Driving along San Fernando Road in Glassel Park, one can’t help but pass a long stretch of wasteland by the corner of Fletcher Drive. A home to pigeons and gulls, it seems only the birds are benefiting from so much space.
However, Goodwill Southern California has plans to transform the 135,000 square-foot former Kmart into a community amenity: they’re calling it the Community Enrichment Center (CEC) at Fletcher Square, a one-stop shop for what seems to be everything a community needs to thrive.
“We conducted a needs assessment and determined that our services and programs would benefit the community and surrounding areas,” writes Sasha Itzikman, Goodwill Southern California’s Vice President of Marketing and Community Relations. “The center will provide a space where we can deliver on our mission services, and our four cornerstones — empowering individuals, advancing businesses, enriching communities, and caring for the earth.”
Apart from offering career development, placement services, and technical skills classes, it will also double as a donation hub, a shopping center, a café staffed by Goodwill’s trainees, and an event space for community meetings and government agencies. It will also offer e-waste recycling, shredding, and document imaging services.
Planned with existing community agendas, such as the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan and the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan, in mind, the center is looking to fill the needs of the Glassell Park neighborhood and beyond, to Atwater Village, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Cypress Park and Eagle Rock.
Located within half a mile of the Los Angeles River, the community center plans to complement the river’s bicycle and walking path by adding 30,000 square feet of landscaping and more than 100 trees. The non-profit is still working with architects on the final details of the campus.
Set to wrap up in the first quarter of 2014, the new location would not only be home to many Goodwill operations, but it would also open its doors to a handful of community groups willing to co-locate and collaborate in the sprawling space. Ideally, the partners Goodwill is seeking are focused on employment, financial literacy and educational services.
According to the needs assessment study conducted by Goodwill, the neighborhood has a low overall educational attainment. Though 29 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, 46.10 percent of the population only have high school diplomas or less. The neighborhood’s median income, which range from $34,535 to $61,714, fares well against national poverty guidelines, but falls short when compared to a living wage guideline published by MIT that indicates any household of one adult and two children needs to earn over $56,000 to achieve a living wage. Given this new metric, almost 17 percent of residents experience poverty.
Crime is also a concern. Compared to national averages, the 17-square mile neighborhood observed by Goodwill experiences crime between 65 and 154 percent of the national average.
Goodwill’s community center aims to tip the scale in favor of the neighborhood. The new flagship location would provide between 75 and 100 jobs. It would also provide services at reasonable cost to hundreds each year.
Interested community partners can read more about the Community Enrichment Center here. The deadline for applications for co-location is December 2, 5 p.m.
Goodwill needs your donations to transform lives — not just for a moment. Not just for a day. But for good! We help thousands of individuals with disabilities and disadvantages prepare for and find (or get) good jobs. (more…)
Cozy Winter Fashions at Prices That’ll Warm Your Heart!
16835 Valley Blvd. . Fontana, CA 92335
Open Mon – Sat, 9am – 9pm, Sun, 10am – 9pm
Get ready to let your fashionista spirit run free as you shop our wide selection of deeply discounted, one-of-a-kind clothing, accessories, homegoods and more at our new store in Fontana!
On opening weekend enjoy fabulous prizes and offers, including:
- 200 FREE ITEMS hidden throughout the store*
- $10 gift certificate for every $50 spent*
- A chance to win a new FLAT SCREEN TV*
* While supplies last. One free item per person. Offers only valid at the above location. No purchase necessary to enter drawing. Eighteen years or older.
Cozy Winter Fashions at Prices That’ll Warm Your Heart!
1120 A South Hacienda Blvd., Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Open Mon – Sat, 9am – 9pm, Sun, 10am – 9pm
Get ready to let your fashionista spirit run free as you shop our wide selection of deeply discounted, one-of-a-kind clothing, accessories, homegoods and more at our new store in Hacienda Heights!
On opening weekend enjoy fabulous prizes and offers, including:
- 200 FREE ITEMS hidden throughout the store*
- $10 gift certificate for every $50 spent*
- A chance to win a new FLAT SCREEN TV*
* While supplies last. One free item per person. Offers only valid at the above location. No purchase necessary to enter drawing. Eighteen years or older.
Think you can’t find the perfect holiday gifts at Goodwill Southern California? Even for your hardest shoppers? ABC7 stops by GSC with Sasha Itzikman to find the perfect holiday gifts, even some unique treasures. Watch here
Shop at Goodwill SoCal today!
Ghoulish, Garish or Glamorous… Goodwill SoCal has it! Goodwill is your Halloween headquarters with hundreds of costumes available. Stop by our BOOtiques and get creative with Goodwill this Halloween!
GOODWILL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST
OFFICIAL RULES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS
You must read the following rules, terms and conditions before submitting any photo entries, and by submitting, acknowledge that you agree to these rules, terms and conditions.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY: No purchase is necessary to participate in or win this contest.
1. ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE FIFTY UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Employees of Goodwill Southern California, Goodwill Retail Services, Goodwill Industries International, Brand Knew, LLC and all related affiliates and organizations, agents, employees, officers, contractors and agents (hereinafter “Related Entities”), and their immediate families, are not eligible. Contest subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.
2. SPONSORS: The Sponsors of this Contest are Goodwill Southern California and Goodwill Retail Services (collectively, “Sponsors”).
3. CONDITIONS AND METHOD OF ENTRY: By entering this Contest you are granting Sponsors the right to upload photos submitted through this process to its Facebook and web pages, using your name, city and state of residence. As conditions of entry into this Contest, and by uploading and entering a photo, each entrant warrants and represents that his or her photo complies with the Official Rules, Terms and Conditions. Sponsors have final approval of any language or content that appears on its Facebook page and web site and may not promote or endorse third-party products, services, trademarked or registered articles, or language, items or content deemed inappropriate or offensive by Sponsors in its sole discretion, and such images may be deemed inadmissible and corresponding entries may be disqualified. Each photo entry must be submitted electronically, by only one of the three following methods:
- Entry in the Contest requires registration on the Facebook custom tab located on the Goodwill Southern California Facebook page. Individuals 18 years of age or older who have “liked” the page must then go to the “Halloween Costume Contest” tab at the top of the page enter their legal name, contact e-mail address, city and state of residence and upload their photo with a caption as indicated. No purchase is required. Only completed entries will be accepted. By entering this Contest you are granting Sponsors the right to upload photos submitted through this process to its Facebook and web pages, using your name, likeness, city and state of residence.
- Entries into the Goodwill Southern California Halloween Costume Contest will also be accepted on Twitter and Instagram using the dedicated hashtag #GSCHalloween. Entrants will upload their photo on Twitter and/or Instagram, add a caption and MUST include the hashtag #GSCHalloween. Photos will then be pulled into and managed on Goodwill Southern California’s contest app on the Facebook page. No purchase is required. By entering this Contest you are granting Sponsors the right to upload photos submitted through this process to their Facebook and web pages, using your name, likeness, city and state of residence.
- Should entrants 18 years of age or older chose not to use Facebook to submit your Contest photo entry, you may e-mail your photo and caption to halloweencontest@goodwillsocal.org, and include your legal name, contact e-mail address, city and state of residence in the body of the e-mail. Entries submitted through e-mail that do not include this information will be disqualified. No purchase is required. By entering this Contest you are granting Sponsors the right to upload photos submitted through this process to its Facebook and web pages, using your name, likeness, city and state of residence.
Sponsors are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, or otherwise misdirected entries that are processed late or incorrectly or are lost due to computer or electronic malfunction or other error. Online Entries must include a valid e-mail address for the entrant. Sponsors and their Related Entities and assigns are not responsible for any problems or technical, hardware, or software malfunctions of any telephone network or telephone lines, failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled or delayed electronic communications whether caused by the sender or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Contest, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email or entry to be received by the Sponsors due to technical problems, human error or traffic congestion, unavailable network connections on the Internet or at any website, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participant’s or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading any materials in this Contest. All entries become the property of the Sponsors and will not be acknowledged or returned. Sponsors reserves the right to, in its sole discretion, cancel, modify or suspend the any portion of this Contest (or the entire Contest) should any computer virus, bugs or other technical difficulty or other causes beyond the control of the Sponsors corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Contest.
4. ELIGIBILITY AND JUDGING: Images will be judged on creativity, composition and acceptable standards of costume design. The judges are a panel of Sponsors staff members. Sponsors shall determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion. All decisions made by the judges are final.
5. CONTEST PERIOD: Online entries can be uploaded starting 12:00 pm Pacific Standard Time on October 1st, 2014. Deadline for submitting entries is 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time on November 2, 2014. Winners will be announced on or before November 14, 2014.
6. CLAIMING PRIZES/RELEASES: Winners are required to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility and a liability and publicity release (unless prohibited by law), a W-9 Form and any additional documents that may be required by Sponsors, within seven (7) days of notification. If selected potential Prize Winner fails to comply with the Official Rules and/or to submit required documentation within the designated period, or the Prize is undeliverable, Prize Winner will be disqualified and the Prize will be awarded to an alternate Winner. Prize will be awarded provided a sufficient number of eligible entries are received and properly claimed. Eligibility, age, and claims made by Prize Winner are subject to verification. Prize(s) will be sent to verified Winner(s) by mail.
7. PRIZES AND WINNING PHOTOS: Judges will select one (1) Grand Prize Winner and one (1) Fan Favorite will be determined by online voting as determined by Facebook users. Distribution of the prizes are subject to verification of an affidavit of eligibility and a liability and publicity release by the winning entrants. No substitution of prizes is offered, except at the sole discretion of Sponsors. Prizes are nontransferable. All winners are solely responsible for any state and federal taxes on his/her Prize. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a $100 in Goodwill Southern California Gift Certificates, and Fan Favorite will receive $100 Goodwill Southern California Gift Certificates. Goodwill Southern California Gift Certificates may be redeemed only at Goodwill Southern California retail stores. Any difference between the actual value and the ARV will not be awarded. Only one Prize will be awarded per photo entry. Prize Winners are solely responsible for all federal, state and local taxes on prize, and all other expenses, costs or fees associated with the acceptance and/or use of any prize are the sole responsibility of the winner. No substitution, cash redemption, assignment, or transfer of any prize permitted, but the Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in the event that an offered prize is unavailable for any reason. Prize Winner must supply the Sponsors with his/her social security number for tax purposes. If Prize Winner notification or Prize is returned as undeliverable, Prize Winner is ineligible, or Prize Winner declines a Prize, an alternate winner will be selected from among all remaining entries. If your photo entry is selected as an Fan Favorite or Grand Prize Winner, you grant Sponsors a nonexclusive right to use your name, city, state and country of residence in connection with the Halloween Costume Photo Contest, promotions and other publications and broadcasts and to publish the photos submitted for Sponsors promotional and advertising purposes in any format or medium, including but not limited to the Goodwill Southern California website, publications and presentations, such as newsletters, annual reports, brochures, public service announcements, grant proposals, awards, displays, mailings, invitations and paid or non-paid print and broadcast advertising.
8. LEGAL CONDITIONS: By entering this contest, you agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Sponsors and Related Entities from any and all third party liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with the competition (collectively, “Losses”), including without limitation any third party claim for copyright infringement or a violation of an individual’s right to privacy and/or publicity right. The Contest shall be construed and evaluated according to the laws of the United States and applicable state and local laws. The Contest is void where prohibited by law. Each entrant in the Contest (“Entrant”) is responsible for ensuring that he or she has the right to submit the photos that he or she submits to the Contest per these rules. You agree that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved with Goodwill Southern California, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, before a court of competent jurisdiction located in Los Angeles, California, which court shall apply the laws of the State of California without regard for rules of conflicts of law. IN ANY SUCH DISPUTE, PARTICIPANT SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO ANY PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ATTORNEYS’ FEES, OR ANY DAMAGES OTHER THAN PARTICIPANT’S ACTUAL OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES (IF ANY) ASSOCIATED WITH PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST. YOU HEREBY WAIVE ANY RIGHTS TO HAVE DAMAGES MULTIPLIED OR INCREASED. The Contest and Sponsors’ web site are provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied.
Sponsors are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunctions of any telephone network or telephone lines, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail or entry to be received by the Sponsors due to technical problems, human error or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participant’s or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading any materials in this contest. Sponsors are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by web site users or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the photo competition, or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of submissions to the photo competition, including but not limited to any misprints or typographical errors or distortions of any photo image. Sponsors assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Sponsors are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer equipment, servers, providers, computer online systems, software, failure of email on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any web site, or for any other cause, including injury or damage to participant’s or to any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participating or uploading images or information in the photo contest.
CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. In the event of a dispute as to the identity or eligibility of a winner based on an e-mail address or authorized Facebook account holder (deemed to be the natural person who is assigned to a Facebook profile) of record at the time of the Contest Period, the winning entry will be declared made by the “Authorized Account Holder” of the e-mail address or Facebook account submitted at time of entry. “Authorized Account Holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address of Facebook Account during the Contest Period, by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider, Facebook, or other organization (e.g., business, education institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted entry. Use of automated devices are not valid for entry.
If, for any reason, the photo competition is not capable of completion as planned, including but not limited to, any reason of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsors that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the photo competition, Sponsors reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the photo competition without penalty.
9. WINNERS LIST/OFFICIAL RULES: To receive a list of the Winners (available after November 14, 2014), or a copy of the Official Rules, send a self-addressed, stamped #10 envelope to be received by January 15, 2014, to: Goodwill Southern California, Halloween Costume Contest Winners, 342 N. San Fernando Road, Los Angeles, CA, 90031. Please specify “Official Rules” or “Winners List” on the outer envelope.
You Can Help. DONATE
“We want people who come out of our programs to have dignity, and we believe there’s dignity in work.”
When Craig, Goodwill Southern California’s President and CEO, first visited a Goodwill retail store, he saw employees with tough backgrounds, just like Edwin, gain a sense of dignity from their work. That’s what convinced him to leave his corporate job and move to the non-profit world.