MANDAN – Easter Seals Goodwill ND is celebrating 75 years of helping individuals with barriers and disabilities. ESGWND is a combination of two national organizations, Easterseals and Goodwill Industries, put together as one in North Dakota.
Carmen Devney, marketing coordinator for ESGWND in Mandan, said that several states have combined the two organizations.
The Easter Seals part of the business provides direct care to people who need help with daily tasks. Easter Seals’ staff help them with bathing, making meals, and managing money; taking individuals to community events, helping them develop advocacy skills and more.
“The ultimate goal is to help individuals with barriers live as independently as possible and enjoy quality of life,” Devney said.
The Goodwill part of the organization is retail, which accepts donations and sells used items with life left.
Devney explained that the stores generate funding for the direct care services, as well as job training and skill development “so individuals can change their lives.”
The purpose of the national Goodwill is to provide jobs for those who may find it difficult to find and/or maintain a job, though anyone who can pass a background check is welcome to apply for a job at the stores in North Dakota.
“Because our retail stores sell used items, it’s hit-or-miss as far as what products are on the sales floors at any given time,” said Devney. “Fresh inventory is added throughout the day every day, so you never know what you will find.”
If there is anything a person is looking for that the store doesn’t have, Devney said Goodwill’s online auction ShopGoodwill may have it. Any donations that are stained, dated, or otherwise compromised are recycled.
“In North Dakota alone we received 2.9 million pounds of donations in the last fiscal year,” said Devney. “Out of that we recycled nearly 2 million pounds. Not every donation meets our standards and reaches the sales floor, but our process helps us keep a tremendous amount of goods out of the landfill.”
Devney explained that ESGWND is looking for employees to provide the direct care services, and while having experience is helpful, Devney said ESGWND will accept anyone “with a caring heart” as ESGWND offers on-the-job training and flexible schedules.
Devney continued in saying that anyone who has been a father or mother, babysitter or even a barista who simply knows how to take care of people, is welcome to apply, realizing that some people may not think of themselves as caregivers but they really are.
“I would encourage people to think, ‘Am I a parent?’ You’re definitely a caregiver! Are you an older sibling? You’re definitely a caregiver,” Devney described. “Do you have a caring heart? We want you.”
ESGWND has recently broadened what it means to be a caregiver due to the lack of workers and low unemployment rate, according to Devney.
“We are almost in crisis mode as far as recruiting and retention,” Devney added. “In May, the unemployment rate was extremely low, and we are challenged in finding people who want to come and work.”
Devney said some of that has to do with competitive wages in other industries that do not require specialized training.
“If a person is looking to make a difference, this is a great place to work,” said Devney.
The Minot Goodwill store hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Donation hours are Tuesday-
Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until daily capacity is reached. The store can be contacted at 701-852-1201.
More information on Easter Seals Goodwill North Dakota can be found here.
