Meet Shay Gipson

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shay Gipson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shay, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
Goodwill is more than a thrift store. The largest employer of people with disabilities in the world, Goodwill believes that work has the power to transform lives by building self-confidence, independence, creativity, trust and friendships. Everyone deserves this chance.

Goodwill North Central Texas is based in Fort Worth and serves 18 counties in the region. The nonprofit’s 27 area retail locations provide revenue through the sale of donated goods to support Goodwill’s mission to CREATE lives of independence and BUILD a stronger local community. Job training and career services programs for people with disabilities, such as physical or mental disabilities and other barriers to employment including lack of education or work experience and homelessness are guided by the organization’s vision of a North Central Texas where everyone person has the opportunity for maximum independence and abundant living.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
From the beginning, Goodwill’s mission has promoted job creation for the disenfranchised. Founded by Methodist Minister Edgar J. Helms in 1902, Goodwill gave people with disabilities and other social barriers the opportunity to find meaningful work. Goodwill allowed the disadvantaged to earn a wage by repairing and repurposing discarded household items and then selling them back to the community at affordable prices.

Following that model, Goodwill North Central Texas was founded in 1949 as the 100th Goodwill Agency. By giving underserved people in Tarrant County and surrounding areas the job training they need to achieve maximum independence, Goodwill is a hand up, not a hand out.

For over 70 years, Goodwill North Central Texas has relentlessly focused on a single goal: Transforming lives of dependence into those of independence through the power of work.

We believe that education and employment are the only true pathways out of poverty, and strive to provide opportunities for people in our community who face obstacles to sustainable employment: people who have disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, veterans transitioning to civilian life, at-risk youth and individuals who were formerly incarcerated.
We recently released our 2022 annual report, which highlights the 7,761 people who received employment training and placement services through 28 unique programs in 2022. Watch the recap video here: https://goodwillnorthcentraltexas.org/annual-report/

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Over the years, Goodwill has found accessibility, communication and organization to be most impactful in making a difference in the community.

The learning opportunity that operating through the COVID-19 pandemic provided helped us reevaluate how to best serve individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment that seek our services. These findings have improved our mission services. Prior to COVID-19 there were only a limited number of services available to individuals from home, with most programs requiring the individual to visit our Job Resource Centers, attend an in-person class or meet one-on-one with employers. For a population already facing significant barriers such as lack of transportation, difficult schedules and childcare concerns, the ability to seek assistance virtually has been a game-changer.
Moving forward, Goodwill North Central Texas has continued to maximize efficiencies, and use the newly minted virtual services to reach rural communities in North Texas never served by Goodwill before, providing easier access and opportunity to our target audience.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Goodwill North Central Texas prides itself as one of the leaders in employment placement and training. We provide businesses with job-ready trained individuals to meet the demands of growing staffing needs, at no cost to either party through our workforce development department. Interested businesses can complete the form at the following link to advise of open positions: https://goodwillnorthcentraltexas.org/business-opportunities/

Additionally, we offer a corporate volunteering program for groups or businesses to learn more about Goodwill North Central Texas. Large groups and businesses (10 persons or more) are encouraged to participate in our Story Behind the Store activity where you’ll get an exclusive look at everything from operations to mission and have an opportunity to serve as a group. You will hear from distinguished members of our Leadership Team and meet the incredible Central Texans that you’ve empowered through your donations. For program details, contact Jami Ward at [email protected].

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Image Credits
Amber Shumake, Justan Martinez

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