Changing lives and communities through the power of WORK
About Us
Mission
Changing lives and communities through the power of WORK.
Vision:
Everyone working and thriving in sustainable communities.
Our Mandate
- Help people overcome barriers to gain access to work and reach their full potential
- Create jobs for people who need them most
- Provide training, skills development and career advancement services
- Provide access to affordable goods for families and emerging microenterprises
- Divert millions of pounds of waste from landfill and help sustain the environment
- Foster social inclusion, alleviate poverty, and reduce the stigma of mental illness and social disadvantage
- Maximize the social good from the community’s generous donations
- Strengthen communities…when people WORK communities WORK
Our Values
Inclusion – Embrace all people equally
We ensure all people are equal, valued as their unique self, have purpose and voice, have opportunity to grow and learn, and are treated fairly and justly.
Compassion – Serve with heart
We lead with heart, kindness, and caring… and are committed to making others better off with positive action, emotion and thought.
Aspiring Workforce – Together, change lives through the power of WORK
We believe in, and harness the transformational power of work, the courage to change, and people no matter what barriers they face connecting and working together to make communities work
Respect – Uphold all people with dignity and trust
We embrace diversity and uphold all people with dignity, listening, and sharing openly with decency, valuing and trusting every voice and contribution.
Empathy – Walk in each other’s shoes
We acknowledge our own short comings and take on the burden of others, making sure not to diminish how others feel and build resilience – we are all a part of the story.
About Us
Goodwill Industries is a non-profit social enterprise that provides work opportunities, skills development and employee and family strengthening for people who face barriers such as disability or social disadvantage. The aim is to advance individuals, families and communities toward economic self-sufficiency and prosperity.
Goodwill creates jobs and unites caring and business to develop individual and community potential.
On various social enterprise platforms such as donated goods, thrift retail, recycling, logistics, food and hospitality, commercial services and light manufacturing, Goodwill creates jobs, and unites caring and business to develop individual and community potential. Goodwill’s commitment goes beyond providing a job and a paycheck. We provide benefits and have a strong program emphasis on life coaching, wellness, training, access to education, career advancement, poverty reduction and social inclusion.
Who We Serve
Goodwill serves individuals who seek meaningful and sustainable work with an emphasis on building and strengthening abilities of persons challenged by physical, mental, developmental, sensory, learning, addictions, and other disabilities; and also the chronically unemployed, youth at risk, Indigenous peoples, Newcomers and others who may face marginalization or systemic barriers.
Our Region
Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes is located in communities across Southwestern Ontario and the GTA including the regions of Windsor, Sarnia Lambton, Chatham, Goderich, Strathroy, London, Woodstock, St. Thomas, Guelph, Cambridge, Kitchener/Waterloo, Mississauga, Newmarket, and many communities in between. Find a location near you.
Committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We work actively to engage a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve, addressing systemic racism oppression, and inequities that are barriers for many in our community.
Sustainability and Environmental Impact
Goodwill is a triple bottom line organization committed to people, planet, and prosperity – and ‘product’ that uphold sustainability. Our mission integrates on various social enterprise platforms that engage citizens in reuse and recycling, thereby diverting millions of pounds of goods from landfill. With partners, we are innovating in the development of fully Circular initiatives.
We embrace smart growth principals, help to revitalize declining neighbourhoods, engage in green building design, and create ‘green’ jobs and train individuals for the emerging ‘green’ labour market. We are a proud recipient of the 2017 London Chamber of Commerce Environmental Leadership Award.
Meeting Labour Market Needs and Career Aspirations
Goodwill carefully monitors local and regional labour markets and targets people development initiatives with a view of meeting the labour needs of employers, especially in those sectors where shortages exist or are envisioned. We focus on labour markets where entry-level workers can aspire, such as food and hospitality, thrift retail, and light manufacturing. We offer on-the-job skills development to prepare individuals for better, higher wage work opportunities.
Career planning and advancement is a focus for Goodwill employees and client jobseekers, and opportunities for advancement are available through internships, job shadowing or access to apprenticeships in a multitude of areas such as management, human resources, logistics and marketing. Annually, Goodwill offers scholarships to all employees to assist with education and career advancement goals.
Goodwill helped me to realize that there was another path for me. Now the future that I’ve always dreamed of for my daughter actually seems possible.
Monique, Goodwill Graduate
Why WORK Matters
Work is the lifeblood of healthy, vibrant communities. Unemployment creates financial hardships, increased health risks and social isolation. Globalization, technological change, deregulation, the incorporation of contingent labour into the workforce, and a growing emphasis on competitiveness, have changed the landscape of work, increasing barriers for those who are marginalized. Stable, sustainable work is essential to the wellbeing of our neighbourhoods and the social fabric of our communities.
Goodwill believes that work is a cornerstone of people’s lives and can be transformational as it is central to wellbeing, economic self-sufficiency and the ability to support one’s family. We believe that when people are working, communities are working. Work helps people to belong, to matter, and to connect to each other, making their communities stronger and healthier.
We believe everyone should have access to employment, that most people can work, given the proper support and opportunity, and that communities work best when everyone is given an opportunity to work, no matter what barriers they may face.
CARF Accredited
Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes has the highest level of accreditation from CARF, an independent non-profit accreditor of health and human services.
Connect with Goodwill
Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes
c/o Shared Services
255 Horton Street East, 2nd Floor
London, Ontario. N6B 1L1
Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 519-850-9000, press option 3