April 30, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Krista Sparks/Sandra Eckardt, IDEA HALL
714.263.8731, Krista@ideahall.com
## Goodwill of Orange County ##
Goodwill of Orange County Honors Local Businesses and Individuals
Goodwill Hosts Community Appreciation Breakfast
Recognizing Citizens, Organizations for Outstanding Contributions
SANTA ANA, Calif. – April 30, 2012 – Goodwill of Orange County hosted local businesses and individuals at a breakfast event held on April 25, 2012. The celebration was in honor of 25 individuals and organizations that go above and beyond to support Goodwill’s mission to help provide people with disabilities and other barriers the opportunity to achieve personal and economic independence.
Honorees ranged from community leaders and health and human service agencies, to businesses like Toshiba America Information Systems, who partners with Goodwill for an annual series of electronic waste collection drives surrounding the Toshiba Classic.
“We are proud to honor individuals and companies that have made a significant impact toward our mission and in turn, helped others find the path to independence,” said Frank Talarico, president and CEO, Goodwill of Orange County. “By donating goods, hosting donation events, utilizing our business services, connecting Goodwill to local leaders, and directly engaging in Goodwill’s programs and services, our partners are making a difference by creating stronger communities and improving lives.”
The event was held at Leatherby’s Café Rouge in Costa Mesa, where Neemiah, a former Goodwill program participant, born with serious physical disabilities and faced with considerable disadvantages, shared a gripping story of his life and how he came to Goodwill.
“My life has been filled with struggles and I have always had to work harder to prove to myself and others that I could not just survive but thrive,” said Neemiah. “I was unable to get a job no matter how qualified I may have been. Then I came to Goodwill and they saw that my abilities far outweighed any disabilities. Today I am employed at shopgoodwill.com and I can see that everything is possible.”
Neemiah works full time and is currently in school working toward a double major in psychology and social science; he is engaged to be married next summer.
Goodwill honored the following individuals for their service to Goodwill in 2011: Norma Alcagenga, Embassy Suites; Evelyn Bell, Orange County One-Stop; Karen Campos, Goodwill of Orange County Intern; Cheryl Chan, Canyon High School Golden Warrior Regiment; Nancy Chavez, Alliant Insurance; Dr. David Cohen, David Cohen DDS, Inc.; Cindy Con, Senior Community Service Employment Program; Kathy Daigle, Volunteer; Carlos de la Riva, Santa Ana One Stop; Jim Doezie, Wells Fargo; Tim Eng, Kaiser Permanente; Joy Hernandez, Disneyland Resort; Chris Hill, Rainmaker Staffing; Shelley Hoss, OCCF; Helen Jaco, Disneyland Resort; Rocky Jain, Dr. Fresh; Anne Krieghoff, University of California, Irvine; Mai Le, Westminster One Stop/ Coastline Community College; Russ Leatherby, Founder, Casa de Amma; Mary Belden, McGrath, Driven For Life; Dan McQuaid, One OC; Rodrigo Sigala, Orange County Health Care Agency; Josh Stempel, Toshiba America Information Systems; Anne Sullivan, Charlotte Russe; Paul Ystebo, Living Hope Ministries.
About Goodwill of Orange County Goodwill of Orange County is a nonprofit organization with its main campus located at 410 North Fairview in Santa Ana. Now in its 88th year, Goodwill of Orange County has provided thousands of people with disabilities and other barriers the opportunity to achieve their highest levels of personal and economic independence through competitive employment. Goodwill of Orange County has consistently received a four-star rating, based on organizational efficiency and organizational capacity from Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator. For more information on Goodwill of Orange County, please contact Katherine Ransom, Marketing and Communications Director at (714) 547-6308 ext. 308 or katheriner@ocgoodwill.org. Information can also be found at www.ocgoodwill.org.
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