Goodwill will soon be opening a new Pop Up Store in the Castro
We're excited to announce the arrival of a new Pop Up Store at 2278 Market Street @ Noe Street. Goodwill has been part of the San Francisco community since 1916 and we're dedicated to serving its people and communities. The generous in-kind donation of the space at 2278 Market Street for this Pop Up Store will give us a great opportunity to do exactly this.
The store's Grand Opening is planned for Saturday, October 2nd. For more information, click here.
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Darren Primes: “If you do what Goodwill asks of you, they are willing to teach you.”
It has been said that a person has to hit rock bottom before they can start finding their way up again, and Darren Primes knows just what that means. He had a good job and a solid work history for companies including Lockheed and Ford and took care of his wife and family -- that was until he started using crack cocaine and his life began a steep spiral downward.
He became addicted to drugs, lost the support of his wife and children, and spent the next 20 years in and out of the prison system, first in the state penitentiary, then in Federal prison.
It was after his second stint in prison that Darren finally did reach rock bottom, and he was ready to change his life. His only regret is that he didn’t find it sooner. “From where I was raised, my rock bottom should have been a long time ago,” he said. “Before you know it, you’re 50 years old, and I blew it by using drugs. It’s not like I have a lifetime now. These bones are getting old. It was such a waste of time that I put myself through.”
Invest in people like Darren right now
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Wendy Roberts: “Goodwill’s classes gave me confidence I never knew I had.”
After spending nine years as a stay at-home mom for her daughter Leah, Wendy Roberts was ready to get back to work – but starting a new career proved almost impossible.
“I just couldn’t find work,” she said. “My lapse in employment and lack of computer skills were holding me back.” She felt stuck; she was relying financially on a controlling boyfriend and had neither the skills nor the confidence to create a better situation.
She found Goodwill’s ReCompute program practically by accident. Wendy was taking classes at PeninsulaWorks, San Mateo County’s One Stop system, when one day she ran into a ReCompute recruiter, and she started the training program.
Wendy found that people skills were just as important as technical skills. She had to introduce herself to the entire class – no small feat for someone who felt like a wallflower. She also had to recruit more students for the program.
“I was so nervous, very scared, too timid and shy to talk to strangers,” she said. “But in class, I actually started to make friends, and I just bloomed.” Another surprising high point for Wendy came when she successfully took apart a computer and put it back together again. “I wouldn’t even unplug a computer before that class,” she said.
Invest in people like Wendy right now
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Goodwill Earns 4-Star Rating From Charity Navigator
We are proud to announce that Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties has earned Charity Navigator's coveted 4-star rating for sound fiscal management! The "exceptional" designation from Charity Navigator indicates that we execute our mission in a fiscally responsible way, efficiently manage and grow our finances, and that we outperform most other charities in America. We are thrilled to be recognized by such a prestigious organization, one whose goal is to provide you with the essential information needed to give you greater confidence in the charitable choices you make and demonstrate to the public that, as an organization, Goodwill is worthy of your trust.
For details on Goodwill of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties' 4-star rating and the methodology of the rating system, please visit Charity Navigator.
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