Goodwill Provides Free Tax Preparation Assistance

Beretania and Kapolei locations will provide on-site tax preparation participating in
the national EITC Awareness Day

Honolulu and Kapolei, Hawaii (January 25, 2012) – Goodwill Industries of Hawaii participates in the national EITC Awareness Day, Friday, January 27, 2012 – by providing Free Tax Prep for qualified individuals.  The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty programs, annually lifting 6.6 million people out of poverty.  The average credit is $2,100 but eligible workers can receive as much as $5,751 depending on the worker’s income, marital status and dependents.

Last year in Hawaii, over 105,000 individuals and families claimed over $215 million in EITC.  Only four out of five eligible workers claim this valuable credit.  Through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, Goodwill Industries of Hawaii wants to raise that number to five out of five.  For the last six years, Goodwill has provided free tax preparation services to those who qualify.

Additionally, Goodwill will be hosting awareness events at its Beretania and Kapolei locations on national EITC Day which will include EITC eligibility information and the opportunity to have your taxes filed on the spot or make an appointment for free tax preparation at a later date.

Goodwill will be offering free tax preparation to qualified individuals statewide;
• Operating hours for the Beretania location are Tuesdays and Thursdays from
4:30-7:00pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm starting on January 26, 2012.
• Operating hours for the Kapolei location are Tuesdays from 4:30-7:00pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm starting on February 4, 2012.
• Visit http://www.higoodwill.org for operating hours of all neighbor island locations.
For more information on Goodwill’s EITC day events or free tax preparation, contact Misti Pali at 436-9947 (Beretania) or Scott Fuji 436-9948 (Kapolei).

Goodwill Industries of Hawaii’s mission is to help people with employment barriers to reach their full potential and become self-sufficient. Supported by its retail operations and financial endeavors, its educational, employment and training programs have provided skills training, employment counseling, job placement and support services since 1959.

Visit http://www.higoodwill.org for more information.  Subscribe to the Goodwill Works! E-mail newsletter. Reach us at 836-WORK (9675), info@higoodwill.org, @GoodwillHawaii on Twitter, TheGoodwillHunter.com blog and Goodwill Industries of Hawaii on Facebook.

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Media Contact:
Amanda Stevens
(808) 836-0313
astevens@higoodwill.org

Goodwill Receives Funding from Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Goodwill to Assist Incarcerated Native Hawaiians to Prepare For, Find and Retain Jobs

Honolulu, Hawaii (January 19, 2012)

In 2010, OHA released a report entitled “The Disparate Treatment of Native Hawaiians in the Criminal Justice System” which found that Native Hawaiians are more likely than any other racial or ethnic group to have their parole revoked and be returned to prison.  The report cites the lack of culturally appropriate re-entry services as one of the possible reasons that Hawaiians have a 41 percent parole revocation rate.

Goodwill received a one-year $50,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiians Affairs (OHA) to supplement its Job Connections programs in Honolulu and Hilo.  The grant from OHA will be used to assist Native Hawaiians who are incarcerated and participating in work furlough programs to prepare for and find employment that will assist them with reintegrating back into society.  Goodwill is uniquely suited to successfully implement such a program because of its proven experience providing similar services to incarcerated individuals through its Job Connections programs on Oahu and on Hawaii Island and to Native Hawaiians through its Home Ownership Assistance Program statewide.

Program participants will receive comprehensive intake and assessment and ten to twenty hours of Pre-Employment training which will cover such topics as resume and cover letter writing, job search, job application preparation, interview skills and computer and internet use.  Additionally, once a participant is placed into gainful employment, job retention counseling will continue for at least six months.

For more information on the program, contact Misti Pali at 946-9675.

Goodwill Industries of Hawaii’s mission is to help people with employment barriers to reach their full potential and become self-sufficient. Supported by its retail operations and financial endeavors, its educational, employment and training programs have provided skills training, employment counseling, job placement and support services since 1959.

Visit http://www.higoodwill.org for more information.  Subscribe to the Goodwill Works! email newsletter. Reach us at 836-WORK (9675), info@higoodwill.org, @GoodwillHawaii on Twitter, TheGoodwillHunter.com blog and Goodwill Industries of Hawaii on Facebook.

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Media Contact:
Amanda Stevens
(808) 836-0313
astevens@higoodwill.org

Honolulu, Hawaii (Jan.4, 2012) —Goodwill Industries of Hawaii is holding a Job Fair at the Kilihau Corporate Offices location on Thursday, January 5, 2012 from 9:00am to 3:00pm.  The address is 2610 Kilihau Street, Honolulu, HI 96819.

“Are you looking for a company that is growing, gives you a sense of purpose in the work you do, and allows you to make a difference in people’s lives? At Goodwill, we believe in investing in our employees. We promote opportunities for growth through many paths of career development. Our benefits package includes: medical, dental, vacation leave, and 401-K retirement plan.”

Goodwill reminds the public that career positions are available and that the job opportunities are not just in retail.  There are Administrative, Human Services, Contract Services and Retail job openings. For more information, call 836-0313 or go to http://www.higoodwill.org.

Goodwill Industries of Hawaii’s mission is to help people with employment barriers to reach their full potential and become self-sufficient. Supported by its retail operations and financial endeavors, its educational, employment and training programs have provided skills training, employment counseling, job placement and support services since 1959.

Visit http://www.higoodwill.org for more information and to subscribe to the Goodwill Works! e-mail newsletter. Information is also available via 836-WORK (9675), info@higoodwill.org, @GoodwillHawaii on Twitter, and Goodwill Industries of Hawaii on Facebook.

Honolulu, Hawaii (Dec. 29, 2011) — It’s the perfect time of year to clean out your closets and start off the New Year with an uncluttered home.  Goodwill Industries of Hawaii reminds its donors and potential donors to consider dropping off your gently used items to a Goodwill store or donation center near you.  There are more than 20 donation locations in the State of Hawaii conveniently located throughout Oahu and Hawaii Island.

Your donations will be sold in Goodwill’s retail stores and provide direct support for their non-profit mission – helping people with employment barriers to reach their full potential and become self-sufficient.

Consider Goodwill your Good-friend when donating items.  Is it clean and saleable?  Would you give it to your good friend?

What donations does Goodwill need the most?

• Women’s, men’s and children’s clothing
• Kitchen and household items
• Dishes, pots & pans, cooking & serving containers
• Shoes and boots
• Books
• Linens and domestic items
• Stuffed animals
• Collectibles

Here are a few tips to remember when donating to Goodwill:

• Are the pockets empty? Make sure you have emptied pant and jacket pockets, purses, and suitcases of any valuables or items you wish to keep.
• Can Goodwill accept this? There are few household items Goodwill cannot accept. Among them are mattresses and large appliances, visit http://www.higoodwill.org for a list of items they don’t accept.
• Would I give this to a family member or friend? Goodwill understands that its shoppers look for quality items when visiting its stores; therefore, the nonprofit has a policy against selling torn, stained, and water-soaked items.
• Did I make an inventory list? Be sure to make a record of each item you donate. While you won’t need to give it to Goodwill, you may have to produce it when filing for your tax deductible donation.
For more information go to http://www.higoodwill.org.
Goodwill Industries of Hawaii’s mission is to help people with employment barriers to reach their full potential and become self-sufficient. Supported by its retail operations and financial endeavors, its educational, employment and training programs have provided skills training, employment counseling, job placement and support services since 1959.

Visit http://www.higoodwill.org for more information and to subscribe to the Goodwill Works! e-mail newsletter. Information is also available via 836-WORK (9675), info@higoodwill.org, @GoodwillHawaii on Twitter, and Goodwill Industries of Hawaii on Facebook.

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Media Contact:
Amanda Stevens
(808) 836-0313
astevens@higoodwill.org

Located near Costco at 74-4786 Kanalani Street in the Kaloko Industrial Park, it is Goodwill’s first retail store in Kailua-Kona, providing a convenient option for local bargain hunters to find great deals and drop off their gently used clothing and household items. It is also Goodwill’s second store on Hawaii Island and ninth statewide.

“Goodwill Kona in combination with our existing Hilo store will give residents on both sides of the island an opportunity to save money and donate their items,” said Laura Robertson Smith, GIH president and CEO. “More importantly, what sets Goodwill apart from other similar operations is that every dollar spent at Goodwill goes toward creating job opportunities and providing job training. At Goodwill, we are not asking for a handout. Rather, we hope that you will consider shopping at Goodwill for the unique treasures that you can find and the knowledge that your dollars will benefit those in your community.”

Smith added: “Goodwill is a resource to clear away your gently used items. You can do so knowing that your donated items will be repurposed and reused in a way that is responsible to the environment and ultimately benefits your neighbors.”

Donations help strengthen the community by supporting Goodwill’s job training and placement programs, as well as help to make a healthier planet through recycling and reusing items and reducing what is going into Hawaii’s landfills. Last year, Goodwill served more than 13,000 people statewide through its CARF-accredited education, employment and career development programs, and helped 1,667 people find employment in the local community.

Goodwill Kona’s regular hours will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. (For a list and map of all locations, visit http://www.higoodwill.org.)

Goodwill Industries of Hawaii’s mission is to help people with employment barriers to reach their full potential and become self-sufficient. Supported by its retail operations and financial endeavors, its educational, employment and training programs have provided skills training, employment counseling, job placement and support services since 1959.

Visit http://www.higoodwill.org for more information.  Subscribe to the Goodwill Works! email newsletter. Reach us at 836-WORK (9675), info@higoodwill.org, @GoodwillHawaii on Twitter, TheGoodwillHunter.com blog and Goodwill Industries of Hawaii on Facebook.

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Media Contact:
Amanda Stevens
(808) 836-0313
astevens@higoodwill.org

Keith DeMello
(808) 539-3482
keith.demello@anthologygroup.com