Donate Your Time and Talent: Volunteer!

Goodwill is looking for individuals to volunteer their time and talent in an effort to help us fulfill our mission of building better communities by providing employment, housing, and support to individuals with disabilities and other challenges. Volunteers may provide services in our programs, support community events that advance our work, or offer support to our day-to-day business operations.

Volunteers may “work” as many – or as few – hours as they want. Those under the age of 18 must be supervised by a parent or other responsible adult while performing duties.

All individuals interested in volunteering simply need to complete an application and meet with our volunteer coordinator. A criminal background check is conducted on all prospective volunteers.

We particularly need volunteers who are interested in helping at our new career center.

Located at our facility in Monona (2501 Royal Ave.), the center provides services to individuals needing assistance finding a job and those wanting to earn a certificate of general educational development (GED). We have a particular need for math tutors and tutors who speak Spanish or Hmong. We also need volunteers who are interested in acting as an administrative assistant, serving as a guest speaker, or performing other tasks such as typing and helping individuals fill out job applications. (More information about our career center can be found below.)

Individuals interested in volunteering can reach our volunteer coordinator via e-mail or by calling 608-246-3140, ext. 179. We work to find volunteer opportunities that are right for each person.

MEET ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS

Some of our volunteers are college students who are volunteering in order to meet a course requirement. Last fall, Carla Gauger, for example, chose to meet a course’s service requirement by volunteering at a Goodwill group home for individuals with mental illness.

Above: Residents of one of our group homes for individuals with mental illness have given volunteer Carla Gauger the nickname "Bingo Master."

Gauger, who is pursuing an undergraduate degree in communicative disorders and plans to earn a graduate degree in speech/language pathology, said the home’s staff and residents were very friendly and welcoming. That, coupled with seeing the staff’s success in preparing residents for a more independent living environment prompted her to continue volunteering even though her class had ended.

“I had seen the system work. I also felt I was part of something good and I had made personal connections with many of the residents,” she reflected.

Now she volunteers two hours a week. She wishes she could spend more time volunteering but is unable to given her busy schedule.

As before, she provides companionship for the residents – she “hangs out” and plays games with them, takes them on walks, and watches television with them.

For one former resident who was passionate about writing rap lyrics, Gauger served as his note taker. “He looked forward to doing that every week and I felt like I was his buddy,” she said. “It made me feel good that he wanted to share that with me.” 

Gauger admits that in the beginning she didn’t know if the residents liked her spending time with them or whether her visits mattered. Little did she know that when she was not there residents would often ask Goodwill staff questions such as, “Where is Carla? Is Carla coming? Why didn’t Carla visit this week? Is Carla okay?”

Then she witnessed for herself how much she was enriching the residents’ lives. She overheard a resident asking about her, saw a resident light up when she heard her voice, and had the joy of hearing a resident say that she had been helped by her visits.

The residents aren’t the only ones who benefit from Gauger’s visits. Gauger said before she volunteered she was a shy person who was uncomfortable in social situations. Now, thanks to her interactions with residents, she is more outgoing. Plus she is more patient and is more understanding when she meets people who are facing challenges.

Gauger and another former student volunteer are joined by a woman who takes individuals with disabilities bowling once a week. This spring four young men spruced up the grounds at one of our group homes.

Career Center Opens

We are pleased to announce the opening of The Goodwill Career Center, located at our facility in Monona.

According to Barb Caswell, Director of Vocational Services, the center was created in light of increased unemployment in Dane County coupled with declining resources for job search-related assistance. The center’s main goal is to supplement services provided by other agencies. It offers convenient weekend hours and is easily accessible to individuals living in the southeastern part of the Madison area.

Location: Goodwill facility at 2501 Royal Ave. in Monona Bus Routes: Located on Madison Metro routes 11 and 16 Languages: Assistance is available in English and by an individual who is functionally literate/fluent in Spanish  Hours: Mon. – Closed Tue. – 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wed. – 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thu. – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fri. – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat. – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. – Closed Phone: 608-224-0890 E-mail: careercenter@goodwillscwi.org

Anyone needing assistance finding a job, as well as anyone wanting to earn a certificate of general educational development (GED), is welcome to use the center’s services. The services include pertinent information and referrals, GED certificate study guides and tutoring, access to telephones and computer equipment, help preparing resumes and job applications, and opportunities to meet others who are looking for employment. Qualifying individuals may also receive free personal hygiene products and job interview-appropriate clothing.

Depending on need and the availability of volunteers, the center hopes to provide GED certificate study groups, typing classes, one-on-one job search guidance from a mentor, and mini-courses on a variety of topics such as overcoming challenges when re-entering the work force following a lengthy absence.

Volunteers are particularly needed in the crucial area of helping individuals earn their GED certificate.

“Without at least a GED certificate, an individual’s quality of life is often a lot less than what it could be,” said Emily Brucher, the center’s coordinator. “Adults pursuing a GED certificate show a lot of personal strength because it shows a commitment to revisiting past goals and establishing future goals. This idea of setting goals and achieving them is a very important part of growing as an individual.”

She added, “Tutoring such individuals is a fantastic opportunity for people, especially teachers who are off during the summer, to connect with the community by providing assistance that could change the course of someone’s life forever.”

We have a particular need for math tutors and tutors who speak Spanish or Hmong. We also need volunteers who are interested in acting as an administrative assistant, serving as a guest speaker, or performing other tasks such as typing and helping individuals fill out job applications.

Anyone interested in serving as a tutor or other volunteer is encouraged to contact our volunteer coordinator (608-246-3140, ext. 179).

Brucher is making a concerted effort to collaborate with other community organizations. She believes that by working with other groups we will be able to provide career-related assistance as well as help individuals improve their overall well-being.

“Having a job often provides economic stability, emotional stability, a sense of accomplishment and pride, and allows individuals to explore and develop other aspects of their happiness and their family’s well-being,” she said. “We hope to be an organization that other Madison-based organizations can refer their clients to for GED certificate and job search assistance, and we hope to help people who are already using our center to connect with community resources such as food pantries and domestic abuse and tenant rights organizations."

Brucher is serving as the center’s coordinator through the federal AmeriCorps community service program. As a participating organization we provide an environment that allows motivated individuals to gain work-related experience while contributing back to the community.

Right: Emily Brucher, coordinator of The Goodwill Career Center, makes sure the computers are functioning properly prior to the center’s opening.