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.
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.
A Remembrance Reunion
In November, a military family was re-united with personal heirlooms on Remembrance Day. This all started with a donation we received at our Calgary TransCanada Goodwill Thrift Store.
A shadow box filled with medals, patches, and a black and white photograph of two soldiers showed up at our donation centre. Unsure of who it belonged to, we knew we needed to do some research to try and find a respectful resting place for them.
The Medals
In our research of each medal and patch, we found that the medals dated back to World War 1 and 2!
What to do with the Medals?
Starting with the Canadian Forces in Calgary, and further sleuthing, we found an obituary for one John Thomas Hearson, born in Nottingham Yorkshire, England, and settling in Wayburn, Saskatchewan. The originally recipient of the medallions. This led to living descendant, Mr. Kelly Hearson, P.Eng who resided in Manitoba.
A quick email with photos was sent and one of the men in the photo was identified, “that’s definitely Grampa in the photo; he was not a tall man :D. Thank you very much for this!” Kelly proclaimed.
The Reunion
The medals were packed safely away in a re-purposed box to ship out to Winnipeg, Manitoba where the medals were reunited with John Thomas Hearson’s grandson, and his own son’s medals, which Kelly has on display at his home. On Remembrance Day we will reflect and appreciate what we have and the life we get to lead thanks to our selfless veterans.
It all begins with a donation. A donation provides an opportunity, success, innovation and so much more. With community partners who celebrate the impact a donation can make, it enables a more positive social and 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.
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 heartache 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.
Jodi has over 18 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.
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.
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.
Steven brings experience from non-profit, for-profit and educational environments. He is passionate about Alberta’s success and promoting Goodwill’s mission of assisting Albertan’s with disabilities in gaining meaningful employment. Steven is a Business Instructor at Bow Valley College and past positions have spanned operations, human resources and marketing.
Educated in India, Europe, Africa and Canada, Steven has travelled to over 35 countries and brings an international perspective to his work. He is an active volunteer in the community and current PhD Candidate, exploring the impact of student loan and consumer debt on Canada’s millennial population.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Since joining Goodwill Industries of Alberta as President and CEO in 2012, Dale has provided significant experience in both business and community development.
Goodwill industries of Alberta currently ranks among the top 10 Goodwill’s in North America, for which there are 160. 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 is passionate about building a stronger, more vibrant Alberta through Goodwill’s award winning social enterprise model, strengthening people, families and communities through the dignity of a job and the power of work.
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.