A global grant requires a minimum of $10,000 from a club or clubs to qualify for the grant. Our partner club, Los Amates Rotary Club of Guatemala, has also committed $1000  It is our goal to find eight more Rotary Clubs in our district, each contributing $1000, to help us meet the Global Grant obligation of $10,000 dollars.  During PETS, Bill Chadwick started soliciting support from his fellow PEs.

 

Bill has done the groundwork in Guatemala to engage Rotary and drilling partners, and has been working on completing the required paperwork to request the grant.  In addition, DGE Dave Underhill has challenged his PEs to lead their clubs in participating in projects during 2017-2018 within each of Rotary's areas of focus. This water project could help several clubs in our district with the area of focus: Providing Clean Water.

 

Bill is also working the details on another project in Guatemala with Los Amates Club President Marvin Paiz - Clean Air Guatemala.  The plan is to plant 22,000 trees to combat deforestation in that country and improve air quality. The investment in trees will pay back to the local economy through government payments.  

 

As it turns out, Rotary International PE Ian Riseley has a passion for the environment.   At Northeast PETS, attendees heard him challenge every club to plant at least one tree for every member of their club!  In addition, this Clean Air project will help grow the local economy, another Rotary Area of Focus.  Clean Air Guatemala will provide another opportunity for our club and several other clubs in our district to participate in a project of interest to our incoming RI leader.

 

 

Goodwill was started in Boston in 1902 by local Methodist minister and founded on the principle of a hand up, not a hand out. He collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier parts of the city, then trained workers to mend and repair the used goods. In 1933, Goodwill came to Maine where it initially offered employment opportunities to the mentally handicapped through repair and repurpose of donated goods. There are now 30 stores across Maine, NH and Vermont.  Goodwill employees about 2000 people, with about 1100 of those in the retail stores. Only about 5-6% of their annual revenue is from private donations. 

 

Sparked by the closing of Pineland in 1996, Goodwill formed a Health Care division. They now have 25 community-based long term care facilities around Maine. In addition, they serve about 800 people a year who have sustained brain injuries.  Their clients include Veterans who are referred by the VA. Services also include pre-employment training and education to help transition people they serve into the workforce.  Another division of Goodwill is their Good Clean Property Services. Employees clean many types of business including banks, federal buildings and their own stores.

 

Today Goodwill’s primary objective remains workforce development. They support displaced workers to retrain them for new careers. They provide AmeriCorps programs in three states which place volunteers with non-profits needing help. They have a new YouthBuild program in Lewiston and work with residents of Long Creek Youth Development Center.  They partner with Community Colleges, Adult Education programs, Career Centers and licensed social workers to help people find and keep jobs.

 

Job retention is a key metric. They try to take a holistic approach to job training and retention by looking at and addressing gaps in all aspects of a person’s life that can impact employment such as education and living situation, as well as physical or mental disability.

 

Goodwill NNE Operations Center in Gorham ME