2021 Annual Report

MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT

As we embark on 60 years of Goodwill operating in Alberta, Goodwill is proud to be serving with you. Your dedication and your contribution to help shape and steward Goodwill Industries of Alberta as we’ll continue to make a positive impact in the lives of Albertans with disabilities.

Annual Message from our President & CEO Dale Monaghan

Annual Message from Our Board Chair Kevin MacDonald & CEO Dale Monaghan

  • Recognized for excellence in community leadership, partnerships and the provision of employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

  • Inspiring Albertans to make a difference!

  • Goodwill is a social enterprise, providing individuals with disabilities the opportunity to enhance their lives through meaningful employment.

Goodwill Industries of Alberta operates as an independent, community-based, non-profit organization, providing job placement, job training and career supportive services for those with a disability. With one out of every five employees at Goodwill, our organization has one of the highest employment rates of Albertans with disabilities in the province. 

From humble beginnings as the Edmonton Rehabilitation Society, for nearly 60 years we have helped thousands find purpose through employment, as we are a people business, strengthening communities and lives for the better.

Led by a volunteer Board of Directors, these community minded individuals oversee the governance of the organization as we continue to create a better tomorrow.  Our tremendous success showcases how those who donate, shop and support Goodwill are in fact, making such a profound difference, day in and day out.

Career Connections StatsPath to Employment

Career Connections is where Goodwill’s mission of helping Albertans with disabilities comes to life.

Headquartered on Whyte Avenue in downtown Edmonton, this progressive program supports people with disabilities in locating and maintaining employment or volunteer opportunities. Individuals are assisted with identifying their employment goals, employment preparation, job search, and employment coaching with an overall goal of independence.

In 2021, a task force was created to determine our path forward, as we looked to support more people than ever before. This task force looked inward to create opportunity, by leveraging current networks and introducing additional programming for those we serve.

This led to the introduction of the Goodwill Volunteer Hub, Opportunity Accelerator Program, a Student Accelerator Program and a variety of business partnerships throughout the province.

Employment

Overall, the Career Connections program served 178 people across all platforms in 2021. This created 41 NEW paid employment positions with Albertan enterprises, including 12 NEW paid employment positions within Goodwill Industries of Alberta. This is UP 178% from 2020. In total, 84 Albertans with disabilities gained paid employment through 97 different paid positions.

Volunteer Opportunities

Building key partnerships through the Goodwill Volunteer HUB was a catalyst of GOOD things on the horizon for the volunteers in the Career Connections program. It began with the United Way, creating kits for people in impoverished areas in the Capital City Region and led to a relationship with the Mustard Seed in Edmonton creating The Providing Aid Cooperatively Project. The PAC project looks to get basic supplies into the hands of vulnerable community members who require these items immediately. It also highlights how two non-for-profits can provide for their mission, working together to support the greater good of the community.

While the innovation of the Goodwill Volunteer HUB helped create more hours for individuals looking for experience, other organizations helped utilize this wonderful workforce and 51 NEW volunteer positions were created last year. A total of 137 volunteers passed through our doors and found opportunity.

Opportunity Accelerator

Introduced in 2021, the Opportunity Accelerator Program (OA) is an agile employment service delivery model that will support Individuals with disabilities (age 16+) with employment support. Individuals can expect individualized employment supports, which can include: career discovery, a person-centered Plan (PCP), job search, skill development through workshops, certifications, and coaching, in-demand employment placement, employment coaching, etc.

In the inaugural year, the OA program enrolled 66 individuals, (34% ABOVE capacity) with 45 graduates and 31 people earning work placement opportunities, reaching 60% ABOVE initial projections.

With the high expectations and successful results of this program, Goodwill also introduced a Student Accelerator Program, designed with many of the same attributes, this program is targeted specifically for those in high-school. In it’s first year, Goodwill had 7 enrollments and a 100% graduation rate, with 3 students earning work place experiences as a result of the program.

Goodwill @ Work

Goodwill @ Work is composed of micro social enterprises that focus on creating opportunity for people with disabilities, training, and sustainability. These enterprises are based out of the AMAZING Edmonton Impact Centre and includes: Commercial Services, Repair For GOOD, the Goodwill Coffee Cart program, We Shine Crew and the assembly of products.

Furniture upcycling at Repair For GOOD created 1400+ hours of employment, with 900+ volunteer hours. Our dedicated cleaning staff at We Shine Crew totaled 2011 hours and handing out free coffee through the Goodwill Coffee Cart program created 500+ volunteer hours.

In total, Goodwill @ Work programs served 31 different people with either paid employment or meaningful volunteer opportunities. Currently at Goodwill, 2 positions in leadership roles are occupied by people with disabilities.

At Goodwill, we believe in accountability and continuous improvement for everything we do. Keeping our goal of increasing waste diversion from the landfills through repurposing, upcycling, and recycling donated products while creating sustainable employment for those with disabilities, Goodwill has managed to increase our sustainability efforts to new levels in 2021. This has been accomplished through new partnerships, energy conscious facility upgrades, and new and improved recycling initiatives to better serve the province of Alberta.

Quantum Lifecycle

When we speak about sustainability, we focus on the environment and the social economic impact. Thanks to a key partnership with Quantum Lifecycle, we have been able to responsibly recycle electronics, with Quantum Lifecycle donating $0.01 per pound directly to Career Connections, generating $10,694.44 for mission services. This is a perfect example of how we can help the environment and help those with a disability to find meaningful employment at the same time.

ENERGY Star Score

An energy performance score helps energy managers assess how efficiently a building uses energy relative to similar buildings. Rating the energy efficiency of a building is a complex process, involving ranking a building’s energy consumption patterns alongside a peer group, normalizing for factors such as local climate and occupancy, while using a 1-100 ENERGY Star scoring system.

The amazing Goodwill Edmonton Impact Centre is an active member of the City of Edmonton’s Climate for Change program and the Energy Star Portfolio Manager program, as part of Goodwill’s Sustainability Action Plan. The amazing Goodwill Edmonton Impact Centre received an Energy Star Performance Score of 97 out of 100!

Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation

Goodwill is a Community Champions Partnership grant recipient which consists of collecting beverage containers at all of our locations, Thrift Stores and Donation Centres, across the province. With help from this grant, Goodwill was able to recycle more bottles from their sites than the year previous.

Efforts like this help create a lasting impact in our province and will provide meaningful employment opportunities for Albertans for years to come.

Cigarette Waste Recycling

In partnership with Terracycle, Goodwill runs a cigarette butt recycling program at the amazing Edmonton Impact Centre as part of the Sustainability Action Plan. In 2021, we recycled 8,255 lbs of cigarette butts!

Soap for Hope

In September, Goodwill looked at how we could divert feminine hygiene products, perfumes, nail polish and more, which led to a partnership with Soap for Hope, a non-profit organization based in Calgary. Soap for Hope uses these items to create hampers in support of vulnerable populations in Calgary and the surrounding communities. Goodwill was able to divert 26 bins of product totaling to a whopping 1072.2 lbs in just 3 months!

Soap for Hope is currently serving over 100 facilities with that number to increase over 2022 and from their efforts and partnerships such as ours, they were able to divert 14 school buses of product from the landfill in 2021!

As a result of these initiatives and Goodwill’s commitment to sustainability Goodwill continues to divert 86% of all items from local landfills. This means that 19,627,882 kilograms were diverted from the landfills, MORE THAN EVER BEFORE!

  • 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.

It all begins with a donation. A donation provides opportunity, success, innovation and so much more. With community partners who celebrate the impact a donation can make, it enables more positive social economic impact than ever before.

In 2021, community donations came from across the province including various community and volunteer led donation drives. While all these drives played a significant role in helping our organization support more people with disabilities than ever before, three organizations stood above the rest in terms of service and contributions to our mission.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

From the Fairmont with love.

Rotary Club Rib Fest

VIP Lounge and Repair for GOOD.

U of A Eco Move Out

From dorms to donation bins.

Kevin MacDonald | Chair

Committee: Chair, Executive Ex-Officio, All

Kevin is the newest Board Chair of Goodwill Industries of Alberta. He is the Founder and Business Consultant at L6S Business Consulting, helping business owners with overall planning, strategies and increasing operational efficiencies and profitability. Over Kevin’s career, he has taken on various roles which allowed him to lead the IT, Human Resources and Accounting departments of various companies.

Kevin has a family member that is legally blind and suffers from a mental illness. The sleepless nights, frustrations, and heart ache that Kevin’s family has gone through is the reason that Kevin joined the Board of Goodwill. If one less Albertan family doesn’t have to go through the same emotional roller coaster, Kevin sees him time at Goodwill as successful.

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Jodi Tomchyshyn London | Vice Chair

Committee: Chair, Finance and Audit Executive

Jodi has over 16 years’ experience encouraging and advancing best practices and policies related to waste minimization, recycling, and a circular economy.

She currently owns and operates JTL Squared Consulting Inc. specializing in overseeing and implementing product stewardship programs and extended producer responsibility programs, encouraging waste minimization.

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Terri Muhlbeier

Committee: Secretary/Finance and Audit

As long-term resident of the Edmonton community, Teri has been actively involved in volunteering throughout her life as a mentor, board member and chair of fundraising events. Her career has included accounting and leadership positions in non-profit, public and the private sector.

Terri is always looking for opportunities to give back. She joined the Goodwill board because she believes in their mission and wants to help enhance the lives of people living with disabilities.

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Werner Pietrzyk

Treasurer/Finance & Audit Chair

Working and living out of Edmonton, Werner’s experience spans from accounting and finance to strategic planning and budgeting.

Werner joined the Goodwill team because of the mission and the business model of the social enterprise. Given his experience working in a cooperative system he felt he was in a good position to help add some additional value to an already amazingly well-managed organization.

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Evan Kay

Committee: Governance Chair

Throughout 2020 and 2021 Evan has been coordinating with administration and executives to enable growth initiatives within various programs to help support families with children with disabilities (FSCD), Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) and other publicly funded sources. As a Designated Capacity Assessor (DCS), he also has experience in the field of mental health care. In his spare time, Evan takes great interest in fitness and personal wellness.

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Steven Trottier

Committee: Governance

Steven is excited to be part of the Goodwill community and brings previous Board experience from numerous Calgary-based non-profit organizations.

As the Director of Temporary Recruitment for TAG Recruitment Group, based in Calgary, he is passionate about helping Albertans find great careers and working with employers to strategize their hiring needs.

Educated in India, Europe and Canada, Steven has travelled to over 35 countries and looks to brings an international perspective to his work.

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Paul Osbaldeston

Committee: Governance

Paul has a history of community involvement, having previously volunteered with Muscular Dystrophy Canada, Student Legal Services, the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, and the Business Link Edmonton where he provided pro bono legal services to Edmonton area entrepreneurs.

Currently Paul is in-house counsel to Alberta Innovates, where he practices general corporate/commercial law. Paul has experience and achievement in the areas of contract law, privacy law, IP, and regulatory compliance. In addition to his Board work with Goodwill, Paul currently volunteers with the Legal Education Society of Alberta.

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Erin Skinner

Committee: Governance

Erin wants all Albertans to have opportunities for meaningful employment and is proud to serve on Goodwill’s board. She believes in the power of work, beyond the paycheque, to positively change lives and build communities.

A life-long Albertan, Erin has family and deep roots in both Calgary and Edmonton.

In her spare time, Erin is an enthusiastic gardener and is a volunteer judge for Communities in Bloom. She also enjoys DIY projects and upcycling thrift finds from Goodwill.

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Leeca Sonnema

Committee: Governance

Leeca is a registered nurse by profession and works as the Director of Clinical Services at the Edmonton West Primary Care Network, where she and her team provide primary care expertise and supports to family physicians and their patients.

Born and raised in Alberta, Leeca has worked in the not-for-profit healthcare sector for over 20 years, first as an ICU nurse and later as a health care leader. She is passionate about advocacy through the preservation of human dignity, promotion of equality, and relief of suffering, to ensure that all Albertans can live their best lives.

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Kashmir Gill

Committee: Finance & Audit

Born in India, raised in the UK, and a proud Albertan for more than forty years, Kashmir feels blessed to serve as a volunteer and community-builder. He has brought his extensive public and private sector professional business experience in innovation to support and strengthen many local and international non-profit organizations, and the communities they serve.

Kashmir is excited to join the Goodwill local Board because he believes in the mission of the organization to empower and enhance the lives of people disadvantaged by various types of visible and invisible disabilities and barriers.

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John Panusa

Committee: Finance & Audit

Currently the President and CEO of Legal Aid Alberta, an organization that provides legal services and support to vulnerable and disadvantaged Albertans across the Province, John has over 20 years of experience serving individuals who face significant challenges. He has also held a number of leadership positions with WorkSafeBC, an organization tasked with occupational health and safety enforcement and the rehabilitation and re-entry into the workforce of workers injured on the job throughout British Columbia.

As a Chartered Director designation from the Directors College, McMaster University, John looks to use his experience to help guide an organization that means so much to the community and the province.

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B. Elizabeth Romo Rabago

Committee: Governance

Holding a Master in Sustainable Energy Development from the University of Calgary, Elizabeth is also a biologist and an impact entrepreneur. As a passionate artist, her upcycled artwork, and environmental consulting work in Mexico and Canada have contributed to divert waste from the landfill and to help the public and private sectors to embed sustainability as part of their core values.

Elizabeth believes in an inclusive society and in the empowerment of people as key for achieving healthy societies and environmental protection.

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Wendy Ivey

Committee: Finance & Audit

Wendy brings senior-level banking, risk management, and financial regulation experience to Goodwill.

She believes in giving back to her community, and has volunteered with not-for-profits in Alberta.

She was drawn to Goodwill because it is an organization that’s committed to enhancing lives by providing individuals with opportunities for growth, and is honoured to be contributing to the Board.

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Dale Monaghan

President & CEO

Since coming to Goodwill Industries of Alberta in 2011, Dale has provided significant experience in both business and community development with Goodwill Industries of Alberta. He previously worked with the Mikisew Group of Companies, Alberta Legislature, City of Edmonton and Travel Alberta, providing expertise in business development and marketing at the national and international levels.

Dale is an active volunteer in the community including serving on the Board of Directors for the 2012 Alberta Winter Games and has been involved with the Special Olympics. He continues to push for excellence in community leadership and helping Goodwill provide employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

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Thanks to the generosity of Albertans province-wide, Goodwill received 837,649 donations, the MOST EVER received in one calendar year!

With total retail sales at $33,514,059, Goodwill has been able to re-investment more into our mission than ever before, with 90% being reinvested.

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF ALBERTA (REGISTERED SOCIETY)

T3010 Charity Return

Goodwill Industries of Alberta is a non-profit charitable social enterprise that depends on support from community and corporate Albertans. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the following supporters.