Selfies, Selflessness and Shedding Their `Inner Susan Lucci`

a p u b l i c at i o n b y g o o dw i l l o f n o r t h f l o r i da
Winter 2015
Selfies, Selflessness and
Shedding Their ‘Inner Susan Lucci’
D
ressed head-to-toe in
Goodwill fashions handpicked by stylist Megan
Walker, 13 local celebrities and
two toddlers stole the spotlight
in true bargain-chic form at
the annual Striving to Succeed
Luncheon and Fashion Show.
Well-known community darling
and annual fashion show host
Nikki Kimbleton, WJXT TV-4
anchor, announced the models
and described each outfit,
including clothing, shoes and
accessories, as the celebrities
made their way down the runway.
At the end of the models’
runway strut, the crowd of 650
attendees was told what each
Goodwill extends a special thanks to all of the models who donated their time to the fashion
show, as well as the talented students and crew of Paul Mitchell School who prepared the
models hair and makeup. All models were styled by Megan Walker and Lee Hamby.
ensemble cost. The reaction every
time? A collective sigh of disbelief,
as many people realized for the
first time what amazing pieces
can be found in Goodwill stores at
incredible prices.
Among the other highlights of
the event were Nikki’s sharing
of stories from her past, when
she relied on Goodwill to fill her
wardrobe on the tight budget of
a new reporter. The crowd was
also delighted when Daniel Austin,
communication manager at the
(Continued on page 7)
Annual Report
To The Community
A
t its heart, Goodwill Industries of North
Florida is an organization that believes in
the power of employment to create a better
life for individuals, families and communities.
For 75 years, our unique approach to advancing
this principle has been to turn donated items into
revenue that funds employment services while
creating jobs in our Thrift Stores and affiliated
businesses.
To keep this jobs engine running, we depend
on the donations of hundreds of thousands of
generous North Florida residents. In 2014, their
donated goods enabled us to place more than 13,500 people in jobs
through our Job Junctions and to employ more than 700 people in our
Thrift Stores, central operations, laundry services and landscaping
businesses.
Today, many organizations compete for donated items, but only Goodwill
can assure donors that the revenue generated from their contributions
will remain in North Florida to create local jobs for local residents.
We’re very proud of that fact, and we’re stepping up our efforts to make
sure the public knows the many benefits of choosing Goodwill for their
donations, as well as the positive impact of shopping for bargains at our
stores.
At the same time, we’re pursuing new ways to make donating more
convenient and shopping more enjoyable. We started work on our first
stand-alone donation center in 2014, and we’re improving the donation
facilities at our retail locations as we upgrade our Thrift Stores across
the region. By improving the retail experience for our customers at
bricks-and-mortar stores and expanding our eCommerce division, we’re
continuing to drive increased sales.
We’re using our increased revenue, in turn, to upgrade our Job
Junctions with new technology and services, and we’re forming exciting
partnerships with like-minded organizations. One of our signature
achievements of 2014 was the launch of A-STEP, a program born of our
partnership with Take Stock in Children that’s providing scholarships
and guidance to working adults striving to increase their earning power.
It has been an exciting year at Goodwill of North Florida, and we’re
grateful to our many friends for supporting our mission. Please help us
spread the word about the many ways Goodwill is helping North Florida
families create a better future for themselves and their community.
President & CEO
Goodwill Industries of North Florida
Revenue 2014
$224,146
$470,637
$6,051,185
$25,032,422
Donated Goods
WorkForce
Development
Contracts
Misc.
Expenses 2014
$7,264,873
$17,074,110
$5,469,258
Payroll &
Related
Payroll
& Related
Occupancy
Operating
Occupancy
Operating
Goodwill of North Florida
2015 Board of Directors
Michael Anapolsky
James F. Bailey, Jr.
Lou Black
Rodney R. Brace
Angela M. Brown
Patrick D. Coleman
Tim Davlantes, M.D.
Bob Ellis
Kirk Hansen
Marc Hefner
Curtis Henson
Deborah A. Knauer, Esq.
James Lanahan
Ron Mallett
Steve Mathews
John Murray
Frank C. Watson
Good Looks... Good Deals... Good Deeds!
The 2014 Celebrity Models Included:
Tracy Collins-Goodwill of North Florida
Virginia Chamlee-Jacksonville Magazine
Karen Brune Mathis-Financial News and Daily Record
Eden Kendall-Gator Country 99.9 FM
Mallory & Noah Bosque-CocoBelle Designs
Melanie Lawson Minor-WJXT/TV4
Daniel Austin-Jacksonville Community Council, Inc.
Jacob Long-First Coast News NBC-12 & ABC-25
Heather Crawford-First Coast News NBC-12 & ABC-25
Todd Roobin-Jacksonville Film & Television Office
Tarik & Noah Minor-WJXT/TV4
Matt Pittman-Florida Times-Union
Toni Foxx-WQIK 99.1FM
2014 Achievers of the Year
B
eyond donations, stores and bargains, Goodwill Industries of
North Florida is really about people — individuals who overcome
tremendous odds to find a job, get to work every day, and support
themselves and their families.
Each year, more than 600 supporters
of Goodwill Industries of North Florida
gather to celebrate the “Achievers of
the Year” Awards at the annual Striving
to Succeed Luncheon and Celebrity
Fashion Show.
Our achievers are selected from more
than 13,500 individuals placed into
employment by Goodwill programs and
services. Each has overcome incredible
obstacles just to get up, go to work, earn
a paycheck and support their families.
Meet our 2014 Achievers of the Year – Kevin Aiken and Liz Fiorentino.
And watch their video testimonies at GoodwillJax.org under the
Community content tab.
Kevin Aiken
Kevin is a true example of what many people
are looking for when they turn to Goodwill for help.
He just needed somebody to give him a second
chance. Kevin is also the classic example of
what Goodwill wants to accomplish with internal
employees: help them get an initial job to create a
good work history, then enable them move on to a
better job.
On the surface, Kevin was an excellent candidate
for employment — smart and engaging, with plenty
of experience.
But after
struggling
for years
with drug
and alcohol
addiction and
incarceration,
he was
turned down
repeatedly
when background checks revealed his past. Then
Kevin heard about the help being offered to exfelons at Goodwill’s Job Junctions.
“Goodwill gave me the opportunity with
employment when no one else would,” he said.
Kevin was hired as a temp in the warehouse,
but his strong work ethic opened up a full-time
position at Landscape Consultants, Inc., a Goodwill
company. Since then, Kevin has moved on to an
even better position with Kia of Orange Park.
Kevin says he knew he was changing his life for
good when he gave his heart to God. “One of my
passions is I always wanted to sing for the glory of
God,” he said. “I wrote Gospel songs in jail.”
Kevin found a church home at One Accord
Ministries International. As part of the
organization’s recording group, he is an awardwinning Gospel singer.
“The advice that I would give to someone that is in
the situation that I used to be in is, don’t give up on
yourself.”
Liz Fiorentino
Liz has been overcoming challenges her entire life. She has
battled seizures since she was 3 years old, and at 5, her parents
were told she had a learning disability that would keep her from
attending a normal school environment.
Despite the odds, Liz attended school with her friends until her
senior year. It took her seven tries at taking the test, but she never
gave up and received her GED.
In later years, Liz had further health complications, including
arthritis, kidney disease, a herniated disc, and even heart surgery.
Needing a caring environment to be sensitive to her situation, Goodwill’s concept store, Bluetique, gave her
the opportunity to work in a field she loves: fashion.
“When she initially interviewed for a sales associate position, Liz was completely upfront and honest about
her learning disability and health issues,” Bluetique Manager Cindi Boyd said. During their first conversation,
Liz told Cindi, “I just need a chance. I need an opportunity. And somebody to believe in me.”
Hiring Liz was mutually beneficial to both her and the Bluetique clientele.
“I like to see their reactions when we find them a particular item that they really want or need,” Liz said. “It
makes me happy to see them so happy that we took the time to help.”
Liz also recognizes that her career opportunity was only the beginning.
“It’s been a really good experience and a really good building block for the next phase of my life,” she said.
Liz recently left Bluetique to become a full-time nanny. Goodwill is very proud of the strides she has made.
Unexpected Anonymous Donation
G
oodwill of North Florida does not solicit
cash donations. We will accept them, but
we do not ask for them. So when a phone
call came in to the corporate offices from an anonymous donor two weeks before Christmas, Vice
President of Public Affairs Tracy Collins shared the
Goodwill story.
“The gentleman on the phone said he was calling
several non-profits in the area to find out their mission and I was happy to fill him in,” she said.
The bullet points of the conversation caught the
caller’s attention: Goodwill does no fundraising.
The mission is only supported by sales in our retail
stores. Eighty-nine cents of every dollar sold goes
towards the mission of training and placing people
in jobs. In 2014, Goodwill helped 56,000 people
in our area (resume writing, job searches, soft skill
classes, etc.) and placed 13,500 in jobs at no cost
to the employer or the employee.
As a result, the donor, who only wanted to be
identified as A Christian Family, sent in a check for
$10,000.
The accompanying letter read in part: ‘We propose to give anonymously and desire no recognition … to encourage others to give in this season of
remembering those in need and why we celebrate
the Season.’
Goodwill of North Florida COO Karen Phillips and
CEO Robert Thayer.
Take Stock Comes Full Circle
for Jacksonville Lawyer Belkis Plata
W
hat started out 18 years ago as an avenue
for Belkis Plata to get a scholarship and
improve her own future has now come full
circle and turned into a better future for two more
college hopefuls.
Plata, now 29, was accepted into Take Stock in
Children mentoring and scholarship program as a
middle school student. She was paired with Mindy
Hanna, who, nearly two decades later, is still her
friend and mentor.
“She followed me throughout school,” Plata said.
“She has been very influential in my life.”
In 2014, she opened her own law firm, and she
credits Take Stock and her mentor for helping her
accomplish her dreams. “I am
the youngest Hispanic woman to
have her own law practice here
in Jacksonville,” Plata noted. In
honor of the gift she received from Take Stock
and her mentor, Plata signed up to mentor her two
nieces who joined the Take Stock program in 2014.
“I’m very happy to finally be able to give back
because I know other people reached out for me
and allowed me to be where I am today, so I’m very
thankful and just want to help other children see
their dreams fulfilled as well,” she said.
Take Stock needs more mentors like Plata.
Visit the Education section of GoodwillJax.org.
Great News: First Coast News Anchor
Reports on ‘Take Stock’ Mentorship
A
s a television news anchor and parent
of two young children, Heather Crawford
wouldn’t seem to have much spare time for
volunteering. But when she heard about Take Stock
in Children and its mentorship program for middle
school and high school students, the
fit sounded perfect.
“It’s only an hour a week, and
the rewards are fantastic,” says
Crawford, the evening anchor at First
Coast News. Foremost on her list of
rewards is the relationship she has
formed with her mentee, a Mandarin
High School junior named Iszy.
Crawford and Iszy met in October
and soon discovered they have many
common interests. Iszy wants to be
a journalist, and, like Crawford, she speaks fluent
Spanish.
“I instantly loved her,” Crawford says. “We talk
about everything, from school work and family to
politics and current affairs. It’s about building trust
and supporting someone’s dreams for the future.”
The mentor-mentee relationship is just one aspect
of the support that Take Stock in Children provides
for aspiring college-bound students. The program
also promises college scholarships for deserving
low-income students in grades 7 through 12 who
complete the program and meet its accountability
requirements. When the Take Stock scholars enter
college, the program continues to provide guidance
and support until they graduate.
In 2014, Goodwill of North Florida
became the primary sponsor of
Take Stock in Children for Duval
County, which supports more than
400 students in 48 middle and high
schools throughout the county.
Crawford, meanwhile, has expanded
her involvement by reporting on her
mentorship experience. First Coast
News has become a Take Stock
partner, explaining the program to
viewers and encouraging them to
consider becoming mentors.
“One of the biggest criticisms we hear in the news
business is that there’s too much negative news,”
Crawford says. “The best way to stop the negative
is to invest in a child and break the cycle of poverty.
Love them, care for them and guide them. That’s
what will change a community.”
And for the 1,000-plus Take Stock scholars who
have earned college degrees since the program’s
inception, the change is already immeasurable.
Job Junctions Continue Modernization,
Place More Clients in Jobs
W
ant to launch a budding professional? Start
with a professional environment.
That’s what Goodwill of North Florida is
doing at its Job Junction career resource centers.
The new Dunn Avenue Job Junction that opened in
mid October became the third of six Job Junctions to
feature new technology and modern business decor.
The Dunn Avenue location, next to the Dunn
Avenue Thrift Store, has replaced the Downtown Job
Junction. The
full-service site
features 28
iMac and iPad
computers;
wooden tables and desks; and advanced information
technology that supports a wide range of services.
Dunn Avenue clients are able to connect with
online tutorials offered by GCFLearnFree.org®, a
program of the Goodwill Community Foundation;
attend online meetings with assistance from
employment specialists; create online resumés;
and access all of the other Job Junction services.
In addition, the Dunn Avenue site is collaborating
with the nearby Florida State College at
Jacksonville’s North Campus on job services and
volunteer opportunities.
The Dunn Avenue Job Junction joined the
Lenox Avenue and Jacksonville Beach locations
in receiving the IT upgrades and office facelifts.
In addition to
the advanced
IT capabilities,
the Lenox
Avenue Job
Junction features meeting rooms that support
hiring events, training workshops, and job forums.
A special event held for Chartwells food service
company in 2014 attracted 137 visitors and
resulted in 52 new Job Junction enrollees.
Overall, 2014 was a highly successful year for
all Job Junctions, which placed more than 13,500
clients with employers throughout the region. To
make finding employment even easier, job seekers
can enroll online and come to a Job Junction
center for services.
“As we continue to expand and improve our
Job Junctions, we’re able to help an increasing
number of clients obtain the training, skills and job
leads they need to find employment,” says Linda
Lewis, Vice President of Workforce Development.
“All of this is made possible through the revenue
generated by our Thrift Stores.”
Striving to Succeed (Continued from front page)
Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, pulled out
his cell phone at the end of the runway to take a
selfie with the crowd for social media.
But the most inspirational and soap-opera-tears
moment of the day occurred when Eden Kendall
took her turn on the red carpet in the coveted “little
black dress,” made famous by national Goodwill
commercials. It has been a tradition of the Striving
to Succeed Fashion Show and every woman on the
model team waits for that call saying she has been
selected to wear the symbolic dress.
Kendall, who has been a part of the event since
the beginning, joked before the fittings, “I’m starting
to feel like the Susan Lucci of the little black dress,”
a reference to the television soap opera actress who
was always nominated for an Emmy but never won.
But just like Lucci, who finally got her Emmy,
Kendall finally got her opportunity to wear the little
black dress — and she looked stunning. St. Johns Students ‘Bag’ New Record
W
ith record donations and participation, the 2014 Bag It Up drive packed
Goodwill trucks with items contributed by St. Johns County Elementary
School students.
An all-time high 10 schools achieved participation above 60 percent and
earned a $1,000 contribution for their schools. Goodwill President Bob Thayer
was thrilled to be able to visit each school and present the checks to school
principals during their closed-caption morning shows.
In addition to each school’s monetary
gain, students who participated received
a free Yobe yogurt coupon and a Good
Citizen’s Award. Also, each student was
entered to win a family 4-pack to Alligator
Farm and a family 4-pack to Disney World.
Thanks to the generosity of the
students and their families, total donors
during the 2014 campaign doubled from
the previous year to 6,972 participants.
Winning Schools Liberty Pines Academy
Timberlin Creek Elementary
Hickory Creek Elementary
Julington Creek Elementary
Cunningham Creek Elementary Durbin Creek Elementary
Mill Creek Elementary
Palencia Elementary
PVPV/Rawlings Elementary 100%
91%
82%
74%
70%
65%
60%
60%
60%
Lunch N’ Learn Hits the Road,
Returns to Local Roots
S
everal times a year, Goodwill Industries of North Florida opens its Board Room for invited guests to
enjoy a catered lunch and learn about Goodwill’s past, present and promising future. The Lunch N’
Learns have been highly successful, but Goodwill launched a new strategy in 2014 that tripled the
number of community leaders it reached.
Tracy “Dot Com” Collins, Vice President of Public Affairs, reached out to Rotary clubs and business
organizations, offering to expand their
knowledge of how Goodwill operates and its
many benefits. She found that although many
groups knew about Goodwill’s bricks-andmortar Thrift Stores, they were unfamiliar with
the wide range of employment opportunities
that their donations support.
After 15 meetings attended by some 300
professionals — compared to 100 people who
attended Lunch N’ Learns in 2013 — not only
was Goodwill’s mission of helping people find
jobs better understood, but eyes were opened
to all of the organization’s businesses in
addition to its Thrift Stores.
“I get the same reaction everywhere I speak,”
Tracy said. “Multiple people come up to me and
say, ‘I didn’t know Goodwill did all that!’ People are fascinated to learn about ShopGoodwill.com, Bluetique,
LCI, Christmas Décor, and our laundry department.”
One of Tracy’s highlights on the speaking circuit occurred as she gave a presentation to a group of
retirees who socialize at Riverside Park United Methodist Church every Friday. In the portion of the Power
Point presentation that touches on the history of Goodwill of North Florida, a slide of the Riverside church
appeared on screen.
“I said, ‘You may recognize this location,’” Tracy recalled. “Their faces lit up when they realized we were
meeting in the basement of that same church — the exact location where Goodwill started locally in 1940!”
Organizations and businesses that would like to have Tracy share the Goodwill story can contact her at
904-384-1361 or [email protected].
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Girl Scouts Revive ‘Good Turn’ Program
T
rimmed Good Turn for Goodwill patch. The individual
wo yellowed newspaper articles in an old
girl who collects the most donations wins a prize
scrapbook report the success of Good Turn
package that includes a family 4-pack to the
Day, a collaboration between Goodwill of
Alligator Farm. The troop that turns in the most
North Florida and the local Boy Scouts of America.
total bags or boxes earns a silverThe tradition apparently stopped in the late
rimmed patch and a pizza party.
1970s, but it wasn’t forgotten
The service unit — a collective
— at least not by Brandie
group of several troops — with the
Campbell. Brandie, the leader
rn
u
T
d
highest total wins the coveted
o
of Girl Scouts Gateway Council
Go
gold-rimmed patch.
Troop #1086, phoned the
for
The first-year results of
Goodwill offices in 2014 with a
the revived program were
question. “Can you tell me who
outstanding, with 519 local girls
is in charge of the Good Turn
2014
earning patches and collecting
project in Florida?” she asked.
4,486 bags and boxes.
Her call kicked off a rebirth
“We’ve had an amazing
of the Good Turn tradition, but
response for our first year, with
this time with the girls running
139 troops participating in the
the show. “We are excited to
program.”
Laura said. “We hope
partner with Goodwill on this new
this will be the beginning of a lifetime of giving back
program,” said Gateway Council’s Girl Leadership
to change lives for the better.”
Program Specialist Laura Livingston. “The girls are
able to put the things they’ve been learning about
recycling and philanthropy into practice while having Good Turn Winners
fun! They are also out in the community sharing
Silver Patch Winner: Troop #107
the message of Girl Scouts and Goodwill with their
Gold Patch Winner: Service Unit Mandarin
neighbors, friends and families.”
Cross Roads
The requirements of the new Good Turn for
Single Donor Winner: Darian Pisano
Goodwill program are simple. Every girl in a Daisy,
To learn more about the campaign and to see
Brownie or Girl Scout troop who turns in four or
an adorable video of Troop #1086 promoting Good
more bags or boxes of donations earns a blackTurn for Goodwill, visit GoodTurnJax.org.
T
hrough an innovative partnership with Take
Stock in Children (TSIC) of Duval County,
Goodwill of North Florida has greatly expanded
its vision for improving lives through meaningful
employment.
In July, Goodwill and TSIC announced the
creation of a program called A-STEP (Academic
Support Through the Employment Process), which is
helping hardworking adults in low-wage jobs receive
the education they need to increase their earning
power.
Funded by Goodwill, A-STEP offers one-onone mentoring to help participants select the
right program of study and complete admission
applications. The program also offers professional
development workshops and a wide range of other
services to support individuals as they elevate their
skills and job security.
A-STEP was made possible by a new
partnership between Goodwill and TSIC, which
provides mentorship and scholarships for lowincome students in grades 7-12. “The common
denominator for our organizations is that, within the
scope of our separate missions, we all advocate for
post-secondary opportunities for
individuals who want to advance
into higher paying employment
and more stable economic
positions,” said Robert Thayer,
Goodwill of North Florida’s Chief Executive Officer.
Leah Lynch, Goodwill’s Vice President of
Education, said the Goodwill-TSIC partnership is
helping people earn a living wage to support their
families. “Many jobs are entry level with wages that
aren’t family sustainable,” she said. “Goodwill has
committed to investing in programs that will provide
the underserved populations in gaining marketable
skills, higher wages and more benefits.”
Because Goodwill of North Florida generates
income through donated items and does not
solicit monetary contributions, TSIC will continue
to operate under its own non-profit registration
and to fundraise for both high school and adult
scholarships.
More information about TSIC and the A-STEP
program can be found at GoodwillJax.org/
Education, and the latest program updates are
available on Facebook at Facebook.com/TSICDuval.
eCommerce: More Space, More Sales and More Jobs
T
he rapidly increasing popularity of online
shopping made joining the ShopGoodwill.
com network a promising strategy for Goodwill
of North Florida. But creating an eCommerce
department and posting items on Goodwill’s
national bidding site has exceeded even the highest
expectations.
Within a year of the first item being posted for bid,
online sales were so successful that the eCommerce
department was running out of space to process
the items it was selling online, ranging from Prada
purses to bulk boxes of Legos. By May 2014, the
online demand required the department to pack up
the merchandise in its 2,300-square-foot portion of
the corporate office building and move into a new
8,000-square-foot facility down the street, at 4655
Lenox Ave.
Tripling the space paid off quickly. By the end of
June, eCommerce had doubled its staff and jumped
60 percent in online sales. That increase bumped
Goodwill of North Florida’s ranking from 20th to
11th in nationwide sales.
“And that’s just the beginning,” said Jim
Wadsworth, Chief Information Officer, who is looking
to further increase online sales by refining the
division’s selling strategies.
After analyzing sales figures, Wadsworth noticed
“clothing was 80% of our inventory, but it was only
creating 50% of our sales. The other 50% was
coming from jewelry, toys, antiques, art, electronics
and collectibles.”
As a result, he adjusted the online inventory, which
is expected to boost sales by 25 percent — to $2.5
million — in 2015.
Landscaping and Holiday Decorating
Businesses Create More Jobs
LCI and Christmas Decor were acquired by
Goodwill in 2012 to provide additional job
opportunities for clients.
Stepped-up marketing efforts by Goodwill
of North Florida’s landscaping and holiday
decorating businesses produced strong growth in
both jobs and sales in 2014.
Landscaping Consultants Inc. (LCI) and its
Christmas Decor franchise increased business
by 25 percent, thanks to new websites and
marketing materials, as well as an expanded
sales team.
The pairing of landscaping and holiday
decorating services has proven to be an effective
way to provide year-round employment. Often, landscaping industry
employees are idle during the winter months, but the holiday decorating
business keeps workers on the job and helps LCI recruit quality
employees.
For nearly 30 years, LCI has been serving clients ranging from
businesses of all sizes to homeowner associations in some of Jacksonville’s largest residential developments. In
addition to mowing and general lawn care, LCI provides state-certified turf and ornamental pest control, fertilization,
and irrigation maintenance and upgrades.
LCI’s Christmas Decor franchise offers commercial property owners, businesses
and homeowners a complete holiday decorating solution, from design concepts
and professional installation through removal, display maintenance, and off-season
storage.
A complete description of LCI and Christmas Decor services can be found at
lcijax.com and christmasdecorjax.com.
Local Reality TV Couple Showcases
Fabulous Goodwill Finds
J
acksonville fans of HGTV’s “Flipping the Block” were excited to hear that local
husband-and-wife contestants John and Whitney Spinks would be making
appearances at the Jacksonville Home & Patio Show. But those who visited the
show discovered that the couple’s sensible style and love of repurposing also turned
the spotlight on Goodwill of North Florida.
On the television show, the owners of 27 South Design Group, a Jacksonville interior
design business, were one of four teams who renovated and lived in a rundown Los
Angeles-area condo, on a $37,000 budget, in an attempt to flip it for the biggest resale
value.
At the Home & Patio Show, the Spinks’ challenge was to decorate four seasonal
tablescapes, complete with dishes, platters, linens, serving pieces, glassware and
more, on a $500 Goodwill budget. The range of table treatments included country
holiday, traditional English breakfast, seascape brunch at the beach, and evening Asian
dining.
The beautiful results remained on display in the Prime Osborn
Convention Center’s Grand Lobby throughout the show, demonstrating to
visitors the great bargains and wonderful decorating possibilities available
at Goodwill stores.
Blue Sunday Pulls in Green for Bluetique
F
or the second year in a row, Bluetique produced record
single-day sales during its Blue Sunday promotional
event. Held the Sunday prior to Black Friday, Blue
Sunday has become an annual event after its highly
successful debut in 2013.
The invitation-only holiday party included a delicious
champagne brunch and fashion show with models dressed
from head-to-toe in designer fashions found at Bluetique.
Goodwill Vice President of Public Affairs Tracy “Dot Com”
Collins emceed the event and introduced the local celebrity
guests working the runway. Repeat performers included
Lisa “The Boatanista” Almeida, owner of the Freedom Boat
Club; Drs. Jason and Colleen Olitsky, of Smile Stylist; Matt
Rapp, executive director of The Players Championship; and
Beth Sullivan, personal stylist at Nordstrom. Making his
debut — and delighting the crowd in the process was Nikos
Westmoreland, chief marketing officer at PRI Productions and “First Coast Living” co-host.
Guests were offered a 25 percent discount on all purchases, and they made good use of the opportunity. Many
posted pictures of their fabulous Goodwill finds on Facebook and Twitter. Natalie Wearstler wrote: “Pinching myself
over today’s haul from Bluetique. Snagged a 1973 Armani dress and a gorgeous Prada dress.” Natalie said she
looked up the Prada dress online, and it retailed for $1,695. She paid less than $100 for both.
Eighty-nine cents of every dollar earned on Blue Sunday — and every day in Goodwill of North Florida stores — went
to Goodwill’s mission of training and placing people in jobs.
Bluetique is on Twitter at Twitter.com/BluetiqueJax and Facebook at Facebook.com/BluetiqueNorthFlorida.
Patrons can email [email protected] and sign up for the store’s weekly sales newsletter.
P R O U D LY P R E S E N T S
blue
AN INVITATION-ONLY FASHION EVENT
Sunday, November 24
Bluetique, Ponte Vedra
Nikos Westmoreland shows
GoodwillJax.org
off his Bluetique finds.
• www.facebook.com/BluetiqueNorthFlorida
Local celebrity
guests along with Goodwill corporate office
holders celebrate the holidays at Blue Sunday.
New Stores and Stand-alone Donation
Center Support Growth
E
nhancing the shopping experience at Goodwill
of North Florida Thrift Stores and improving the
convenience of contributing gently used clothing
and merchandise continued to be strategic priorities in
2014.
New Thrift Stores at Gainesville North, 1223
Northwest 23rd Ave., and Southside Jacksonville, 8101
Southside Blvd., opened during the year and posted
record first-day sales. Replacing older stores in the
same communities, the new stores were designed to
make shopping at Goodwill even more enjoyable, with
8101 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville
spacious floor plans, plenty of parking, covered
drive-through donation centers, and fast iPad
checkout technology.
In addition, work got underway on new stores
in Mandarin and Orange Park. The Mandarin
store, located at 11524 San Jose Blvd., is
expected to open in the first quarter of 2015.
With 18,000 square feet, it will become the
largest Goodwill Thrift Store in North Florida.
1223 NW 23rd Ave., Gainesville
The Orange Park store, meanwhile, is slated to open in
the summer of 2015.
Also in 2014, Goodwill began renovating a former
fast-foot restaurant in Mandarin, which will become the
organization’s first stand-alone, drive-through donation
center when it opens in early 2015.
“Mandarin is one of our strongest areas for
donations, so we anticipate that providing a convenient,
high-profile location will have a significant impact on
our total donations,” said David Rey, Chief Financial
Officer for Goodwill of North Florida. “If this model
succeeds, we’ll consider additional stand-alone centers in other locations.”
Upgraded stores and new donation centers are helping Goodwill of North Florida advance its core strategy of
increasing donations and sales revenue, which in turn enable Goodwill to create jobs and offer employment services
throughout the region.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Jacksonville, FL
PERMIT #3276
4527 Lenox Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32205
904-384-1361
www.goodwilljax.org
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