GOODWILL CHALLENGE RAISES NEARLY $73,000 IN ONE DAY
Funds raised will go directly to provide beds for the homeless
Sacramento, Calif., Oct. 2, 2012 —The Goodwill Challenge, sponsored by Goodwill Industries, Supervisor Phil Serna, and Good Day Sacramento, raised nearly $73,000 during a live challenge to the community on Friday, Sept. 28 to provide temporary shelter for homeless individuals and families in Sacramento.
Many local shelters have available room and lengthy waiting lists, but they lack the necessary funding to maximize shelter capacity. The Goodwill Challenge challenged business leaders and the community to raise much needed funds so that local shelters may begin to provide immediate assistance.
“Goodwill is committed to helping the displaced and disadvantaged,” commented Joseph Mendez, President and CEO of Goodwill, “this is why we responded immediately with a check and a challenge to the community to join us and help move people off the ground and into the available beds.”
With support from people in our community, Goodwill, Sierra Health Foundation, Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region, Supervisor Serna and Western Health Advantage, the Goodwill Challenge raised $72,652 on Friday alone. The money raised will go to local homeless shelters that have waiting lists and have the potential to offer more bed space that they otherwise would not be able to provide without the funding assistance.
Supervisor Serna who initiated the fundraising campaign with Goodwill Industries said of the effort, “Through Goodwill’s generosity and that of our major sponsors, we were able to raise the funds necessary to give homeless individuals and families shelter options. I’m extremely grateful,” he added.
Goodwill Industries of Sacramento Valley & Northern Nevada is a community based non-profit organization that provides job training and vocational access for the disabled, disadvantaged and disenfranchised in Sacramento Valley & Northern Nevada. Goodwill puts people to work in their own communities, helping to build self-sufficiency and human dignity. Today, Goodwill employs over 1,500 people and over 90 percent of total revenues are dedicated to job training, mission related activities and mission related payroll. Every 38 seconds of every business day, a person served by Goodwill earns a good job. Every 8 seconds, another person accesses Goodwill opportunities to build careers and strong families.
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Media Contacts
Celia Coronado, Chief of Staff, Supervisor Phil Serna, District 1
coronadoc@saccounty.net | 916-874-5485
Sarah Mullins, Runyon Saltzman & Einhorn
smullins@rs-e.com | 916.446.9900
