A Goodwill for Ballantyne!
An interior shot of the new Ballantyne Goodwill
Tomorrow, we are opening the doors to our newest Goodwill Center in Ballantyne! The new retail store and donation center, located at 16025 Lancaster Highway, is the 21st store in our region. We couldn’t be more excited to become part of the Ballantyne community.
We would love to have you join us for tomorrow’s festivities. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 8:30 a.m., followed by music, giveaways and other festivities from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Doors will open to the public at 9:00 a.m. and shoppers will have a chance every hour to win a $250 US Airways gift card.
Goodwill mascot Smiling G will join Charlotte Checkers’ mascot “Chubby” to greet our shoppers, pose for fan photos and give away tickets to future Checkers games.
The Ballantyne Goodwill Center will employ 20-25 people and generate approximately $500,000 in wages and sales taxes paid per year. Normal store hours will be:
Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Proceeds from the sale of donated items at Goodwill’s retail stores fund the organization’s job training and employment programs that assist thousands of our neighbors every year. Ninety cents of every dollar spent at Goodwill helps with funding these programs.
Thank you for shopping at Goodwill! Are you planning to visit us at our Ballantyne location?
Sneak Peek: Spring fashion trend hit list
Rachel
It’s barely winter, and I’m already focused on spring. I’m not alone — fashion magazines and retails stores are rolling out the gauzy sweaters, sandals and sweet summer dresses.
I’m not purchasing just yet, but evaluating what I’ve got that will work in the coming season and also identifying which trends I’m going to judiciously incorporate into my wardrobe.
Here’s what’s on my hit list for spring 2012. And of course, I’m going to start my search at Goodwill.
Athletic: Boxy cuts, mesh and Flashdance-inspired sweatshirts? Heck yeah. Sporty elements are playful and a little tough at the same time.
Ladylike: Peplums, flower power, ruffles and pussycat bows work well for me in small doses.
Boardwalk Empire: I can’t do a dropped waist, but I am sucker for muted colors, sheer and lace-like embellishment often spotted on HBO’s crazy popular show “Boardwalk Empire,” set in Atlantic City during prohibition.
Safari: Clearly, this “trend” is moving out of that territory and straight into staple category. Safari-inspired fashion has been strong for the past few seasons, and this year, it takes on a vaguely tribal, stripe-heavy influence.
What has piqued your interest for Spring 2012? What seasonal on-trend items have you found at Goodwill?
Thank you, Rachel! We can’t wait to sneak a peek at what might be available at this weekend’s grand opening of our newest store in Ballantyne! Click here for all the details.
It’s graduation day!
We made history this morning at the Charlotte Museum of History, where we celebrated with 52 new graduates of our Occupational Skills Training programs in Banking & Customer Service, Hospitality & Tourism, and Construction & Green Jobs!
A Goodwill graduate pauses for a photo with her proud daughter!
Each class elected a representative to share their personal stories with the group.
“As an MBA holder, most people felt I was overqualified for the program but I disagree,” graduate and Banking & Customer Service class speaker Nah Darkwah said. “I had the academic qualifications, but needed my skills to be upgraded – skills that will help me find the right job and most importantly, help keep and perform excellently on my dream job.”
Happy graduates pose with their certificates - several graduates received special awards, including the "Team Player" award, voted on by classmates
Goodwill partners, volunteers and friends assembled to help congratulate the graduates. With their certificates in hand and the support of Goodwill, they have the confidence and skills to tackle the job market and secure a new career path.
“Believe in yourselves. You have the ability, you have the skills and you have the opportunities,” Darkwah said. “You must continually strive to extend yourself even further – little by little every day, every week, every month and every year.”
Potts encouraged graduates to celebrate finishing what they said they WOULD do. “Now, you have to take that same commitment and finish what you say you WILL do.”
Guest Post: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…
Kim
Black frames keep this consistent pattern eye-pleasing
Mix frames with mirrors, artwork or photos for a unique collection
I love the black painted background that showcases this gallery!
Courtesy of A Typical Type A blog (click on image for link)
Via Delightful Order blog (click on the image for link)
I have really been wanting to create a mirror gallery wall. As I’ve been trying to find the inspiration that felt right, I’ve also been hoarding mirrors for months now. Here’s a taste of what I’m imagining for my house…
Via After-Dinner Design blog (click image for link)
My plan is to paint the mirror frames all the same color. After playing around with them today, I think I’ve found my arrangement.
Many of my own mirrors were purchased at Goodwill!
I was able to source approximately half of the mirrors at various Goodwill stores, as I labeled in the picture above. They are also a great resource for picture frames and canvases.
Happy decorating!
Would you consider creating a gallery wall in your home?
2011 Tax Prep Tips
Jaslyn
January: It’s cold, it’s dark, and it marks the beginning of tax season! Filing your income taxes can be stressful, especially if you or someone in your family dealt with unemployment or career uncertainty in 2011.
However, tax season doesn’t have to give you the blues. Beginning tomorrow, January 17, Goodwill is teaming up with the IRS and the Family Financial Literacy Coalition (FFLC) to serve as a site for Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) for Mecklenburg County taxpayers.
Why would Goodwill care about your taxes? We know that it’s important for families to stay on track with their finances so that they can make the best decisions and save for long-term expenses like housing and education.
Serving as a VITA site allows Goodwill to bring together community resources to help taxpayers understand how to make the best financial decisions – which affect your career, your family and your life!
Below are a few tips to help you prepare your tax return:
- Be sure to bring anything that has important tax documents to your appointment. This could include W-9 forms, 1099 forms or financial statements. Click here for a full list of documents.
- Be sure to have all required IDs for yourself and/or dependents. Identification documents must be original (social security cards, birth certificates, etc.)
- Open a bank account to establish a relationship with a financial institution. This can be a bank or credit union. Your professional tax volunteer can give you a list of financial institutions if needed. BONUS: If you use direct deposit, funds are generally deposited into your account within two weeks!
- Don’t procrastinate! Filing your taxes well before the April 17 deadline means you will know whether you owe money in plenty of time before that money is due. That way, you will have time to save or collect the needed funds. Filing early means you can have time to make better financial decisions for you and your family.
- Ask about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which provides tax breaks for some working families who earn up to $50,000 and can provide refunds up to $5,751. The IRS estimates that nearly 25 percent of eligible workers do not claim the EITC each year because they lack awareness of the program, cannot afford costly tax preparation fees or fear they will lose public benefits by filing.
- Double-check everything! The last thing you want is an incorrectly filed tax return. Make sure all signatures are in the correct spot and all your information is correct. If it’s helpful, you can bring last year’s tax returns as a reference for you and the preparer.
Volunteers will be available at the Goodwill VITA site at our Career Development Center (2122 Freedom Drive in Charlotte) during the 2011 tax season, which ends on April 17.
The site will be open each week until April 17 as follows:
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. (by appointment only)
Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. (walk-ins available)
To schedule an appointment for Goodwill’s VITA site, or to see if you qualify for free tax preparation, please call (704) 761-VITA (8482). Click here for more information.
Thank you for sharing these important tax tips, Jaslyn!
We are excited that Jaslyn has joined our growing list of bloggers for 2012. She will be providing more tips in the coming weeks, primarily focusing on making the best financial, career and life decisions for you and your family. Questions for Jaslyn? Leave a comment below.
For more information about Jaslyn or Goodwill’s family strengthening philosophy, visit our Contributors page. If you know of someone who might benefit from using Goodwill’s Voluntary Income Tax Assistance site, please pass the word along!
Artistic Inspiration: Reworked Jewelry with Laura Florence Designs
Amanda
As an artist, sometimes its easy to get stuck and for the creativity to stop flowing. I think we can all turn to other creative people to get inspired and to find new ways to interpret objects. That’s really the secret of thrifting, anyway: seeing something that’s ordinary and lifeless, sometimes even a little worn out or ragged, but having a vision of how it can be revamped, reused, or remade into something different altogether.
This is exactly what Charlotte jewelry artist Laura O’Neil does with her line, Laura Florence Designs. She rescues little trinkets that have been cast off to incorporate them into new jewelry components. You can use some of her same methods with your own Goodwill finds, turning old jewelry into new, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Laura took the beads off a thrifted necklace and used them to make her own chain. If you don't want to take the time to handcraft a chain, you can just restring the beads on a new necklace.
Recently, Laura shared a little insight into her approach so that we can all draw some inspiration.
What inspired you to repurpose materials you find at Goodwill?
The items at Goodwill may no longer be useful to their previous owners, but they’re new and exciting to me! Goodwill is going to have jewelry that I can’t find at any other store in town. So I know that whatever I create with my finds will be unique.
Clip-on earrings also make great hair clips. No need to worry about getting creative to create this look; just cut off the back and glue onto a hair clip. (Be sure and use a glue that will bond metal.)
What is your favorite thing to look for on your thrifting excursions?
I love digging through baskets of old jewelry to find things that most people wouldn’t think to look for. Clip-on earrings are a great example. There are so many pretty designs, but many of us have our ears pierced, so we don’t seek them out when shopping for accessories. I like turning them into pendants and pins.
What is your favorite item that you always look for?
I’m always on the look out for a well-priced jar of old jewelry that I can buy without really knowing what’s in it. When I get home I can have fun dumping it out and going on a little treasure hunt.
The pendant on this necklace used to be a clip-on earring. Laura cut off the backing and just attached it through one of the natural openings on the earring. You can also reuse pendants you find at Goodwill and just add them to a new necklace.
What advice do you have for others who are looking to make something with their thrifted finds?
Let your imagination run free – if you can think it, you can do it. But if you’re stumped in the imagination department, just hit the Internet. There are so many creative people with blogs that you’re bound to find something you can make using your thrift store find. In the process of making it, you might even add something that will make it uniquely yours.
Thanks, Amanda! Readers: What is YOUR favorite item at Goodwill?
Turning your jeans into jobs
Program participant Rick Jones interviewed at our South Blvd. Goodwill location
If you have recently donated clothing, shoes, household items, electronics or books to Goodwill, you have helped people in our local community find hope.
People like Rick Jones, who is now employed after years of struggling to find a path to a better life after he made some poor choices as a teenager.
Rick graduated from our Occupational Skills Training course in construction this fall, and he credits his success to the donors and shoppers who made the program possible.
“Just by donating and giving, it keeps people like me motivated and gives us a place to go where someone can help us find out way,” Jones said.
Click here to watch the story that WSOC aired last week featuring Rick’s story.
We love sharing stories like Rick’s with our you, but we know that we still have a lot of work to do before we can fulfill our mission to change lives through the power of work in our community.
Today, the Charlotte Observer reported that Mecklenburg County’s unemployment rate fell to 9.8% in November. However, there are still more than 44,000 people in the county who are still unemployed, and many people who are simply dropping out of the employment hunt.
Together with our community workforce partners, our shoppers and our donors, we are working to combat unemployment and generate even more hope in 2012. Thank you for your support!
Goodwill Hunting: 2011 Goodwill Finds!
Happy New Year from all of us at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. We were able to help almost 16,000 people in 2011, thanks to your donations and purchases at Goodwill. Thank you!
We’ve been perusing our Goodwill Hunting flickr group, and we’ve spotted some amazing finds that people have posted. We received many donations last week, so this is the perfect week to go treasure hunting for your next great find!
1. Untitled, 2. Town and Country Oval Cinderella Casserole, 3. Post Holiday Mayhem, 4. Self-portrait in my favorite song, 5. Goodwill Bench $30, 6. Friendship Pattern Kromex Canister, 7. Gloverall Duffle Coat., 8. Trunk at GoodWill, 9. Slide Duplicator VII – Made in Japan, 10. More Thrifty Shoes, 11. Goodwill was good to me today…, 12. ‘Violet’, 13. Excellent decorative vases!, 14. Detective Handbook, 15. double starburst 
, 16. Untitled
Goodwill Holiday Hours
Did you wait until the last few days of 2011 to make your donation to Goodwill? Or are you a bargain hunter searching for a great holiday deal? Don’t worry! We will be open special hours this week:
Today through Friday, Dec. 30: All stores and donation centers are open normal hours. Click here for specific location info.
Saturday, Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve): Our store sales floors will be open normal hours (refer to list at link above). However, our donation centers will remain open until the last donations are dropped off!
Sunday, Jan. 1: All stores and donation centers will be open from noon until 7 p.m.
Holiday Style = sparkles and sparkles, with restraint
Rachel
Casual elegance should be at the top of your fashion to-do list for 2012, and there’s no reason you can get a jump on that resolution for New Years Eve.
I love sequins and shiny things as much as the next girl (possibly even a little more, but this isn’t about my penchant for sparkles), but there’s a fine, fine line between chic and tragic.
So how does one assemble a festive New Year’s Eve outfit without looking like they’re the only survivor from a glitter factory explosion? One word: restraint.
Lauren Santo Domingo
Take a cue from Moda Operandi co-founder and Vogue contributing editor Lauren Santo Domingo and temper shine with structure as you ring in the new year. LSD and her fellow tastemakers on WhoWhatWear’s holiday styling slide show have mastered the art of effortless, glamourous chic.
Following a few simple rules (and of course, incorporating Goodwill finds where ever you can) will ensure NYE success:
- Either or not all: If you wear sequins or beading, tone down the rest of your look, including jewelry, handbag and shoes. A sequined mini dress makes a big, shiny statement, so pair with stud earrings, simple heels and a plain clutch.
- Small and big together: Balance is key. If you’re going with a fabulous fur vest, pair it with a slim skirt or skinny pants. Voluminous on top should go with tailored on the bottom, or vice versa.
- No matchy-matchy: The earrings don’t need to match the necklace that matches the bracelet that matches the shoes. Really. Be a rebel! Mix and match accessories to add texture to your look.
- Rachel Sutherland
How will you celebrate New Year’s Eve?
photo courtesy of Billy Farrell Agency via whowhatwear.com.
