In this month’s issue:

• We learn about Goodwill Omaha’s new safety initiatives…
• We get to know Robert Popejoy, our January Employee of the Month…
• We hear a great story about coworkers looking out for the environment and each other…
• Erin Burke tells us about a new partnership between UNO’s Service Learning Academy and a group of North High students…
• Brent Koster teases spring by informing us about Goodwill’s grounds maintenance services…
• Another exciting word search…
• Birthdays, anniversaries and new hires…
• …and more!

Visit our Publications page to download your copy today!

The driving concept behind Goodwill’s Donate movement is that the donation of used clothing and household items keeps them out of landfills, thus protecting our environment. But we as a society have a long way to go! “Trashed” is a 20-minute documentary that dives into the muck that we all discard, following our junk from disposal to its eternal resting place, and examining what this process says about our society in between. You can watch it free online here:

If you don’t have 20 minutes to spare, Sustainablog has outlined the five major problems created by our “throwaway” culture that are presented in the film:

• There is a limited amount of landfill space. In 2007, the largest landfill in the United States held 100 million tons of trash. The maximum occupancy of the landfill is 150 million tons, and this number will be reached in the very near future (possibly in 2013).
• We throw away out of convenience. Because societal conventions have us constantly wanting to move on to the next fad or technology, we are throwing away televisions, cell phones, computers, and other plastics in exchange for shinier new ones. Unsurprisingly, these new technologies will also become our future garbage.
• Not all trash in the ocean will wash ashore. While some of the debris that comes into the ocean from rivers and storm drains eventually washes ashore, a great deal of trash will break up to become micro-particles. What’s more, certain parts of the ocean concentrate this debris. For instance, the Eastern Garbage Patch off the Pacific Coast is twice the size of Texas. Trash particles are funneled into this area causing major environmental concerns.
• Plastic in the ocean does more than just pollute. It also acts as a giant sponge for oil, making ocean clean up that much more difficult and ocean life that much more at risk. As just one example, birds that go to the ocean for food mistake floating plastic debris for fish and feed it to their young. When these birds die and decay, one can see their remains. These consist of bones, feathers, and the plastic lighters and bottle caps that killed the birds.
• Products retain little economic value regarding how they are disposed of. Caring about trash is not just environmentally conscious; it’s also economic. Currently, products are valued for the tasks they perform; yet, what also needs to be of importance is how the product is disposed of. This concept will assuredly create economic incentives for “greener” and more recyclable materials.

To learn more about the environmental friendliness of donating, Goodwill Omaha, and GII’s Donate movement, visit our going green section.

Frank McGree listens to tales of his career at a fall 2011 reception recognizing his 25 years of service at Goodwill Omaha.

Goodwill Omaha’s own president and CEO, Frank McGree, was named winner of the J.D. Robins Distinguished Career Award at the Goodwill Conference of Executives in San Antonio, Texas earlier this week.

Frank McGree, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries, Inc., Serving Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa (Omaha), received the J.D. Robins Distinguished Career Award for his 30 years of service. The annual award, now in its 20th year, recognizes a chief executive officer’s achievements at his or her local Goodwill agency as well as contributions to the Goodwill enterprise as a whole.

A quarter century ago, McGree’s Goodwill employed 94 people and served 200 individuals. It operated four retail stores and recorded revenues of $1.6 million. Now, the agency employs over 550, serves over 10,000 people annually, operates 13 stores, and manages seven NISH contracts. In 2011, the Goodwill realized $27 million in revenues.

Under McGree’s leadership, the agency’s board also successfully completed a $10 million capital campaign for a new corporate headquarters and training facility. And in 2011, the Goodwill opened a 90,000-square-foot Retail Operations Center that houses the Dell Reconnect program, an electronic store, a by-the-pound store, its shopgoodwill.com operation and an E-books program, as well as the agency’s commercial contracts operation.

After hearing his introduction, McGree said, “I feel a little tired after listening to that and a little old. But it’s fun stuff to be able to go back and celebrate with the folks back in Omaha.”

McGree also thanked his wife, Kendra, for being with him through all the ups and downs in his career. “Spouses are a critical piece of our success,” he said.

Top Omaha-area companies will be at Goodwill’s 72nd & Ames Headquarters on Wednesday, February 29 to share information on open positions in the customer service field. Stop by 4805 N 72nd St. from 1pm to 4pm to meet with representatives from these companies. Be prepared for potential on-the-spot interviews — bring your resume and dress professionally!

The job fair is free and open to the public. Please do not dress casually or bring children to the event.

We hope to see you there! If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Customer Connect Manager Ginny Powell at 402.231.1939 or vpowell@goodwillomaha.org.

Fact: there is nothing more fun on Valentine’s Day than handing out Valentine’s Day cards to your friends and lovers. NOTHING.

And since we at Goodwill Omaha are all about respecting the unbreakable absolutes of fun, we present you with our very own Goodwill employment and retail-themed Valentines! Not only can you admire them here on our blog, but we have a printable version of all six Valentines (2 MB .pdf) available for download! Print them out, pair them with a piece of candy, and spend hours stressing about which card to give to which person and what subtle messages that selection might send!

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