Updates from Ryan
I am excited to share that this past August, Goodwill Columbus reached a remarkable milestone: we have served more than 100,000 Central Ohioans since 2020 and achieved our 2030 strategic goal five years ahead of schedule! To put that in perspective, that’s about the same number of fans who fill Ohio Stadium for a Buckeyes game. O-H!
We reached this milestone by offering free job training and career coaching, providing adult day and residential services for individuals with disabilities, and creating employment opportunities through our business services and retail operations. Each of the 100,000 individuals served has taken a meaningful step forward, whether by gaining skills, securing employment, building independence, or finding their voice through self-advocacy.
This achievement was only possible because of you. Together, we celebrate not just a number, but countless lives empowered. Thank you for your dedication.
This September, we proudly recognize two groups of our extraordinary Goodwill team. During Direct Service Professional Appreciation Week (September 8–12), we honor our DSPs for the life-changing work they do every day to empower individuals with disabilities. Their compassion and commitment reflect the very best of Goodwill.
The following week, during National Security Officer Week (September 15–19), we celebrate the unarmed security officers on our Business Services team for their vigilance, professionalism, and tireless efforts to keep our clients’ workplaces safe.
I deeply appreciate all that you do each and every day for Goodwill.
Ryan Burgess
President and CEO
September Highlights
Andrew’s Story
Andrew came to Goodwill at a crossroads. He knew he needed help navigating a new chapter, but his confidence had been shaken. It was during this time that he met Hollie, a Goodwill career consultant.
Over the next several weeks, Andrew committed himself to the process. His breakthrough came when he saw a receptionist opening at a Christian counseling agency.
He applied, and with Hollie’s help, he prepped for the interview. The interview went so well that the organization called him back to discuss an entirely new role: Operations & HR Consultant.
Way to go, Andrew!
Wellness Newsletter by WellWorks
September is Healthy Aging Month! Click here to learn tips for living a vibrant life.
Prepare for Open Enrollment – Info Session Dates!
In preparation for Open Enrollment: November 3 – November 14, 2025, learn more about your Goodwill Benefits by attending a Benefit Information Session!
Upcoming Events
SEPTEMBER 8 – 12
Direct Support Professional Appreciation Week
Let us know what our amazing DSPs mean to you!
Send a note to [email protected] and we’ll share your shoutout with our employees!
SEPTEMBER 15 – 19
National Security Officer Week
Thank you to our incredible unarmed security team for all that you do to fulfill our mission every day!
Have a security officer you’d like to shoutout?
Reach out to [email protected]!
BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 15
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration of Hispanic and Latino history and culture.
To those of our Goodwill Columbus team celebrating, we hope you have a wonderful Hispanic Heritage Month!
Employee Spotlights
Meet Rae
Meet Rae! Rae began his role as the Manager of Information Technology at Goodwill Columbus in August 2025, but his history with GWC goes back to 2021! While experiencing a period of under-employment, Rae saw a Facebook ad about Goodwill’s free IT training programs and enrolled in our cybersecurity certification program.
After completing the program, Rae worked as an IT instructor at GWC, and then had a successful tenure at his Next Best Job, Solutions Engineer at Cisco Systems! After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, Rae is happy to be back at GWC as the IT Manager!
In his current role, Rae’s responsible for day-to-day information technology operations in all of our facilities. He enjoys the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from fellow technology leaders from other Goodwill organizations around the state and region!
Welcome back, Rae!
Meet Freedom
Meet Freedom! Freedom started working with Goodwill Columbus in Summer of 2024 as a part of the Summer Youth Work Experience program. He completed a 5-week internship working at the Mid-Ohio Market on Norton Road, a food distribution site for Mid-Ohio Food Collective.
After a successful internship, Freedom was referred to our Workforce Development team for continued job search assistance and assigned to Career Consultant Morgaine Armstrong. Upon an initial job search plan, we identified Freedom as a candidate for the DSW Project Search program due to his interest in Stocking and Logistics/Distribution.
Freedom began his DSW Project Search program in February of 2025 and completed the 24-week program on July 18th. His next steps will be to identify community-based employment working alongside his career Consultant, Morgaine Armstrong.
Congratulations, Freedom!
Birthdays
Promotions
Anniversaries
Nominate a Co-Worker for an ICARE Award
Notice a co-worker demonstrating an ICARE value? Nominate them for an ICARE Award. Both of you could win prizes to recognize your hard work and commitment!
ICARE Awards Roundup
Each month we are celebrating members of the Goodwill Columbus team for their participation in the ICARE Awards. The August “See Something, Say Something” winners nominated multiple coworkers for an ICARE Award!
***Please check your email to claim your gift card!***
AUGUST “SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING” $25 GIFT CARD WINNERS
- Randy Pearson
- Nina Breckenridge
- Lauren Ling
AUGUST ICARE NOMINEES – $25 GIFT CARD WINNERS
The following Goodwill Columbus employees were nominated for ICARE Awards in August!
- Rachel Jones
- Michael Sagowitz
- Brad Pierce
- Petra Woodard
- Imani David
- Hervon Jacobs
- Kymiah Linville
- Awat Rage
- Marcy Ward
- Rebecca Perry
- Chris Purschke
- Aliyah Williams
Collaboration: “Marcy collaborated with me to quickly troubleshoot an issue we were having with our online forms and was flexible while we worked on a solution. She carries out her intake role with great diligence, timeliness, and pride. She has been a great partner to the Marketing team!” Lauren Ling on Marcy Ward
Respect: “Yesterday was a hard day for me, both professionally and personally. Jenifer saw my defeated demeanor and showed me compassion and kindness. It was a small conversation but it meant the world to me.” Marcie Rackie on Jenifer Garey
Collaboration: “Stepped in to cover a summer youth site when the primary staff had a family emergency. She was the closest available staff and dropped everything to hustle over to the site so that we could stay in compliance and allow our staff to tend to their emergency.” Evan Garver on Carolyn Newcomb