March is recognized as Women’s History Month, a time to honor the achievements and contributions of women throughout every aspect of history. It’s also a time to recognize the ongoing fight for inclusive equity and the empowerment of women.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated today, March 8th. The 2024 campaign theme for IWD is #InspireInclusion. Inspiring others to value women’s inclusion creates a better world by creating a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. Inclusion is important in achieving equality because it challenges stereotypes and removes obstacles. For International Women’s Day and beyond, let’s #InspireInclusion at Goodwill. 

Learn what it means to truly #InspireInclusion here.

Every Friday in 2024, we'll share a feel good story about the many lives impacted by our mission of providing job training and education to people with barriers to employment. Check out more success stories here.

Meet Miranda, a participant in the UPMC Project SEARCH program hosted at Passavant Hospital!

When she started the program, Miranda did not have access to a device at home which limited the activities she could complete outside of the program. Through support from Comcast and in connection with the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania Digital Navigator Network, Goodwill was able to provide Miranda with a new laptop.

A laptop at home will greatly simplify the job search process for Miranda by providing access to essential resources, tools, and opportunities that are crucial for securing meaningful employment. With her new laptop, Miranda feels more confident about her abilities to search for jobs and achieve her goal of competitive employment after high school!

UPMC Project SEARCH is a one-year training program fully immersed in the workplace (UPMC) for high school students with disabilities who are transitioning from high school to work. Learn more here.

Meet Makayla Richison, a softlines processor at the Buckhannon Goodwill store! Makayla has been a Goodwill team member for a year and a half and enjoys sorting through interesting donations (especially vintage clothing) and talking with her coworkers.

Though she aligns with all our values, the Goodwill Core Value that resonates most with Makayla is CONNECTION because she always tries to connect with shoppers.

In her free time, Makayla enjoys spending time with her best friend and family, such as going on poker runs with her dad. A fun fact about her is that she's a great reader - in fact, she could read high school-level books in first grade!

This week, Goodwill's YouthWorks program was generously given a $5,000 contribution from First Commonwealth Bank!

This charitable donation is greatly appreciated and will be used to expand YouthWorks' ability to introduce young adults to more career opportunities, trainings, and educational pathways. First Commonwealth Bank's generosity is especially appreciated in the YouthWorks CDL program, which recently received a huge influx of enrollments. We're thankful to First Commonwealth Bank for continuously supporting Goodwill's YouthWorks program!

Pictured left to right: Bob Stape, Chief Operating Officer; Anna Frank, Vice President & Financial Education Program Coordinator at First Commonwealth Bank; Tiffanee Heywood, Director of YouthWorks; Debra Valentine-Gray, Goodwill Board of Directors Vice Chairperson.

Congratulations to the following cashiers who won a Goodwill swag item! Their names were randomly selected from all cashiers who achieved a participation rate of 20% or higher during February.

• Tavin Brewer: Bridgeport 016
• Caitlin Shiflett: Elkins 021
• Cheynea Roupe: WV Outlet 470
• Zane Whitehair: Grafton 378
• Madison Bowman: West Mifflin 375
• Quinn Ketterman: South Side 003
• Aja Mitchell: Lawrenceville 331
• Chelsea Ramsey: Penn Hills 377
• Zamara Booker: Rochester 013
• Sloane Dowd: Centre Avenue 255