Taking Care — May 2021
Please click the image above to watch Dan’s update video, or read his message below, complete with links.
Hello everyone,
We've all been busy around Goodwill Northern Michigan these last months. Right now, we have 225 employees working in 12 buildings across the northern part of the state. Each of these buildings has been, and continues to be, impacted by the pandemic. And each and every one of us, too, the people who work at Goodwill, you and me, and our families and friends — we all continue to be impacted by the pandemic as well. It seems like we are dealing with one thing after another, at work and in our personal lives.
So I want to check in with you today, give you some updates on how things are going at Goodwill, and also to share some resources that might help you and your loved ones during these hard times.
Together We are Doing Really Good Work
Most of all, I want you to know that I begin and end each day thinking about you, grateful for the work that you are doing, and hoping that you are making it through all right. Your work really is making a big impact in Northern Michigan. You all should have received a Goodwill story book in a blue envelope that provides a great overview of the place you work.
I see examples of your work’s impact every day. Just in the month of March:
Donated Goods processed 865,160 pounds of donations;
Food Rescue delivered 266,723 pounds of food to food pantries and community meal sites;
Through the Coalition, 44 families moved into housing in our 10-county region;
We provided 3,174 nights of shelter to people experiencing homelessness at the Inn and Safe Harbor (and that’s not including Patriot Place, supportive housing, or Street Outreach); and
Our Good Meals program made 15,802 meals for people experiencing homelessness, homebound seniors, and people in recovery.
Our maintenance team has been working at full speed, keeping people safe and getting things done even though everything is harder now than in normal times. Our social enterprise has been bringing in more revenue than we had budgeted for the critical services we provide to help meet the basic human needs of neighbors in our area. And we reached 100 percent employee participation in quarterly check-ins where managers have an opportunity to talk to every employee how we can support you in your work and life goals. Your work is directly connected to all of this good happening.
But doing all of this has been hard. It is taking its toll on each of us personally. More than a year into the pandemic, even the simplest things can be endlessly complicated. It can still be difficult to share good times and bad with friends and loved ones. We’re still waiting for the things we used to love to do to return to normal, like going to sporting events and movies, restaurants and bars. And on top of all that, many of us – most of us – are just plain exhausted.
We have worked together to keep everyone safe, wearing masks, installing enhanced ventilation systems, deep cleaning, maintaining our distance, monitoring ourselves for symptoms. Even so, each of our operations has been hit hard, with many people and their families being impacted by the virus. We have had to close many of our stores for two days at a time, and have reduced hours in almost all of our stores. People are sick and suffering. It’s a sad time and I am concerned. I want our organization to do what we can to help out our employees, so I would like to share some ideas.
It’s Easier to Get Vaccinated Now
The best way for us to get back to normal is for a critical mass of people to become immune to COVID-19. That means we need people in our region to get vaccinated. Over half of adults in the US have now been vaccinated. I was vaccinated as soon as I became eligible. I was amazed at how small the needle was – I barely felt the shot.
One part of this is very simple — right now, everyone is now eligible to receive the vaccine. It’s free and available right now for every single Goodwill employee, and it’s pretty easy to get an appointment now, no matter where you live.
One option is to get vaccinated for free at the Meijer pharmacy near you. Just text “COVID” to 75049. That will register you for the vaccine, and Meijer will text you an invite link with available vaccination dates and times. Or you can call or stop by your Meijer pharmacy to get signed up. That’s one easy way to get vaccinated.
You can also go to vaccinefinder.org, type in your zip code, and a list of places in your area will come up. For instance, if you put in a Gaylord zip code, you will see a list that includes Rite Aid, Family Fare, Walmart, the Health Department, Meijer, and a doctor’s office, all within two miles of our Gaylord store. You can click on the place that is most convenient for you, and sign up.
Results for 49735 Gaylord zip code
16 options for getting vaccinated within 25 miles
If you have any questions or need help, please feel free to ask your manager. They will be happy to answer questions and assist you with getting an appointment.
Questions About the Vaccine
Some of us might also have questions about the vaccine itself before we’re ready to take it. We may have seen things online or on the news that worry us. We hope you’ll talk to someone with first-hand experience with the vaccines to get your questions answered. Doctors and nurses are great people to talk to. Munson has a free “ask a nurse” hotline at 231-935-0951 to answer your questions. You might also watch a CDC video that explains what this vaccine is all about or read this article about how the vaccine works.
It’s important to know that the COVID-19 vaccine does not contain any live virus, so it can’t give you COVID-19. It cannot change your DNA in any way. It just gets your body ready to fight the virus if you are exposed to the real COVID-19 virus after being vaccinated.
When your body responds to the vaccine, it can sometimes feel like a viral infection. Some people have no side effects, but some people experience tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, or nausea. These are normal signs that your body is building protection. I had some mild symptoms after my second dose.
COVID-19 vaccines are a crucial tool in stopping this pandemic. Over 50 percent of our employees have already been vaccinated. Thank you for protecting yourself, your loved ones, and your colleagues at work from sickness and quarantine.
If you have not yet been vaccinated, remember that if you do, we will mail you a $75 Meijer gift card as an incentive. All you need to do is email a copy of your vaccination card to hr@goodwillnmi.org.
Caring for Ourselves and Each Other
It’s also really important that you take care of yourselves. I hope you will take the time to do things that you enjoy, like getting out into the woods or on the water, or engaging in your favorite hobby. Making time for things that make you feel good can make a big difference. For me that would be going on a hike with the family.
I also want to make sure you know about important free resources that can help if you are feeling down and need someone to talk to, if you need help with food, housing or bills, or if you have legal or emotional issues that you could use some help working through.
We offer an Employee Assistance Program at Goodwill that is free for you and your family members. Michigan has a Stay Well Counseling Hotline that is free, confidential, and open to everyone. All of us can call Michigan 2-1-1 any time to get the details on health, wellness and financial resources in your specific area. And Northern Lakes offers a Mental Health Crisis Line 1-833-295-0616 that is available to everyone in the community: you, your family, and your friends. Please consider reaching out in one of these ways—you will find details on these free resources below so you can find out which might be right for you, your friends and family. The people you will be connected to are trained to help, and they want to help. And we all need a little help these days.
Please talk to your manager if there is anything we can do to assist you in these tough times. If we all take care of ourselves and one another, we’ll get through this yet! Thank you for all you do – I’m always grateful for the work and time and dedication and talent you add to Goodwill, and I’m more grateful now than ever.
Here’s hoping for a return to normal that comes sooner than any of us expect!
Thank you.
Dan Buron
Executive Director
Why I Got Vaccinated $100 Contest
Over half of our employees, and over half of our country, have been vaccinated. People get vaccinated for lots of different reasons. Watch Deb Garvie, the manager of our Cadillac store and long-time Goodwill Northern Michigan team member and supporter, share the reason why she got vaccinated, and watch Abby Walton Porter, our new Philanthropic Gifts and Communications Officer share her story, too.
Do you have a story you're willing to share like Deb and Abby have? Contact Deb Lake for a chance to win a $100 Goodwill Northern Michigan certificate or a $100 Meijer gift card — your choice!
Free Resources
Employee Assistance Program
FREE FOR GOODWILL FAMILIES—Our Employee Assistance Program is free to every Goodwill Northern Michigan employee and their family members. The program provides counseling and life coaching services to help us solve problems, access legal and financial resources, sort out emotions and clarify issues. Employees and their family members can call 989-732-6761 for help with things like marital and family conflict, alcohol and drug abuse, depression and mental health issues, and financial problems. Find out more online or by reading this brochure from our EAP program provider. We provide this service through Catholic Human Services, a United Way agency that serves all people, regardless of faith, income, race or ethnicity.
Stay Well Counseling Hotline
FREE SERVICE—COVID-19 has impacted most everyone’s mental health in one way or another, and the Stay Well counseling hotline is here to help. Just dial Michigan’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-535-6136 and press “8” at the prompt. The line is staffed by crisis counselors 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's confidential and there is no charge to call. The service is part of a federally-funded grant program implemented by MDHHS in partnership with the Michigan State Police, and is aimed at helping Michiganders during these stressful and uncertain times.
Mental Health Crisis Line
NO OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS—Northern Lakes offers a Mental Health Crisis Line that is available to everyone in the community: you, your family and your friends. The Hotline at 1-833-295-0616 helps people in crisis by providing resources and trying to help make things better. Anyone in Northern Michigan who feels they are in crisis can call, no matter who they are or what time of day it is, no matter what their health status, age or type of crisis. The line is staffed by trained professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are no out-of-pocket costs, so you can call even if you do not have insurance. Dial 1-833-295-0616 any time.
FREE SERVICE—Michigan 2-1-1 is an easy and free way to connect with help of all kinds, right in your own community. Just dial 2-1-1 on your phone (kind of like 9-1-1, but different). The line is open 24 hours a day at no cost. The person who answers will have lots of information at their fingertips to help you access resources right in your own area. Need help with food, housing, or paying bills? Need support in a family crisis or community disaster? Michigan 2-1-1 is there. Any time. All the time. It's free and confidential, so just dial 2-1-1 or 1-844-875-9211. You can also text your zip code to 898211, or chat and search online at mi211.org.