To strengthen people and communities through the power of WORK
About Us
Mission
To strengthen people and communities through the power of work.
Vision:
Everyone working and thriving in inclusive, sustainable communities.
Our Mandate
- Help people overcome barriers and reach their full potential through access to meaningful work.
- Provide training, skills development and career advancement services, driving economic impact.
- Offer access to affordable goods for individuals, families, and businesses, maximizing the social good from every community donation.
- Foster inclusion, making everyone feel welcome regardless of background or circumstances.
- Be leaders in sustainability by repurposing goods and fostering innovative solutions that protect our planet.
Our Values
Mission-Driven Impact
We focus on results that strengthen people & communities.
Inclusion
We embrace diversity & create spaces where everyone belongs.
Dignity
We treat every person with respect & humanity.
Compassion
We lead with empathy, care & understanding.
Resilience
We embrace change as an opportunity to evolve, adapt, innovate & thrive.
Accountability
We take ownership of our actions & commitments.
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, Port Elgin, Strathroy, London, Woodstock, St. Thomas, Guelph, Cambridge, Kitchener/Waterloo, Hamilton, Halton, Mississauga, Toronto, Newmarket, and many communities in between. Find a location near you.
Committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
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.
Strengthening People and Communities Through the Power of WORK
Here are some highlights from last year at Goodwill. When you shop or donate, people work!
Our work is made possible through support by:
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