Goodwill Manasota celebrates grand opening of corporate campus
Bradenton, FL (PRWEB) November 18, 2014 -- More than 200 members of the community came to the Goodwill Manasota corporate campus for its official grand opening celebration on November 11. Guests were treated to a color guard presentation by Manatee High School, a proclamation – read by Manatee County Commissioner Larry Bustle – honoring Goodwill’s contributions to the community, a ribbon-cutting with members of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, and the National Anthem and a concert by American Idol top-5 finisher Sam Woolf.
After the concert, interested guests toured the facilities, which include a 29,000 square foot retail store, drive-through donation center, Job Connection Center, computer lab and a community room, and a 36,000 square foot administrative wing which houses the International Training Center, Mission Development Services, multi-media e-learning and conference facility, and an employee fitness center. The campus is nearly 9.5 acres and has numerous green features, affirming Goodwill’s adherence to green business practices.
“Harry Chapin sang a song in the 1970’s called, ‘A Better Place to Be’; we believe that Goodwill Manasota has become a better place to be for veterans, anyone crippled by disease or accidents, and anyone dealing with mental or physical illness. Goodwill Manasota is changing lives through the power of work – we want to give employment to those who can’t find work anywhere else,” said Bob Rosinsky, president & CEO of Goodwill Manasota. “This new corporate campus is an international training center – but more than that, it is a direct reflection of a caring community. Our donors, shoppers and supporters have helped us build this gateway to making our community even stronger through training, employment and opportunities for a hand up, not a hand out.”
The expansion has provided an opportunity for Goodwill to develop stronger services for the community and fill additional gaps that existing social services may not currently be covering. Additionally, it will enable the organization to increase its ability to provide career services, veteran services and training for Goodwills around the globe.
After the concert by Woolf, the young star good-naturedly spoke with guests and posed for pictures, while others enjoyed refreshments.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. In 2013, we served more than 16,000 people, placed 537 people in jobs and assisted 329 veterans as they reintegrated back into the civilian workforce. Goodwill Manasota’s economic impact back to the community is worth $81.3 million. Goodwill is one of the pioneers of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement and this past year diverted 37 million pounds out of the landfill. For more information, visit http://www.experiencegoodwill.org.
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Kelly Davis Strausbaugh, Goodwill Industries International, http://www.experiencegoodwill.org, +1 941.228.3022, [email protected]
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