Apr 17, 2020
A Message from Our President & CEO, Jennifer Lake:
Right now, the cash registers in our Goodwill stores are silent. But Goodwill of the Finger Lakes has not been quiet during the COVID-19 crisis. We’ve been delivering critically-needed services to our community.
And even though you currently can’t score great deals in the stores, your support can mean a great deal to the people we are helping.
And we are helping a lot of people.
- Our 2-1-1/LIFE LINE program, which is our region’s 24/7 health and human services and crisis hotline, has been fielding three times as many calls as normal. Calls from people who need help knowing where their next meal will come from, need to know where to look for unemployment resources, or just need to talk to someone about the heightened anxiety and loneliness they are feeling right now. We provide this vital service in 16 counties in the Finger Lakes, Central and Mid York*. As of this point we've connected over 13,000 individuals to essential resources (like food) and assisted 22,000 individuals via 211lifeline.org.
- Goodwill has provided warehouse space, a truck fleet and experienced drivers and material handlers for the distribution of in demand products for our community. For example, we have delivered over 5,700 essential items (sanitizer, PPE, etc.) to community organizations.
- Also, our stores and donation centers are now the collection sites for the distribution of face-masks for the community across our region. Over 1,000 handmade cloth masks have been distributed through a collaboration with the United Way.
- Our Food Services department is making sure that kids and seniors have access to nutritious food as we partner with FoodLink, Monroe County Senior Services, LifeSpan, and Action for a Better Community. Over 9,000 meals have been sent out in partnership with FoodLink, Lifespan, Medical Motors, and Monroe County for the Aging.
- Our Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) mission team is calling the people we serve to make sure they have the tools they need to safely navigate their homes and that school-age and college-age students have proper access equipment and training for virtual learning environments.
As you may know, our caring donors and Goodwill stores provide financial support for this great work. Although our stores are closed, you can help by making a contribution to our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
Go to https://www.
We are all in this together. And together we’ll get through this. Good will come of this.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Lake,
President & CEO