SARASOTA/BRADENTON, FL – Throughout the month of April, Veteran Air Conditioning is holding a donation drive to support Goodwill Manasota’s mission services. All month, the company is picking up gently-used items that its clients in the Sarasota-Manatee area no longer want or need, and transporting them to Goodwill, where they are being sold in retail stores throughout the area. Proceeds support Goodwill’s mission of changing lives through the power of work.
Veteran Air Conditioning owner Kevin Henault, who has been a proud Ambassador for Goodwill Manasota for several years, supports the organization in particular for its commitment to helping veterans reintegrate into their families, jobs and communities. Henault – who served in the Army – comes from a long line of veterans. He notes that many of the men in his family have served in the Armed Forces, in every conflict since World War I. And his son returned from Afghanistan in 2015, where he served in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division.
“I appreciate that Goodwill works to help and employ veterans through its many programs and services,” said Henault. “Especially given my own family’s tradition of service, I’m honored to partner with Goodwill to help the veterans in our community as well as those who are seeking to improve their lives through career services, education and training.”
Henault, who employs numerous veterans, has hired veterans through Goodwill’s Veterans Services Program. He also notes that his wife, Adriane, is a Goodwill fan. “She loves to shop there – I can’t keep her out of Goodwill’s stores!”
“This is a wonderful example of a local business showcasing great corporate social responsibility. Through our Ambassadors Program, we are proud to partner with companies like Veteran Air Conditioning for events and donation drives throughout the year,” said Gray Videnka, vice president of the Goodwill Manasota Foundation. “We are grateful to Veteran Air Conditioning for helping us to give chances – not charity – to deserving people in our community.”
Items appropriate for donation include clothing, shoes, jewelry, furniture, functioning computers, household items and décor, kitchenware, books and more. Veteran Air Conditioning, which will provide a donation receipt for tax purposes, held a similar donation drive to benefit Goodwill in 2016.
Through Goodwill Manasota’s Ambassadors Program, community members make a commitment to share the mission of Goodwill with the greater community by volunteering at events, speaking on the organization’s behalf, creating new fundraisers, and introducing their friends, family and colleagues to Goodwill. For more information or to get involved, contact Pavitra Ciavardone at pavitra.ciavardone@gimi.org or call (941) 355-2721, ext. 163.
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 philanthropic donations and revenue generated by the sales of donated goods, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and those with other barriers to employment by providing jobs, job skills training, and free career services. For more information or for a listing of locations, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org or call 941-355-2721.