We are excited to offer monthly Story Behind the Store tours at our Southern Oregon Goodwill® Job Connection Center on Jackson Street in Medford. Tours are scheduled every third Wednesday of the month at 7:45am and last for approximately one hour.
See the Story Behind the Store
Where do your donated items end up? How are they helping provide job services and training for over 3,000 people in the communities we serve each year? Come see how we are so much more than a retail store. Attendees will follow us on a journey tracking how individual donations turn into meaningful and impactful employment services, free to Southern Oregon Goodwill communities.
On the tour, you’ll visit our Medford Job Connection Center (one of five throughout Southern Oregon and Northern California) and our Learning Center for associates, as well as our e-commerce warehouse where books, jewelry, collectibles, and more are sold online through ShopGoodwill.com to fund our local GoodWorks programs.
“Over 300,000 donors give to Southern Oregon Goodwill each year. Every donation we receive helps us fund our programs.” – Dave Robison, COO of Southern Oregon Goodwill
What is GoodWorks?
GoodWorks provides paid, on-the-job training and support for individuals with barriers to employment. During an 8-week journey, interns learn workplace skills in our stores, as well as life skills like setting goals, persevering through challenges, and accessing other stability services (such as assistance with housing, transportation, food, and more). In the final two weeks of the program, we help them find a job — whether it’s at Goodwill or with one of our employer partners.
“We pay them to learn how to work. They’re building confidence and self-sufficiency, whether it’s with us at Goodwill or out in the community.” – Alicia Preston, VP of Workforce Development
Who Can Take a Tour?
If you’re looking to hire GoodWorks intern graduates or refer people to our program, this is a great place to start. Meet members of our team who are available to answer your immediate questions and discuss partnership opportunities. We’ll also share concrete facts and figures about Southern Oregon Goodwill along the tour, illustrating how our programs are helping people in our communities experience the power of work.
“To have a job is the most precious thing.” – Sami, previous program participant and current GoodWorks Guide in Grants Pass
How To Sign Up
Registration is now open for the remainder of 2024. Visit our sign-up page and choose from any of our upcoming dates:
March 20, 2024
April 17, 2024
May 15, 2024
June 19, 2024
July 17, 2024
August 21, 2024
September 18, 2024
October 16, 2024
November 20, 2024
December 18, 2024
We’ll provide light snacks and refreshments — just bring yourself and your phone for QR code-scanning opportunities along the tour! Attendee numbers are limited to make the most of each tour, so be sure to reserve your date soon.