Goodwill of the Great Plains to break ground on new Mission Services building

EVENT DATE: Wednesday, June 21, 2023
EVENT TIME: 11:30am
EVENT LOCATION: 3011 W. 4^th St., Sioux City, IA
VIDEO & INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – After more than 100 years of serving the greater Siouxland community and beyond, Goodwill of the Great Plains is expanding – and you’re invited to the celebration to see our plans! On June 21, at 11:30am, the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce will host a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 25,000-square-foot Mission Services building at 3011 W. 4^th St., across from the Goodwill Support Center campus.

Goodwill of the Great Plains’ mission is to serve as an advocate for economic self-sufficiency through employment and education, creating a world of dignity and compassion through the power of work. The new building will help advance that mission as the new home of Goodwill’s Sioux City Job Center and Integrated Day Services, programs to help adults gain more rewarding and independent lives. The space will have a commercial kitchen, lounge, and computer lab.

“The plans for this building try to take as many of the day-to-day activities already happening and grow them, make them easier to get to and include anyone that is interested in learning new things, being physically active and having fun,” said Shawn Fick, Vice President of Mission Advancement at Goodwill of the Great Plains.

The state-of-the-art building will be home to Goodwill’s annual Shoe and Mitten Program and career fairs. It will also be a community center, with a rentable gym and meeting rooms.

“The creation of a welcoming space for community engagement in Goodwill’s mission to change lives is at the heart of this expansion,” said Briget Solomon, CEO of Goodwill of the Great Plains.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Goodwill provides as many individuals as possible an opportunity to achieve their fullest potential and thrive in all aspects of life by engaging community members in workforce development, quality-of-life and support services, which include job training and placement programs, as well as four regional Job Centers, a Career Cruiser and more.

Goodwill’s 21 retail stores fund those mission programs to help improve the lives of others through the power of work.

The new Goodwill of the Great Plains Mission Services Building is expected to open in early 2025.

This community gem has many opportunities for engagement, gifts-in-kind, and sponsorships. For more information, connect with Briget Solomon, Charlotte Nelson or Shawn Fick at 712-258-4511 or via email at marketing@goodwillgreatplains.org.

Goodwill of the Great Plains Awarded Grant from Taco Bell

Sioux City, IA (June 1, 2023) – Today, Goodwill of the Great Plains received a grant from the Taco Bell Foundation to support Youth Employment Services. The funds will go toward students working at Goodwill or one of our community partner’s locations to gain valuable work experience.

Goodwill of the Great Plain is one of more than 450+ youth-serving organizations that will receive a portion of the $15 million in Community Grants presented by the Taco Bell Foundation this year. The grants are an example of the Taco Bell Foundation’s mission to break down barriers to education and fuel young people’s boldest ambitions.

“We are proud that the work we do through our Community Grants program connects young people with the resources and opportunities they need to learn and drive change,” said Jennifer Bradbury, Executive Director of the Taco Bell Foundation.

Pictured from left to right are Goodwill participant Brendan, Job Coach Brian and participants Fred, Charlie, Tatania and Chris.

Goodwill of the Great Plains to hold 100 Year & Customer Appreciation Celebration

EVENT DATE: Thursday, May 18, 2023
EVENT TIME: 11:00am – 1:00pm (RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY @ 11:30am)
EVENT LOCATION: 3100 W. 4^thSt., Sioux City, IA
VIDEO & INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

Sioux City, IA- To celebrate 100 years of creating dignity and compassion through the power of work, Goodwill of the Great Plains is hosting a customer appreciation celebration, featuring a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, at the Sioux City retail store at 3100 W. 4^th St. at 11:30am on May 18. Mayor Pro-Tem Dan Moore will also present a commendation to recognize the historic anniversary at that time.

From 11:00am-1:00pm, customers at both Sioux City retail locations (3100 W. 4^th St. & 5931 Gordon Dr.) will have the opportunity to enter a drawing to win a $25 gift card to the store, while the first 100 customers will get a coupon redeemable for 25% off their total purchase. Complimentary lunch provided, while supplies last, from 11:00am-1:00pm!

Starting as Wall Street Mission in Sioux City in 1890, Goodwill of the Great Plains joined the international Goodwill movement in 1923. The organization’s territory has since expanded, with 21 retail stores in a four-state territory; a 22^nd store will open in Vermillion, SD in 2024.

“Goodwill’s ability to tackle community needs would not be possible without the generous support of donors and shoppers,” said Goodwill of the Great Plains President & CEO Briget Solomon. “Our retail program provides jobs to community members, a place for job training opportunities for those enrolled in our programs and helps fund the work of Goodwill.”

Goodwill founder Edgar J. Helms (a Spirit Lake, Iowa native) explained it best – Goodwill is a business PLUS. It exists for service, not for profit. As such, Goodwill of the Great Plains operates mission programming throughout its territory, advocating for economic self-sufficiency through employment and education.

We accomplish this through various job training programs and placement services, which include four regional Job Centers, a new Career Cruiser (a Job Center on Wheels!) and more. In 2022, more than 400 people were placed into community jobs after utilizing our services.

About Goodwill of the Great Plains

Goodwill of the Great Plains is a community-based non-profit 501c3 organization headquartered in Sioux City, IA serving South Dakota and portions of Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota. In 2022 Goodwill served over 30,000 people through mission programming funded in part by 21 retail stores. Goodwill programs received accreditation from CARF and a voluntary board of directors governs the organization. Please visit the Goodwill of the Great Plains website at www.goodwillgreatplains.org to learn more about our organization.

Expansion into Vermillion, SD Community

Goodwill of the Great Plains Announces Expansion into Vermillion Community

Vermillion, SD – Goodwill of the Great Plains is excited to announce the expansion of their service delivery and retail store to Vermillion, SD. On Tuesday, May 2^nd, the Vermillion Chamber and Development Company will be joining Goodwill for a Groundbreaking Ceremony at 11:30 AM on Goodwill’s future store site at 700 Bower Street in Vermillion. The community and public are welcomed to attend.

Goodwill’s mission is to serve as an advocate for economic self-sufficiency through employment and education. This is achieved through servant leadership values of compassion, achievement, potential, integrity, and dignity.

“We are thrilled to be joining the Vermillion community. Today is a special day as it lands in the middle of Goodwill week – a national celebration of the work and impact of Goodwills across the country. This year, Goodwill of the Great Plains is also celebrating its 100^th year as a Goodwill organization. Goodwill’s founder, Edgar Helms (a native of Spirit Lake, Iowa) set the foundation for our work not as a charity but a chance. As a Goodwill we are called to empower individuals and continue to be dissatisfied until every member of our community experiences abundant living. This new location will expand our footprint in South Dakota and further our mission to change lives.” – Briget Solomon, President and CEO of Goodwill of the Great Plains

The Vermillion store will become Goodwill’s 22^nd store in its four-state region and employ 12-14 people in the community. If you love shopping with Goodwill, you’ll love working at Goodwill! Career opportunities will be opened 60-90 days prior to the store’s grand opening. Applications for job seekers will be made available online as the date draws nearer.

To learn Goodwill’s construction progress and future grand opening slated for Q1 2024, follow Goodwill on Facebook and LinkedIn, and visit www.goodwillgreatplains.org to discover more on Goodwill’s history, community impact, and service delivery model.

Building an Active Community

Goodwill of the Great Plains is in the planning stages of a new mission facility to be located across the street from our current West 4^th Street campus. Goodwill has owned the land for about 30 years with a vision to use the property to expand mission.

The facility being planned will allow for expansion of services in a modern facility. Our current Adult Day and Day Habilitation services have grown exponentially, and we need more space for program offerings. The new building plans will offer a multi-use community center with gymnasium, specialized space for programming, space for meeting rooms and team member offices. We will have adequate space for Goodwill sponsored events such as career fairs, the Shoe Party, and a variety of vocational training offerings.

Goodwill’s mission is centered on empowering individuals through employment and education leading to self-sufficiency and higher quality of life. We are grateful for community support in the form of household donations and customer purchases through our retail stores. This project is an opportunity to enhance the community and add service offerings aligned with Goodwill’s mission thanks to this local support.