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Sponsored by: Goodwill Northern New England
July 24, 2019 2019 Fact Book: Doing Business in Maine

Goodwill Northern New England

Photo from Goodwill Northern New England Carleton, 72, Portland, found stable work thanks to Goodwill NNE’s Job Connection program, which uses a holistic approach when supporting each participant.

Way More Than Thrift Stores

Thrift stores are just the beginning. Goodwill Northern New England is on a mission to help move 10,000 households into stability by 2027 and it’s well on its way with its many diverse programs. The nonprofit social enterprise runs two brain injury clinics, 23 group homes for adults with disabilities, day programming for adults with disabilities and a full-service cleaning business, and it helps thousands of Mainers get job training and careers at Maine businesses. That’s in addition to keeping 65 million pounds of household items out of landfills each year through reuse and recycling.

An old mission in a new world

Goodwill started in 1902 in Boston when its founder, Dr. Edgar Helms, a Methodist minister, looked for a way to help new immigrants get on their feet. Helms collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired people affected by poverty to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were then resold or were given to the people who repaired them.

These days, Goodwill does that work in new ways. For instance, when local businesses upgrade their office computers, the old ones can be donated. Goodwill’s technicians wipe that data off each computer to U.S. Department of Defense standards before refurbishing the laptops or desktops. Those computers are then given to people who need them or sold at affordable prices. The sales of computers, along with the thousands of items of clothes and furniture in the nonprofit’s 30 stores, all helps fund important programming.

“Life wasn’t very good before Job Connection. It feels great. I have enough money to do things I want to do. I’m happy with my life. I wasn’t before because I didn’t have much fun because I couldn’t afford things.” 

— Carleton, 72

Moving 10,000 households into stability

PHOTO from Goodwill Northern New England
Rich Cantz, President and CEO of Goodwill Northern New England

Part healthcare, part retail, part workforce developer…if it sounds like Goodwill NNE’s business is incredibly diverse, that’s because it is.

“Our goal is to move people in our communities into stability. Every part of the agency is attacking the problem in a unique way,” said Rich Cantz, Goodwill NNE’s president and CEO. “Stability means different things to different people. For a lot of people we see, it means getting a job that can support their family. For a client in our NeuroRehab clinics, teaching them how to walk again after a brain injury might be the first step toward independence. We take a tailored approach to every person we meet.”

The nonprofit adapted a matrix that measures any participant’s growth on 15 measures, called the Stability Calculator. The digital tool tracks progress over time. Housing, family support system, employment, health and legal issues are all a part of measuring stability.

Innovating work: Mainers who need help finding a new or higher-paying job can get support at many of Goodwill’s workforce programs. There are specialty programs for adults with disabilities, veterans, young people, people who want to transition into STEM careers and more. Goodwill staff helps thousands of people each year in career centers around the state. Goodwill also runs AmeriCorps programs, which provide entry-level professional work experiences while helping Maine towns and charities build capacity.

After helping people get jobs for almost 100 years, Goodwill NNE found some people falling through gaps in other work programs. The agency decided it was time to do something about it and developed its Job Connection model.

Job Connection uses a team approach to help people forge a path to personal stability. A Life Navigator (counselor) is paired with a Career Advisor (workforce specialist) to help participants remove barriers to successful, long-term employment by addressing root causes such as anxiety, a criminal background, a history of drug use, generational poverty or mental health issues.

“A lot of people in Maine need more than skills to get and keep a job. People’s lives are complicated, and Job Connection recognizes that. This isn’t just about getting someone a career, it’s about helping them learn how to build a life that will sustain them,” said Kelly Osborn, the senior vice president for client services.

Goodwill has Job Connection teams in Portland, Augusta, Bangor and, as of this month, Lewiston. The results have been astonishing, with people keeping their new careers long-term.

Rehabilitating brain injuries: Goodwill’s NeuroRehabilitation Services have helped more than 9,000 people get back to their lives after an acquired brain injury. Teams of doctors, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists and other healthcare professionals all help Mainers become as independent as possible.

Brain injuries are often caused by car accidents and strokes, but could happen due to falls or concussions from sports. Goodwill NNE operates two clinics in Maine, one in Lewiston and one that’s moving from Portland to Scarborough this fall.

Focusing on ability: Adults with disabilities live in 23 staffed homes across Maine where they enjoy all that life has to offer. They grocery shop, garden, go bowling or out to dinner and everything anyone else does, with the help of Goodwill staff.

Augusta, Lewiston, South Portland and Waterville offer safe, nurturing day programming for adults with intellectual disabilities, including specialized programs for people who are both Deaf and have disabilities. LifeWorks is a community-based program where participants can have jobs if they want them, do art projects, volunteer, go to summer camp, learn life skills and more.

Keeping businesses good and clean: Good Clean Property Services is a full-service commercial property maintenance company offering quality, customized, eco-friendly services that leave buildings spotless. Its sister company, Northern New England Employment Services, cleans and maintains federal buildings and over 80% of the labor hours are performed by people with disabilities.

Sustainability and stores: Last year 65 million pounds of items were saved from landfills because of Goodwill’s stores and recycling efforts. Maine’s 17 Goodwill stores accept community donations and resell them. But unsold items’ journeys don’t end there. Anything that doesn’t sell after five weeks — which includes a week at a half-off price and then a couple days at $1 — heads to a Buy The Pound outlet store in Gorham, where it’s priced at about $1 per pound. If it still doesn’t sell, Goodwill finds a way to reuse it. Workers cut unsold shirts into wiping cloths. Pots, pans and stuffed animals are sold to bulk buyers. Electronics are sent to employees who refurbish them in the GoodTech program. Metals and cardboard are recycled in-state. Goodwill offers monthly tours of its Gorham warehouse so the public can get a view into how the nonprofit diverts so much waste and turns it into programming.

The nonprofit also stopped giving out plastic bags in all 30 of its stores as of January 2019, which saved more than 3 million bags.

“Everything Goodwill does has a focus on sustainability,” said Kossi Gamedah, the senior vice president of retail operations. “Of course our stores help keep things out of landfills, but it’s also about creating sustainable communities by making sure everyone who wants to work can get a job that sustains them.”

Goodwill Northern New England

34 Hutcherson Drive, Gorham, ME 04038

Nonprofit (sustainability, healthcare, cleaning, disability, workforce)
Rich Cantz, President and CEO
Founded 1902 internationally, 1933 locally
Number of Maine employees: 1,321

www.GoodwillNNE.org