MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT

In late 2020, Goodwill’s Commercial Services entered into a unique partnership with one of the largest organizations in Alberta, Suncor Energy.

Suncor required the assembly of bolts and bolt-kits for their maintenance operations throughout Alberta and looked to community led organizations to lead the operation. With the experience of working with various firms throughout Western Canada, like the United Way, the Commercial Services Division at Goodwill Industries of Alberta became the perfect fit.

Comprised entirely by a team of people with disabilities and mental health barriers, thousands of pre-assembled bolts were delivered and ready for installation at a variety of Suncor sites every month. This bolt-up kit product line allows Suncor’s maintenance workers to focus on the toughest parts of their job, by eliminating a time-consuming task, as these bolts are required to be assembled by hand.

As a result, Suncor’s workers are able to work faster and safer. To date, more than 30,000 bolts have been assembled, with Suncor naming Goodwill as a finalist for the Suncor Excellence Awards in 2021. An award recognizing and celebrating those who are leading the way in strengthening Suncor’s culture and enhancing their core purpose and values.

In 2019, Goodwill Industries of Alberta, was the recipient of Canada’s Volunteer Awards (CVA) for the category of Social Innovator in the Prairie region. We were very honoured to be recognized for the hard work in our community and our commitment to a better tomorrow. The CVA program recognizes the exceptional contributions of volunteers, local businesses, and innovative not-for-profit organizations in improving the well-being of families and their communities.

Goodwill Industries of Alberta promotes volunteerism, job creation and the environment. This not-for-profit social enterprise is one of the largest employers of people with disabilities in the province.

Goodwill annually engages approximately 100 volunteers in up to 55 organizations, including within its own operations. Many individuals with developmental disabilities begin as volunteers and eventually obtain employment through Goodwill’s Career Connections Program.

This initiative improves lives through:
• career development
• job creation
• sustainability projects

Due to ongoing COVID restrictions, while the award was for 2019, Goodwill Industries of Alberta received the award in a celebration with Member of Parliament Tim Uppal in September, 2021.

Our Beacon Heights and Varsity locations in Calgary continually raise the bar in terms of customer satisfaction and service.

During an online campaign, Community Votes in Calgary recognized these two locations for their outstanding efforts in enhancing people’s lives each and every day. These two retail stores and donation centers were the Gold and Silver consumer choices in the thrift category for the city of Calgary. Thank you to the nominations from our supporters to make this a possibility.

The Community Votes platform provides a place for millions of people to nominate and vote for their favourite business. Community-driven recognition of local businesses and services provide key insights to help you make the most of your important purchases by finding trusted businesses to get the job done right.

With retail operations in 6 cities across the province, Goodwill proudly expanded retail operations in 2021 to one of the most beautiful cities in all of Canada…St. Albert!

Located along the Sturgeon River, at 730 St. Albert Trail, this location complements our existing donation centre in the south area of St. Albert, Tudor Glen. Supported by the Rotary Club of St. Albert, Mayor Heron and the Chamber of Commerce, Goodwill is excited to expand on our environmental stewardship and mission services in this great region.

With St. Albert’s track record of community development, diversity and inclusion, Goodwill couldn’t be more proud or excited as we opened the doors to Canada’s newest Goodwill centre of excellence.

After two decades in the Willow Park community, it was time to create a better space for our shoppers, donors and team members by moving to a brand-new space four blocks north on Macleod Trail in Calgary.

This new space, labeled Goodwill Plaza, (formerly the Brick Plaza) instantly became a thrifter’s dream and the largest Goodwill thrift store in Calgary.

This updated location has a boutique look and feel, with plenty of space to showcase the high-quality donations from the generous Calgarians in the area. With a commitment to the environment, you will not find a garbage disposal bin on-site and the store is outfitted with eco-friendly LED lights to help reduce energy consumption and out carbon footprint.

This store move is a victory for everyone who visits Goodwill. When Goodwill grows, the organization can provide more opportunities for Albertans with disabilities.

As one of the oldest communities in Calgary, the Shaganappi community prides itself in being a friendly neighborhood with plenty of opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

Serving the community here for 20 years has been an honour and a challenge. The team at Varsity dealt with ongoing space limitations, limited modern amenities for shoppers and donors and an uninspired way to represent our core values.

Yet, team Varsity delivered excellence and stood proud in the face of adversity. An opportunity arose to rectify the underwhelming circumstances by moving operations right next door, into a newly renovated space, meeting the needs of our team, our shoppers and our donors.

This new space represents the vibrancy and brightness of our team and the community. We will spend the next 20 years in this community, building on the legacies of good from the previous 20 years at this amazing Goodwill centre of excellence.