SARASOTA, FL – During the Literacy Council of Sarasota’s 10th annual Literacy Matters Luncheon, Goodwill Manasota was honored with the 2017 James E. Duffy Friend of Literacy Award. The award, named for one of the nation’s foremost literacy advocates and retired president of the ABC Television Network, recognizes people and organizations in the community that have demonstrated outstanding support to local literacy efforts.
The luncheon took place on February 24 at Michaels On East. The award, which was accepted by Goodwill Manasota president and CEO Bob Rosinsky, was in recognition of Goodwill’s ongoing partnership with the Literacy Council of Sarasota and its sister organization, Manatee Reads! to provide workplace English language and literacy classes on-site, where employees can better access the educational services they need for self-sufficiency, empowerment, and the ability to thrive. Through thousands of hours of on-the-clock training and mentoring, Goodwill has demonstrated a powerful and long-term commitment to its employees’ continuing education and well-being.
“To receive this honor from someone like Jim Duffy, who has dedicated himself to literacy efforts, is incredibly meaningful to my staff and me,” said Rosinsky. “We agree 100 percent that ongoing education is critical if adults are to succeed and achieve financial stability, and literacy is at the core of efforts to better their lives. On behalf of Goodwill Manasota, I thank the Literacy Council for its impressive work and for allowing Goodwill to be a part of offering a hand up to community members seeking to better their prospects.”
The Literacy Council works to help adults to acquire reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension skills to meet the demands of daily life, to improve their potential for fulfilling employment, and to enhance the quality of life for themselves and their families. They also work to recruit and train tutors and other volunteers, raise community awareness of the importance of literacy, and collaborate with other organizations to educate decision-makers and work on projects related to adult and family literacy.
“We were so pleased to present this award to Goodwill Manasota,” said Literacy Council executive director Tom Melville. “By helping its employees gain the educational services they need, Goodwill Manasota is ‘walking the talk’ in our efforts to make Sarasota more literate!”
For more about Goodwill Manasota, go to experiencegoodwill.org or call (941) 355-2721.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With the sales of donated goods and philanthropic donations, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment by providing job skills training and employment opportunities. In 2016, Goodwill Manasota served 28,207 people, placed 755 people in jobs and assisted 240 veterans as they reintegrated back into the civilian workforce. Goodwill Manasota’s economic impact back to the community is worth $92.1 million. Goodwill is one of the pioneers of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement and this past year diverted more than 40 million pounds out of the landfill. We accomplish our mission through a network of Good Neighbor Centers in Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties and our Mission Development Services (MDS) around North America. Goodwill Manasota is accountable to a local Board of Directors. Goodwill Manasota, in essence, belongs to this community and is not owned by any individual or company. For more information, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org.