, Ann Snelling, George and Kathleen Carlson, Susan McCullenLower, L - R, Suzanne Kay-Pittman, Arianna and A.J. Prather

“

Before

After

Contest Winner Kama Mayfield

For more information please visit:completeorganizingsolutions.commaidbrigade.com

Am

ba

ssa

do

r | W

inte

r 200

9

10

Am

ba

ssad

or |

Win

ter 2009

11

Trying to explain our Goodwill and the depth of services we offer is a tough challenge, and perhaps one of the most difficult aspects to explain to those who aren’t familiar with

our organization is Career Solutions. Today it is positioned at the heart of Goodwill’s mission, with career counselors who work daily with clients who need help polishing their job search skills and marketability. When the new Career Solutions building is completed at the corner of Tenth and Herman Street in Nashville, our counselors will have even more options and opportunities to serve our clients.

In the beginning, Career Solutions was called Rehabilitation, and partnered with the State of Tennessee Division of Vocational Rehabilitation office. We offered job readiness training, work assessments and job trials to candidates referred to us by the state. Our mission was to provide vocational services to people with disabilities.

Our mission has evolved, as have our services. In the mid 1990s, our Goodwill secured an annual grant from the National Council on Aging to serve older workers who met specific income guidelines. As our mission grew, so did the resources we made available to those we serve. Career Solutions expanded and added its first off-site locations in Murfreesboro and Clarksville, working with clients who were unemployed and had a barrier to employment, but who may not have had a disability.

When we crossed into the new millennium, our president and Board determined that revenue from Goodwill’s store sales would be used to pay for the services offered by Career Solutions. The shift in policy led the way for significant growth within the department. More satellite offices opened throughout middle and west Tennessee and are housed under the same roof as a Goodwill store.

As Career Solutions expanded, programs were added including forklift training and certification, computer skills training, security guard training and retail and customer service training in partnership with Nashville State Community College.

So what is Career Solutions? It is a full-service program which provides free job training services to the unemployed or underemployed who need our assistance. It is a staff of more than 40 people who work with our clients and promote our services in the communities we serve. Our clients are proof that our career counselors work wonders one placement at a time!

Career Solutions Evolution

1958-1994Programs begin as Rehabilitation

Partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation program

1989Services begin for children with disabilities

Helpers assist at summer day camp in Davidson County

1994-2003National Council on Aging grant

1997Career Solutions opens first satellite offices in

Murfreesboro and Clarksville

1999Job Resource Center at the

Woodbine Community Center opens andserves non-English speaking unemployed in

Davidson County

2000Department renamed to Employment and Training

2000-2008Satellite offices open throughout

middle and west TennesseeCookevilleColumbia

FranklinSpringfieldBerry RoadShelbyville

GallatinJacksonDickson

Union CitySpring HillLewisburgRivergate

2003Forklift and computer training classes begin

2006Department renamed to Career Solutions

Retail and Customer Service Training (TRAC I) offered

2008TRAC II begins

2010Grand opening of new Career Solutions Building

What is Career Solutions?

The new Career Solutions building in Nashville is on target

for completion by April 2010.

Right: Brick work is underway and project managers expect

the building’s exterior will be finished by mid December.

Below: Contractors are working within the shell of the first floor.

Construction Update

Am

ba

ssa

do

r | W

inte

r 200

9

12

Am

ba

ssad

or |

Win

ter 2009

13

Transition into SuccessOnce homeless, Gary Laster is now Berry Road’s

Graduate of the Year.

When Gary Laster went to the Berry Road Career Solutions office in

November 2008, he was wearing the only clothing he owned – a pair of overalls and a shirt. He had just arrived in Nashville from Texas and was homeless. Just one year later, Laster has been named the Berry Road Client of the Year.

Laster, a skilled carpenter, was no stranger to work. He had spent most of his career in construction and needed help making connections in Nashville. Laster met with career counselor Idalba Tabares who referred him to Metro Social Services and supplied him with job leads and a list of potential employers.

As luck would have it, Laster went into a situational assessment in December at the Goodwill dock under the supervision of Jeannette

Blankenship, the dock manager. Situational assessments last four weeks and allow supervisors to evaluate the client’s job readiness, their work and interpersonal skills, and whether they are a good candidate for a job within Goodwill, if a job is available.

Blankenship realized Laster had much to offer Goodwill and hired him as a permanent employee after his situational assessment. Luck was soon on Laster’s side again when a position in the maintenance department became available just a few months later. “When Gary started in a situational assessment, I

saw a lot of potential in him,” says Blankenship. “I recommended him for the maintenance department since he qualified perfectly.”Laster has hit his stride in the maintenance department. “When I started working in the maintenance department I knew it was the perfect job for me.”

Bobby Cothran, Goodwill’s maintenance manager, sent a note to Tabares to let her know his new employee was a great addition to his team. “He is a highly skilled carpenter and also knows the construction trade very well,” says Cothran. He

added, “Gary has surpassed my expectations and is one of my highest producers. He is a grounded, highly skilled worker that needed a chance which exemplifies the mission here at Goodwill. I am fortunate to have him on our team.”

The saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” certainly applies during a job search. Knowing the right people may be the key to

getting a job, says Springfield career counselor Mike Wright. “In Robertson County not too many jobs are posted online or even in the local paper. The best way to find a job is networking.”

Older workers find themselves in a difficult bind in Springfield. “While they may know members of their community, many employers may have a bias against hiring an older employee,” says Wright whose office serves a wide range of clients.

Wright, like many of our career counselors, is working with various private and public agencies to help clients find work. He has teamed with the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) in Robertson County which offers job training and placement assistance for the 55+ set. The Robertson County program manager for NCOA, Carol Jenkins, once worked for Career Solutions as an administrative assistant and understands our services.

“We put participants in jobs at Goodwill when there’s an opening. They work 20 hours a week and we pay their wages for a year or until Goodwill has an opening that is a good fit for the client and for Goodwill,” says Jenkins.

“Many of the people I work with live on their $500 monthly social security check. When they come to work in our training program, and work for Goodwill, it almost doubles their money,” says Jenkins. “I’m really grateful that Goodwill is in our community and provides these older workers with jobs.”

Career Counselors Foster Relationships

Within their Communities

DicksonErin Riley, the career counselor in Dickson, works with the Families First program which emphasizes work, training and personal responsibility. “We are teaching a résumé class once a month for our clients. We’ve also had a huge outpouring of support from other agencies and churches that refer potential clients to us.”

CookevilleCounselors work with several agencies to help clients who are in need of food, medical care and other essentials. “We have found that by helping our clients with their needs they can be more focused on finding employment which will help them move on to a better life,” says career counselor Jane Byers.

Spring Hill George Carlson has partnered with the Tennessee Career Center in Columbia and the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce. Both organizations provide job leads and potential clients. Carlson’s involvement with the Chamber has directly resulted in the hiring of numerous clients at companies throughout the area.

FranklinCounselor Diane Wilson works with Graceworks, a nonprofit social service agency. Graceworks refers clients to Wilson and her team, which in turn helps them with job search skills. She says, “Without this individualized assistance, many of these folks would not find employment.”

Age Equals ExperienceSpringfield Career Solutions counselor teams with NCOA to place workers.

Mike Wright, Springfield career counselor, works with various agencies to find jobs for older employees.

“When I started working in the maintenance department I knew it was the perfect job for me.” -Gary Laster

Am

ba

ssa

do

r | W

inte

r 200

9

14

Am

ba

ssad

or |

Win

ter 2009

15

Shock is the only word to describe Josh Osborne’s reaction to hearing his

name called as the Retail Employee of the Year at the Annual Dinner in October. “All he could say was, ‘wow’,” says his aunt, Tammy Dozier, who was sitting next to Josh that evening. Josh’s primary job at the Smyrna store is to stock books. He does his job so well that book sales at the store have increased 80 percent above last year’s sales,

and Smyrna leads the company in the sale of books. “Once we got in the car after the dinner, Josh told me there are a lot of people who have helped him and who also deserve the award,” says Dozier. She says he’s especially grateful to Smyrna store manager Tim Elliott, assistant manager Nan Young, his coworkers Pepper Pierce and Chase Loveless and job coach, Terry Barnett.

“Josh is awesome,” say both Burnett and Young. Josh was one of more than 20 award winners honored for their accomplishments and contributions to our Goodwill.

The evening was hosted by Goodwill’s President and CEO, David Lifsey, with senior directors presenting the awards. Employees in west Tennessee will be honored in November at a dinner in Jackson.

Goodwill’s Annual Dinner Celebrates Success

Donor of the YearJones Apparel Group

Darlene Wise

Employer of the YearNissan North America

Administrative Resource OptionsPaul Harvey – NissanBill McClung - ARO

Josh Osborne, Goodwill’s Retail

Employee of the Year with Director of Retail,

David Jenkins

Retail Store of the YearLexington

Michelle Palmeri

Career Solutions Employee of the Year

George Carlson Spring Hill

Donated Goods Processing Employee

of the YearHazel Durrett

Nashville

Transportation Employee of the Year

Jason HurstNashville

Core AwardLambus McGheeNashville Processing

110% AwardYvonne Green

Nashville

Donations Employee of the Year

Charles SmithMurfreesboro

Lavoi-Katz AwardTrovada Dixon

Franklin

Not pictured:

Career Solutions Graduate Awards

Please visit www.giveit2goodwill.org/news to read our clients’ stories of accomplishment and success.

Berry Road – Gary LasterClarksville – Tasha HandyCookeville – Tonya DodsonFranklin – David WhiteGallatin – Mary MitchellLewisburg – Chris BeckMurfreesboro – Hanz OrrNashville – Marvell PolkRivergate – Brian GourleyShelbyville – Justin BishopSpringfield – Phillip FeltsSpring Hill – William Hart

See back cover for more pictures from the Annual Dinner.

Am

ba

ssa

do

r | W

inte

r 200

9

16

Non-profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDNashville, TN

Permit No. 2009

Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc. | 1015 Herman St. | Nashville | TN | 37208

Annual Dinner 2009