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1Our business is changing lives.

AmbassadorA P u b l i c A t i o n o f G o o d w i l l i n d u s t r i e s o f M i d d l e t e n n e s s e e , i n c . | s P r i n G 2 0 0 9

Breaking New Ground

+plusGoodwill Cares

Donation Drives

Fabulous Finds

Construction begins on new Career Solutions home.

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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.

Rita BennettVolunteer

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

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President & CEO - David LifseySenior Director of Marketing & Community Relations - Karl Houston

Writer & Editor - Suzanne Kay-PittmanGraphic Designer & Photographer - Scott Bryant & Karl Houston

Contributor - Misty Cochran

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 location, 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 .

AmbassadorINSIDE

cover story

A large crowd was on hand as Goodwill employees, supporters, board members and neighbors took part in a ground breaking event.

p.14

Painting Story Finale...................................p.4

Goodwill Cares............................................p.5

New Outlet Store........................................p.8

Shopping Wisely........................................p.10

Donor with a Cause..................................p.11

Success Story..............................................p.12

Spring Cleaning..........................................p.13

Great Goodwill Finds...............................p.16

helpinghandsGoodwill employees and area businesses organized donation drives in the spring.

p.6

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Painting found in Goodwill donation bin sold to art gallery.

“Felucca Capri” Sailed to New Orleans

The Ellsworth Woodward painting, the “Felucca Capri,” which was found in a Nashville donation bin and sold on

shopgoodwill.com, has landed in what can only be described as the perfect home. The painting sold for $7,500 and was purchased by the Newcomb Art Gallery Woldenberg Art Center at Tulane University.

Woodward, and his brother William, were instrumental in the development of art programs at Tulane and Newcomb College in the late 1800s and early part of the twentieth century. Speed Thomas of Nashville donated the painting. He says his maternal grandfather was originally from New Orleans and that’s likely how the family came into possession of the watercolor.

Charles Lovell, the director of the gallery says the painting, and the handwritten letter by the artist which was attached to the back of the painting, are “amazing.” Lovell says, “This is an important piece and we are thrilled to have it in our collection.”

The painting of a felucca, a wooden sailing boat, at the port of Capri in Italy, was found in a donation bin in the Story Building processing plant in Nashville by Susan McCullen, manager of shopgoodwill.com. She posted the 1907 watercolor for sale on the site, which is similar to eBay, and the original buyer did not come forward to pay. It was posted a second time on the site, and again, the buyer did not come forward.

McCullen contacted the Newcomb Art Gallery, which had placed the $7,500 bid. She spoke with the gallery’s curator who said she was anxious to add the painting, and the accompanying letter, to the collection.

Lovell says the painting is now in storage with the other Woodards in the gallery’s collection and may be shown sometime in the fall. He says he is happy the painting has, “come home.”

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To help ease a difficult situation

for our friends and neighbors in Rutherford County, our Goodwill Cares program offered tornado victims the opportunity to shop for free in our Murfreesboro store. The Red Cross distributed Goodwill Cares vouchers to those

in Rutherford County who were affected by the recent tornadoes. The vouchers provided three outfits and one pair of shoes for each member of an eligible household.

Friday, April 10, was a day of disaster in middle Tennessee as tornadoes cut a

wide swath through numerous counties, with some of the worst damage in Rutherford County. Murfreesboro sustained the brunt of an F-4 tornado leaving two dead in its path and damaging almost 800 homes. Residents of the area were left to pick up the pieces of their homes and their

lives and many have nothing left but the ruins. Goodwill Cares is our opportunity to give back to the community and to provide some comfort and peace of mind to those who lost so much in such a short period of time.

Goodwill Helps Tornado VicTims

After tornadoes ripped through

middle Tennessee, Goodwill Cares

offers help.

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What was the original home of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee is no more. The small brick structure on the corner of Ninth and Herman streets, built in 1954, has been demolished. Today the site is teeming with demolition and construction crews prepping the location for the new state-of-the-art Career Solutions building, expected

to be completed in mid-2010.

A large crowd of Goodwill supporters took part in a ground breaking ceremony in front of the shell of the old building which housed the Career Solutions team and the Outlet Store. John Stone, chairman of the Board of Directors, told the crowd, “Our Board is especially excited

about this project. When it’s completed, we will have a facility that will provide the capacity to greatly expand the very training which is at the core of our purpose.” He added, “We cannot

think of a better way to use our resources than this investment in our,

and our clients’, futures.”

The new 29,000 square foot Career Solutions building will allow career counselors and their teams to offer

new programs and classes to help the growing number of clients coming to

Goodwill. “Once we are in the new building, we’ll be able to more than

double the number of people in job readiness classes, and we will have the space to add more forklift classes and computer classes. We will help more

people update their job seeking skills and become retrained for new job opportunities,” Betty Johnson, vice president of employment services told the guests.

“We are also exploring new opportunities such as call center training, life skills training, advanced customer service training and other programs,” added Johnson, whose staff has relocated throughout

Nashville during construction.

Several Nashville television news crews attended the event. David Lifsey, president and CEO of Goodwill, was asked by a reporter whether he’ll miss the old building? “I’m excited about this new

phase in our growth. This is just another sign that Goodwill is needed more than ever. Will I miss the building? It’s only a building and more important are the people we’ve had the privilege of serving over

the years.”

The new $5.25 million building will be a super-structure, giving Goodwill the ability to add a third floor at a later point. “This building should take care of our Career Solutions needs for a number of

years,” says Lifsey. The two-story building will house the Career Solutions group and Goodwill’s human resources department.

“To us, today’s ceremony is more than just another Goodwill ground breaking. We love to improve and

expand processing facilities. But Goodwill’s real work, in fact its

mission, is career training.” John Stone, Chairman of the Board

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B r e a k i n g new ground

Top Left: Sofia Maneschi, front desk receptionist for Career Solutions, is ready to help start the process of demolishing the old Career Solutions building where she worked for two years. Maneschi often travels to area businesses teaching disability etiquette training.

Top Right: The last look at what was Career Solutions’ facade at Ninth Avenue.

Bottom Right: Ground is officially broken by Betty Johnson, vice president of employment services, John Stone, chairman of the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, David Lifsey, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Erica Gilmore, Metro Nashville District 19 council member, Charlie Williams, director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development, and Brady Banks, director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods.

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New Store.New Scales.New Way to Shop.Outlet Store in Nashville moves to its larger new home.

Shoppers lined up even before the doors opened so they could be the first to explore Goodwill’s new Outlet Store on grand opening day in March! The store moved from its original space in the Career Solutions building at Ninth and Herman streets, where it had been for nine years, to its new home behind the Berry Road store in Nashville.

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The new space offers better bargain-hunting opportunities. In the

past, shoppers had to reach into, and dig through large boxes to search for items. David Jenkins, the senior director of retail says, “The real plus at our new store is that most product comes out on rolling tables. Sometimes as often as every few hours. Those rolling tables seem to be a hit with our customers as well,” says Jenkins. “They appreciate the shopping convenience.”

The other big news is the Outlet Store operates the same hours as all of Goodwill’s retail stores, which means it is open on Sundays. The new store is 12,500 square feet, three thousand square feet larger than the store at Ninth and Herman streets.

Weigh it!

All items in the store, with the exception of TVs, furniture and other large items, are sold by the pound. The more shoppers buy, the lower the price per pound on many items including clothing, toys and housewares. Checkout is also faster and easier. Smaller purchases are weighed on scales at the registers. If a shopper has a cart filled with items, the cart can be rolled onto large floor scales next to each register. Jenkins says shoppers, “are enjoying the simplicity of weighing items at checkout, rather than the lengthy process in the past.”

Salvage and Recycling Also Moved to Berry Road

To better manage the Outlet Store’s rotation of merchandise, our salvage and recycling operations have also moved to Berry Road. This is a permanent move for Mary Stockett’s team of dock and baling specialists. Stockett is the manager of continuous improvement and says her 16-member team has acclimated well to the rotation process. “We have a good plan for managing the stock as it’s moved into the Outlet Store and then to the recycling area.” Salvage and recycling are now housed in what had been the commercial services space in the building behind the retail store.

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Words of advice from a loyal Goodwill shopper.

Misty Cochran of Nashville loves to

shop at Goodwill. In fact, Misty loves shopping at Goodwill so much that she writes about in her blog, hifiheart.blogspot.

com. Misty joined the growing ranks of smart shoppers who enjoy the hunt at our Goodwill stores long before it was fashionable.

Today Goodwill is recognized as a fashionista’s paradise and it’s not uncommon to overhear friends bragging about bargains they’ve purchased at our stores without having to skimp on style.

Misty agreed to reveal some of her Goodwill secrets.

Misty’s Top Three Goodwill finds:1. A gorgeous Ann Taylor black and white strapless dress.2. A pair of Camper shoes - A high-end Spanish shoe brand

that you can’t find anywhere in Tennessee!3. A purple Welch’s Grape Juice t-shirt. Super soft, perfect

vintage condition!

Misty’s Goodwill Shopping Tips:1. Patience - Don’t go when you’re in a hurry, because you

might pass over something great.2. No expectations - I try not to go into Goodwill looking

for any one item in particular. I can’t expect to find something incredible every time. But if you shop around, and go to various locations, you will undoubtedly stumble upon that great find and it will make it all worth it!

3. Sales! - Pay attention to when sales are happening, especially when the entire store is half off!

Why I shop at Goodwill:1. Fabulous vintage finds!2. Name brands at low prices.3. Knowing that the proceeds go to a great cause!

ShoppingWisely

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Not only do we have avid shoppers, we also have

avid donors. Patsy Jackson is one of them. She’s a regular at the Bellevue Donation Express where she sometimes donates 20 times a month. The attendants in Bellevue not only rely on Miss Patsy’s generous spirit, they also rely on her to satisfy their sweet tooth. She brings the Bellevue crew cookies, cakes and other sweets several times a month, which the attendants always appreciate.

Giving is something that Miss Patsy’s parents and grandparents stressed. “My parents instilled in my sisters and me a respect for everyone. My dad was a physician and my mom was an operating room nurse. My dad never turned anyone away and was sometimes paid in vegetables. He was very generous to everyone around us.”

While giving has always been a part of Miss Patsy’s life, she was really struck with how important it is to take care of others when

she was shopping at a Goodwill store at Christmas time almost 40 years ago. “I saw a woman buying toys for her children. And it wasn’t much. I had a bin filled

with toys in my car and when she left the store I offered her some. I realized that without Goodwill, some people could not find affordable goods for their families.” Miss Patsy has no doubt helped hundreds of middle Tennessee families. “I decided there and then that everything I had that I wasn’t using or needed I would give it to Goodwill.”

Miss Patsy’s reputation for giving has grown and now people bring her items to give to Goodwill. It also helps that Miss Patsy is an avid shopper

who looks for good deals and buys in bulk so she can donate. “I used to work in a shoe store and when there were returns I bought them for .25-.50 and gave them to friends at work and to Goodwill. Those are the types of opportunities I look for and if it’s in my budget, I buy.”

Being a Goodwill donor, says Miss Patsy, means an

opportunity to do her part to assist the organization

in providing jobs, services and products to our clients and shoppers. “At the end of the day, whatever day, I hope everyone that I met or am associated with can truly say I treat them well and in the way I would like to be treated as a person and a human being.”

Bellevue Donation Express employees are always busy thanks to Miss Patsy.

Donor with a Cause

Patsy Jackson, a long time Goodwill donor, with another carload of donations at the Bellevue ADC.

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Native New Yorker Finds Success in Tennessee.

While many 64-year-olds are making plans to scale back and retire, Thomas Sullivan, a

native New Yorker who moved to the Nashville area more than twenty years ago, is busier than ever.

Sullivan spent most of his career in the auto body and repair business. When he tried to find work in his field a few years ago, he says he was told by several businesses they would not hire him because of his age.

Today Sullivan is an ADC attendant at the Bellevue Donation Express Center. “I can outwork most of the young people, but no one was willing to take a chance except Goodwill.” His dedication to his job nabbed Sullivan the Employee of the Year award in donations. He said the recognition came, “As a complete surprise!”

Thomas enjoys his job so much, and believes so strongly in Goodwill’s mission, that he has had a hand in helping several younger employees find work. “These kids graduate from high school and can’t get jobs. I recommend them to my supervisor, Charles Watson, and he interviews them and they are hired.”

To date, three employees have found jobs with Goodwill thanks to Sullivan.

“Thomas is great to work with,” says Tyron Eason, who recently relocated from Williamsburg, Va. “My family is still unpacking and we make several trips a week to this donation center. Thomas is always here to help me off-load including a heavy kitchen table and four chairs that we no longer wanted.”

Eason’s warm feelings for Sullivan are shared by many of the donors who stop at the convenience center.

Sullivan takes great pride in the Bellevue center and even after a long shift, mops the floor, cleans the restrooms and handles the garbage. “He’s a good man,” says Watson.

For Sullivan, working at Goodwill is more than a job. “I believe the mission here at Goodwill is easy to remember. It’s to put people to work. It takes money to do that and I like being a part of that process.”

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Throw open the windows, wash down the deck and let the spring sun shine through

your home. Now that the irises and day lilies are blooming, sure signs that we’ve hit this most colorful season, it’s not only time to pull weeds, it’s also time to clean out your closets. Purging your home of items that have outlived their use is a great way to end your winter nesting.

The rule of thumb is if you haven’t worn, used or played with an item in the past year, it’s likely time to give it to Goodwill! If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the idea of clearing clutter, then break down each project into three simple steps to keep anxiety at bay.

Step one is easy; pick your first project and don’t allow yourself to be distracted! Be sure to have storage bins, garbage bags and recycling boxes at the ready.

Step two; whether it’s the garage or the kids’ playroom, divide the ‘stuff ’ into three piles – items to keep, items to recycle or throw away, and items to donate to Goodwill.

Step three; dust and vacuum and then rearrange your newly decluttered room.

Keep in mind – electronics must be in good working condition before donating to Goodwill. If electronic items don’t work, be sure to dispose of them properly.

Goodwill has 60 donation sites throughout middle and west Tennessee to make it easy for you to drop off items.

Donation sites are now operating on spring and summer hours:

o Donation Express sites are open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

o Attended Donation Sites (trailers) are open from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

o Donation sites at Goodwill stores are open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Your donations are tax deductible. o Keep your donation receipt for your

tax records. o Donors determine the value of their

donations. You’ll find a complete list of the items that we do and don’t accept, contact information about neighborhood donation drives and donation sites that are most convenient to you by visiting our Web site, giveit2goodwill.org.

When you clean out your closets and cabinets and donate your gently-used items to Goodwill, you are making an economic investment in your community by providing jobs and employment opportunities for people who have disabilities and others who have trouble finding and keeping jobs.

Helpful tips for donating this

Spring.

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Helping HandsGoodwill employees give it to Goodwill, too!

Terry Booth, a realtor with Keller Williams in Nashville, searched for a charity to partner with for the company’s 2009 philanthropy efforts. After

she and several coworkers toured Goodwill’s processing facilities at Tenth and Herman streets in Nashville, Booth knew she had found the right agency for Keller Williams to support. “I don’t think any of us had any idea of what went on behind-the-scenes. We are so excited to help Goodwill any way we can.”

Keller Williams organized a donation drive which ran throughout April and agents and their clients, including buyers and sellers, were encouraged to donate their gently-used items to Goodwill. For clients who are purging their homes to prepare them for sale or a move to a new home, this was an ideal opportunity to clear clutter and help Goodwill. Donations were collected at two Keller Williams offices - 5500 Maryland Way in Brentwood and the Franklin office at 9175 Carothers Pkwy., Suite 110.

Employee Donation DriveGoodwill’s employees have also gotten a jump on spring cleaning through our first-ever employee donation drive which was held in March. Employees could donate as part of a five person team or as an individual and the top three teams and individuals all won gift certificates to area restaurants. More than 15,755 items were donated by employees, and as Joan Sundstrom, the director of production, summed up the total, “This is awesome!”

Dillard’s Gave To GoodwillDillard’s at the Cool Springs Galleria also encouraged its shoppers to ‘give it to Goodwill.’ The store offered a 20 percent discount on the purchase of a small appliance if a shopper donated an appliance in good working condition. The donation drive took place Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26.

Upscale And For Sale At GoodwillPastiche, an upscale women’s boutique in Nashville, has moved from its Belle Meade location to the Bandywood shopping complex in Green Hills. The store’s owner, Alice Hinton, graciously donated some of the store’s merchandise to Goodwill including dresses, skirts, blouses, belts and jackets. In addition, Mary Pillow, owner of Razz Kirk shoes which shared space in Pastiche, donated almost 30 pairs of new David Tate shoes to Goodwill. Those items were featured in a fashion show on WSMV’s Better Nashville program which was taped in Goodwill’s Rivergate store.

Goodwill appreciates all those in the communities we serve who graciously donate their items to our agency. The donations help fund Goodwill’s Career Solutions group and our mission of providing employment and training opportunities for people who have disabilities and others who have trouble finding and keeping jobs.

Eco Friendly Recyling for GoodwillTo celebrate Earth Day on April 22, Ten Thousand Villages, a store in Green Hills, offered shoppers a 15 percent discount on purchases if they brought an item to donate to Goodwill. Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade retailer of artisan crafted goods.

Marshall & Lincoln Counties GaveGoodwill partnered with Neighbors Helping Neighbors - A Reuse Event in conjunction with the annual Household Hazardous Waste Day in Marshall County in April. The day offered friends and neighbors the chance to swap household goods, toys, clothes, linens, furniture and other items. Everything was available for the taking, unlike a yard sale where goods come with a price tag. Items left at the end of the day were given to Goodwill.

In Lincoln County, Goodwill was on-site for the Household Hazardous Waste Day. The event was in conjunction with Keep America Beautiful - Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest community improvement program. It was a chance for area residents to rid their homes of gently-used items and donate to Goodwill.

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Helping Hands

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Non-profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDNashville, TN

Permit No. 2009

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

Name braNd items spotted iN our Goodwill stores:

And this from the Columbia store manager, Becky Kelly:

We received a Pink Lilly Pulitzer jacket that we got just in time to make someone a great Easter Sunday accessory, and at only $7.99, can we say WOW!

Someone donated a men’s white cotton Gucci shirt at only $4.99. It’s was a statement piece for some lucky well-dressed man.

We have received several Ecko and Baby Phat pieces. In fact, we have so many great items that we showcase them in our windows and on a New Arrivals rounder at the front of our store. Many people now run to this rack as soon as they enter the building. We hear all the time, “Can you believe I found this at Goodwill!”

GallatinRalph Lauren houndstooth purse - $5.99Lucky Brand Jeans - $7.49Gymboree dress with bloomers - $2.49Børn loafers (new) - $9.99Ladies Crocs (new) - $9.99

Franklin:Bruno Magli handbag - $3.99

Rivergate:Betsey Johnson sundress - $7.99Ralph Lauren men’s shirt - $7.99

Stuart Weitzman ladies shoes - $3.99

Charlotte Ave:Burberrry of London men’s shirt - $7.99

OutletFiestaware large covered serving dish (perfect condition)