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Goodwill Industries, Inc.Serving Eastern Nebraska

& Southwest IowaGoodwillOmaha.org

February2013

Doing better at saying ‘You’re great!’

Goodwill has updated our recognition program. We have new ways to show our appreciation for each other.

page 9

Work Experience comes to Benson Park!

Our agency’s longest-running program is expanding to meet the needs of the community.

page 12

oodwill’s programmatic focus over the last 18 months has been on the Heartland Workforce Solutions career

center and YouthBuild. Other services, including

Sarpy County Probation, READY, Work Experience and Customer Connect, are certainly critical to the community, but the operational and funding challenges faced by these two valuable community programs have been substantial.

Goodwill’s responsibilities for the career center include operational oversight of the facilities and staff, as well as

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letter from the president

by Frank McGree

continued on page 6

2012 was a great year for YouthBuild, as the program continued to graduate more students with their GEDs, students gained new experiences through enhanced partnerships, and the program gained a firmer financial footing to continue on into 2013.

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new employeesDecember 2012

Allicia BrownClothing Proc/Hanger I 156th & Maple Matthew Brown Retail Sales Associate II78th & Dodge

Joanne CabanillaCustodian Offutt Richard Dixon CustodianOffutt

Nicole Fernandez Donation Door Attendant 180th & Q

Jason FoxCustodianOffutt Ana Francisco Diego Clothing Proc/Hanger I 180th & Q

Brandy GomezCustodianOffutt

Margaret Harmon Retail Sales Associate II156th & Maple John Herdzina CustodianOffutt

Megan JonesClothing Proc/Hanger I Madison

Tatiane Klein Clothing Proc/Hanger I180th & Q

Kadza Komla Clothing Proc/Hanger I180th & Q

Janice NoeClothing Proc/Hanger I 156th & Maple

Charles Satterfield CustodianOffutt

Victor Skaggs, Jr. Donation Door Attendant Southwest Kevin Supancic CustodianOffutt Tyler TealerDonation Door Attendant Southwest Sharon Velez Clothing Proc/Hanger IHarris Center

The Clothes Line PUBLISHER: Frank McGreeEDITOR IN CHIEF: Rita Hamele CrumMANAGING EDITOR: Neal ObermeyerSTAFF WRITERs: Brent Koster, Kristin Koopman, Kris Pachunka, Rebecca Armstrong and Elizabeth DonnerFAN CLUB PRESIDENT: Kent Caniglia

The Clothes Line is published monthly and is available at each Town Hall meeting. If you are unable to attend Town Hall, you may also find copies in the Marketing area at BPP, or request to have a copy delivered to you by calling 402.231.1915.

You may also find Clothes Line articles and full-issue digital downloads on the GoodTimes Blog at http://www.goodwillomaha.org/blog.

february 2013

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3 Ronald McMullen / Custodian / Zorinsky3 Kirk Judds / Custodian / Lincoln3 Jennifer Lopez / Clothing Proc/Hanger I / Papillion4 Michelle Munson / Retail Sales Assoc III / West Center4 Timothy Cech / Custodian / Zorinsky5 Christine Aguilar / Quality Assurance Manager /

Benson Park Plaza5 Sandra Ferrucci / READY Specialist / Benson Park

Plaza5 Kiley Knutson / Retail Sales Associate II / 156th &

Maple6 Ian Bestler / Retail Sales Associate II / Benson Park

Store7 Ashley Heavey / Retail Sales Associate II / Papillion8 Kevin Supancic / Custodian / Offutt8 Merid Mengesha / Custodian / Offutt9 Bobbie Tvrdik / Vice President, Admin Svs / Benson

Park Plaza9 Mardell Obermiller / Receptionist / Benson Park Plaza9 Thalia Wokurka / Retail Store Manager / 78th &

Dodge10 Karen Winters / Team Leader-Productions / Madison12 La Ronda Birch / Quality Assurance Dir/ Benson Park

Plaza12 Maryan Mohamed / Clothing Proc/Hanger I / Harris

Center13 Chad Kooiker / WearHouse Associate Spec / ROC14 Lynn Johnson / Clothing Proc/Hanger II / Harris

Center14 Tina McGaugh / Adult Services Coordinator / Ames

Plaza14 Melanie Moyer / Retail Sales Assoc III / West Center14 Maria Martinez / Retail Sales Associate II / Papillion15 Tammy Warren / Retail Sales Assoc III / Fremont

15 Sydney Spangrud / Reserve Rep I / Reserve15 Rachel Bowser / Retail Sales Assoc III / Blair15 Stacy Burr / Donation Door Attendant / Madison16 Lavionna King / Clothing Proc/Hanger I / Benson

Park Store17 Kadza Komla / Clothing Proc/Hanger I / 180th & Q18 Shabazz Ramsey / Baler II / ROC18 Linda Barnes / Retail Sales Associate II / Madison19 Laura Sheldon / Custodial Supervisor / Lincoln20 Margaret Harmon / Retail Sales Associate II / 156th &

Maple21 Shantel Featherson / Retail Store Manager / ROC21 Donald McPherson / Commerc Srvcs Supervisor /

ROC22 Rajiv Brownell / Custodian / Offutt22 Moses Whitcomb / Donation Door Attendant /

Benson Park Store23 Deborah Kaasch / NISH Team Leader / Offutt23 Dale Cherek / WearHouse Associate / ROC23 Eva Epstein-Krings / Retail Sales Assoc III / West

Center25 Stacey Elliott / Retail Sales Assoc III / West Center25 Mark Ramler / Recycling Technician I / ROC25 Anthony Thomas II / WearHouse Associate / ROC26 Eloisa Rucker / NISH Team Leader / Offutt26 Helene Syslo / Donated Goods Proc. II / Southwest26 Aaron Reily / Retail Sales Associate II / 156th & Maple27 Kay Russell / Retail Sales Assoc (Spec) / Madison28 Shelby Brettmann / Retail Sales Assoc (Spec) /

Fremont29 Kathy Silveira / Data Compilation Spec. / Benson Park

Plaza29 Gabrielle Hallberg / Donation Door Attendant /

156th & Maple

happy birthdayFebruary 2013

december Store of the Month:

Bellevue!Congrats to Laura Rohwer, Jackie Nord and staff for being 43.60% over

budget and 22.45% over last year’s sales! Great job!

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can honestly say that November’s Employee of the Month came about in a

way that I have never seen before (that may be because I have only been a Goodwill employee for four months, but that is beside the point).

A Metro bus mechanic emailed Michael’s supervisor to praise Michael for returning some very expensive tools that were accidently left on a bus overnight. The relieved mechanic was extremely thankful for Michael’s honesty and integrity (the mechanic used Goodwill’s values to describe Michael!).

Ginny Powell, Michael’s supervisor, was not surprised to receive this email. She has witnessed Michael’s customer-driven work ethic for years.

Ginny says, “I believe that the proof is in the perception. When a person outside of the organization can name one of our values based on what they see of our employees, it proves those Goodwill values are ingrained in

what the employee does every day.”

Michael works on the CSD-Metro Bus contract overnight shift. He often works alone, meaning that he often needs to single-handedly solve problems.

Michael works two jobs and gets through the day on very little

sleep, but you wouldn’t know that from the quality of his work.

The recognition of Employee of the Month means a lot to him, as he doesn’t always get the day-to-day feedback that those of us who work next to our supervisors do.

Congratulations, Michael!

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November Employee of the Month Michael Howard (left) with Commercial Contracts Manager Ginny Powell.

employee of the month: novemberby Rebecca Armstrong

Employee of the Year!

There is still time to vote for

Vote online by visitingwww.goodwillomaha.org/employeedinner

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licel Vidales-Soto was awarded the Employee of the Month honor in

December. Glicel works at Offutt Air Force

Base on one of Goodwill’s postal contracts. She is often called upon to run to many different locations on base to clean a floor, scrub toilets, wash down walls and clean water fountains.

She always manages to complete her own duties, and she even lends a hand to others wherever and whenever called upon.

Glicel is the type of employee who will come to work early, stay late, or work other odd hours to help a coworker. She is depended on to troubleshoot and help to fix any issues that arise at Offutt.

Government contracts can be tricky, but Glicel has a strong understanding of what needs to be done and how. This helps the contract run smoothly and efficiently.

Phil Johnson, Glicel’s supervisor, says that she is a great asset to Goodwill. Phil is fairly new to his position at Offutt, and he has come to rely on her knowledge of the agency for any questions that may arise, including training participants

and responding to the needs of the customer.

Glicel clearly demonstrates many of Goodwill’s core values, including Learning and Customer-Driven. Phil can count on Glicel, and so can Goodwill.

Congrats Glicel!

December Employee of the Month Glicel Vidales-Soto receives her award from Phil Johnson (left) and Lucy Santiago (center).

employee of the month: decemberby Rebecca Armstrong

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December* Stan Callan *

Julie Cernin * Jenny Davern * Andre Magness * Neal

Obermeyer * Dave Pfeffer *Kathy Silveira * Shari Suelter *

Contact HR to nominate a Goodwill employee for a Star Award!

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year in review: continuedby Frank McGree

the delivery of services and programmatic results. Late in 2011 and through the first quarter of 2012, enrollments and spending were not meeting expectations.

After a restructuring, problems quickly dissipated. Individual program outcomes continue to be a priority, but they are being addressed and are moving in a positive direction.

YouthBuild is an effective and very visible program offered by Goodwill. It’s also very expensive. Over the years, YouthBuild Omaha has been funded alternately by the U.S. Department of Labor, Housing and Urban Development, AmeriCorps, Goodwill and private donations. Our most recent federal funding expired in June, 2011. AmeriCorps, Goodwill and relatively small contributions from the community allowed the program to survive through the latter part of 2011 and first six months of 2012.

Thankfully, an anonymous donor stepped up last June with a $350,000 two-year commitment to YouthBuild, provided matching support can be arranged. The donor’s commitment has allowed us to double our enrollments. Currently, 30 young people are being served.

ANOTHER RECORD-SETTING YEAR Once again this year, the

agency grew in nearly every respect and along the way set a

number of new records. • On December 31, 2012,

we employed a record 634 people.

• Approximately $16.1 million in wages and benefits (both new records) were paid to our employees.

• 3,294 people enrolled in our programs and we helped 498 find jobs at an average starting wage of $11.24 per hour. Nearly 35,000 people visited the career center, which moved in mid-summer from 24th and Lake to 58th and Ames.

• Total agency revenue reached a record $29.4 million.

• Retail revenue totaled a record $18.9 million (up $2.8 million, 17.7%).

• A new single day sales record was set on October 12th at $77,806.

• Material donation transactions reached 438,000, representing 17.5 million lbs. of material, up 4.8%

• The LEED-Certified Blair retail and training location opened in August.

• Land was purchased on Highway 370 at 90th Street. Our next retail location will open here in

the fall. • Goodwill refinanced its

long-term debt, ultimately saving the organization more than $2.25 million in interest payments.

• The 2012 net gain was $1.373 million. At year-end, Goodwill’s balance sheet reflected net assets of $21.557 million, up 8% over 2011.

EMPLOYMENT & TRAININGGoodwill is nearly two years

into its career center operations and service delivery contract with Heartland Workforce Solutions.

We’ve learned plenty of lessons along the way, some constructive and some more than a bit frustrating. Performance has steadily increased in all areas from last year, and we project that these outcomes — such as job placement and retention rates — will continue to improve until we

continued from page 1

Goodwill continued to manage the Heartland Workforce Solutions contract, which included moving to a new building in the summer of 2012.

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meet or exceed all performance measures.

Goodwill’s direct monetary contribution to operate the career center is $126,000. The contract is up for renewal in April, but it appears we will receive an extension rather than having to respond to a Request for Proposal.

The Work Experience program for high school students with disabilities continues to maintain great support with area public schools, including, most recently, Blair Community Schools. The program enrolled nine new students in Blair immediately after we opened. Last year we worked with 266 students at six Goodwill locations.

Customer Connect, our partnership with Metropolitan Community College, placed 80 graduates in customer service jobs for the financial services and insurance industries. Federal stimulus funding for this program will expire in June. Staff is pursuing funding alternatives, including a proposal submitted to the state of Nebraska last month.

The Sarpy County Probation program was awarded an extension to provide job readiness training to convicted felons. Ninety-three offenders were assisted in 2012.

READY is a program offered by Goodwill staff at no charge to anyone looking for work and who may need help with resume preparation, interviewing skills or

searching the web for job opportunities.

This program consists of workshops and individual support and is offered primarily at the career center, Fremont store and Benson Park Plaza. In 2012, more than 900 people received services from a READY specialist, triple the number in 2011.

RetailGoodwill operates

16 retail outlets, including our online auction site, shopgoodwill.com. Our newest location opened in Blair in August. Even though we have long constructed buildings that have been considered sustainable, this is our first LEED-Certified location. Thanks to the efforts of staff, Goodwill was warmly welcomed into the community.

Goodwill’s retail business continues to be strong, up last year 17.7% in total from all revenue sources. Shining stars were Southwest (up 17.6 %), Council Bluffs (11.6 %) and Bellevue (18.5%). All three are mature stores, so those kinds of increases are very rare. Southwest nearly became our first $2 million store, coming up just $13,000 short. Council Bluffs rose to the

second largest revenue producing location with $1.48 million.

Material donations continue to be an area of focus. We monitor quantity and quality closely, especially given our planned significant store expansion. We realized a 4.8% increase in the number of donations last year. Employees collected, processed, displayed and sold 17.5 million pounds of donated material.

Of that number, 7.8 million pounds were recycled through various salvage vendors. We recycled (i.e. diverted from landfills) six million pounds of textiles, one million pounds of electronics and thousands of pounds of shoes, books, belts and purses as well as cardboard, paper and plastic.

year in review: continuedby Frank McGree

Goodwill’s Blair store, which opened in 2012, is the agency’s first LEED-certified building.

continued on page 8

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Goodwill Specialty Services, Inc. (GSSI)

GSSI manages six contracts with General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Administration (VA). These contracts generated $4.65 million in revenue, and employed 143 people.

Eighty-two percent of all work accomplished on these contracts is done by people with significant disabilities. The contracts are at Offutt Air Force Base, the Zorinsky Federal Building in downtown Omaha, the Denney Federal Building in Lincoln, and the Veterans Hospital grounds in Omaha and Grand Island.

Last May, our Goodwill assumed responsibility for the grounds maintenance contract at the VA Hospital in Grand Island. It is a small contract, employing only six people, but important to the Grand Island community, and it is further evidence of collaborative efforts with our Goodwill neighbors.

Federal funding for the work we do to employ people with disabilities has been cut dramatically over the last few years. Department of Defense (DoD) dollars alone were cut 26% again this contract year. All others are declining too, just not quite as drastically. Staff continues to try to grow our commercial services

in an effort to continue to employ people with disabilities.

The commercial services division currently manages other grounds maintenance and service contracts for the private and public sectors, including a contract with Omaha Metro to clean their bus stops and the inside of busses.

ADMINISTRATIONAdditional agency highlights

included:• full three-year CARF

accreditation• secured bid to host the 2016

GII Delegate Assembly• established formal

relationship with Omaha Community Foundation

• 5,400 hours of staff training, including eight internal Leadership Development Program and two GII Senior Leadership Program graduates. Additionally,

Goodwill employs and provides tuition assistance for 23 people enrolled in formal degree programs

• netted $45,000 from the Goodwill Golf Classic

• 83 new donors contributed $217,277

• in December, we received our third and final payment of $327,000 from the Wubbenhorst estate

• terrific special events, including the Annual Awards Dinner, Goodwill Golf Classic, and the Legacy of Hope Hall of Fame and Person of Goodwill inductions

• outstanding free (earned) media coverage, valued by an independent source at nearly $2 million (this doesn’t include the tremendous exposure through Younkers advertising that we receive three times a year from the Younkers Goodwill Sale)

• website enhancements with 225,000 unique visits

• agency recognition: Safety Council Gold Safety Award, Better Business Bureau Integrity Award, Downtown Omaha Incorporated Visionary Pioneer Award (to be presented January 26), GII’s Distinguished Career Award, and the Regional Management Excellence Award from NISH.

year in review: continuedby Frank McGree

AbilityOne employees and their families gathered for a pot-luck in the summer.

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ttention Goodwill! Big news! This organization is making some changes in

how we say “thank you for a job well done” around here.

Do you work with any superheroes? People who go out of their way to help those around them? Do they have supernatural powers that bring out the good in Goodwill? Maybe they don’t stop locomotives, or shoot lasers out of their eyes, but they stop problems in their tracks, and shoot out great ideas all the time. These people need to be recognized. It’s time!

Goodwill is replacing the current “Star Award” with two new recognition programs: “Above & Beyond” and “Lifesaver” awards.

Above & Beyond Supervisors! Do you have

an employee who always saves the day? Someone who sets the example? The “Above and Beyond” award is given by a supervisor to recognize an employee who has done something extraordinary.

LifesaverGoodwill Employees! Have

you ever had a co-worker or supervisor who was a real lifesaver? Someone who you wanted to thank, but didn’t know how? The “Lifesaver” award will let you do just that. The next time someone comes to your rescue by helping with a difficult customer, assisting you with a participant or simply making your day a

little brighter show them your appreciation with this award.

Go out. Look for the superheroes around you. Let them know how great they are.

Goodwill has also decided to focus its time and resources on putting more emphasis on Years of Service awards. You will be happy to hear this award will now include a monetary reward along with a new and improved lapel pin and other small gifts.

We also took a hard look at the attendance awards. Based on the time commitment involved, what other Goodwill

organizations are doing and the difficulty in determining the award it has been decided to no longer recognize this award. We felt resources are better utilized for those employees that have shown dedication and loyalty to Goodwill.

We would like to thank the focus group whose ideas and opinions helped develop the new recognition awards. The members included Sarah Urick, Janelle Ellis, Rose Sloderbeck, Neal Obermeyer, Tenisha Joseph, Jennifer Gries, Kevin Fehderau and Beverly Box.

doing a better job of saying great job!by Angie Montgomery

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The new “Lifesaver” and “Above & Beyond” nomination forms.

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i everyone – Elizabeth Donner here! As you recall, Goodwill’s expanding

community outreach and engagement with all employees and I wanted to provide you with a handful of community activities for the month of February.

Just a reminder, this list doesn’t even begin to cover all the activities in the Metro Area. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in getting involved with an event or organization and need assistance to make the first move. I am here to help!

• February1st is Goodwill’s First Friday Breakfast that

is held at Village Inn off of 72nd and Sorenson Parkway. It’s an opportunity for you to network and mingle with fellow Goodwill co-workers.

• February8th is the Omaha Empowerment Breakfast that is held the second Friday of every month at Regency Lodge. Check out their website if you are interested - http://www.omaha empowermentbreakfast.org/

• February9th is the Monthly 360 Empowerment Community Meeting at North High where you can learn

about what is going on to improve North Omaha!

• February12th the Sarpy County Chamber is hosting a networking event for young professionals

• February27th there is a Job Fair hosted by Customer Connect at Benson Park!

• February28th is the Greater Omaha Chamber’s Young Professional Summit. Goodwill’s very own Randy Parks will be presenting on a panel during the Summit.

community outreach: februaryby Elizabeth Donner

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graduating another ldp classby Angie Montgomery

ne of Goodwill Omaha’s core values is learning, which is characterized

by our commitment to high achievement and continual innovation while supporting the ongoing professional growth, education and development of all employees.

I am fortunate to be in a role at Goodwill where I am able to see this value in action through the oversight of learning opportunities such as our internal Leadership Development Program (LDP).

There were eight individuals who successfully completed the 2012 program:• Kenneth Barker, Recycling

Manager• Elizabeth Nielsen, Staff

Accountant• Miriam Blair, Youthbuild

Coordinator• Neal Obermeyer, Marketing

Design Coordinator• Laura Duhigg, Store

Manager • Virginia Powell, Commercial

Services Manager• Kristin Koopman, Business

Development Coordinator• Eric Syphers, Quality

Assurance Coordinator

This was a 12-month learning commitment where participants attended monthly learning events on topics such as leadership, strategic planning, ethics and financial literacy.

The participants formed two groups and were tasked with working on a project as part of a small group. One team was assigned Ethics & Values and the other Diversity & Inclusion.

Both teams completed an extensive research paper with recommendations on how we can make Goodwill an even better place to work.

The groups received guidance and support from their Executive Sponsors; Andy Bradley was a sponsor to the Ethics/Values team and La Ronda Birch was a sponsor of the Diversity team. The

groups completed the program by presenting their projects and recommendations to Executive Staff.

Last year marked another great year in development. A sincere thank you to everyone who made the LDP program possible in 2012 from the guest speakers at the monthly events to the mentors and project sponsors, but most importantly to the graduates of the program for their dedication and commitment to personal development and growth.

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The 2012 Goodwill Omaha Leadership Development class: Front, L-R: Angie Montgomery, Ginny Powell, Beth Nielsen, Miriam Blair. Back, L-R: Neal Ober-meyer, Ken Barker, Laura Duhigg, Eric Syphers. Not pictured: Kristin Koopman.

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he Work Experience Program is excited to announce they are

expecting… more students… again!

On January 22nd, eight students from Omaha Public Schools started working afternoons at the Benson Park location. The Work Experience Program is now functioning in seven locations. Eight trainers assist high school students with disabilities learn work skills. With the addition of Benson Park, the Work Experience Program currently serves a record-breaking 89 students.

Participants of Work Experience have opportunities to work in retail, production, E-Waste, custodial, clerical, and commercial contracts areas. Students are paid $7.25/hour.

They perform many of the same tasks as Goodwill staff, and often work alongside of an employee or area supervisor. Students learn a variety of tasks as well as important soft skills such as the importance of attendance, valid reasons for missing work, following directions, staying on task, and appropriate social interactions.

Goodwill’s retail and production staff have played a vital role in the development and expansion of the Work Experience Program. The retail department has supported the inclusion of

students, providing financial support and positive workplace role models.

Benson Park retail store manager Tilaina Pebley started her Goodwill career at the Madison store in Council Bluffs with an established Work Experience Program. She moved to other locations, some with students and some without, before settling at Benson Park. Tilaina is looking forward to having students at BPP.

“We are very excited to welcome students to BPP,” she said. “Starting out in a store with a classroom full of students was an

experience that you never forget. “It is an amazing feeling to

know that you helped someone gain knowledge, experience, and confidence,” Pebley said. “You watch the students grow more and more everyday into adults. You get to witness our mission first hand and that’s something you’ll never forget!”

Stop by Benson Park some afternoon to welcome the new Work Experience Trainer, Pete Bataillon, and the students working in the store. You will recognize them by the sweat on their brows and their broad smiles!

work experience expands again!by Holly Schwietz

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Pete Bataillon is the new Work Experience trainer at Benson Park Plaza. Eight OPS students began working at BPP in January.

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Abilityone design challenge update!by Neal Obermeyer

ack in the November issue of The Clothes Line, we told you about the AbilityOne

Design Challenge, in which Goodwill Omaha teamed up with Omaha North High School to create a device to improve the lives of people with disabilities as part of a national NISH-sponsored competition.

Goodwill’s Federal Contracts Director Tobi Mathouser has worked with six North High students under the supervision of Engineering Technology faculty member Dr. Lee Kallstrom and Special Education Coordinator Doug Pospishil on the project, which kicked off in the fall of 2012.

The name of the team’s project is A Helping Hand, said Mathouser.

“It is a robotic arm attached to a wheelchair to allow individuals with severe disabilities or mobility restrictions to more easily access materials within their work station area,” she said.

Student Keon McKay said the group’s inspiration came from an interview with a wheelchair-bound student at Omaha North High School.

“We asked her, ‘What was your major obstacle when coming to school?’” he said. “Her response was entering and exiting the elevator, because she could not press the buttons.”

So the students set out to create a robotic arm that would not only assist with the buttons,

but could also help people reach tight places and pick up fallen objects.

The students worked with Goodwill to get a better understanding of how to best address the needs of disabled individuals seeking employment or improving their workplace efficiency, Mathouser said.

She said that students developed a working prototype — solving an initial goal of the project — and tested it with residents at Quality Living Incorporated.

“Feedback from these individuals was used to improve and expand potential use of the robotic arm for more universal applications,” Mathouser said.

Exposing students to the experience of working with people with disabilities had

been one of the initial goals she, Kallstrom and Pospishil shared from the outset.

“I knew we accomplished this goal when, during a recent paper-editing session, one student pointed out to me that they needed to use ‘people first’ language in the paper,” Mathouser said.

The students successfully submitted their project on January 14th. If they are selected as one of the top five teams, they will be asked to attend a February conference in Washington, D.C. to present their project.

You can watch the students’ video explaining the project, including footage from the development and assembly, by visiting http://youtu.be/hE91PT8Y2uc

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Students demonstrated the use of the robotic arm at Quality Living, Inc. to test out the usability and get feedback from residents.

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happy anniversaryFebruary 2013

34 YearsSamuel TimblinCustodianLincoln

29 YearsMarcia OltmannsClothing Proc/Hanger IIBenson Park Store

26 YearsBeverly BoxTeam Leader-ProductionsBenson Park Store

13 YearsElba NavarroProduction Supervisor Southwest

11 YearsTammy RiedererCustodianOffutt

10 YearsJames GibbonsGeneral Postal Clerk II Postal 2

Mardell ObermillerReceptionistBenson Park Plaza

9 YearsHal “Happy” MillerCDL DriverROC

8 YearsMichael HenningsCustodianOffutt

6 YearsSarah AlbaFollow-Up Spec-Youth Ames Plaza

Shari KnutsenQA Specialist - PWI/CCTBenson Park Plaza

Paul SmithRetail Floor Care Spec. ROC

5 YearsRita AntillClothing Proc/Hanger I Southwest

Sherry Latta-CalderonRetail Store ManagerPapillion

Sarah UrickAccounts Payable Spec.Benson Park Plaza

4 YearsAlicia OrtegaCustodianOffutt

Kimberley WrightCustodianOffutt

3 YearsMiriam BlairYouthBuild CoordinatorBenson Park Plaza

2 YearsNatalie HaysRetail Sales Assoc IIIMadison

1 YearJulie BellTeam Leader-RetailBellevue

Ian BestlerRetail Sales Associate IIBenson Park Store

Gloria HernandezClothing Proc/Hanger IPapillion

1514Hanging employment barriers out to dry. 10

Hanging employment barriers out to dry. 10

February 2010 Multicultural CalendarAfrican American History Month In 1926 Dr. Carter Woodson chose the week of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday to institute a week-long celebration of the contributions of African Americans to history. Now the entire month of February is celebrated as African American History Month. February 3 – Bean Scattering Festival (Setsubun): Japan This festival expresses everyone’s desire for good health and good fortune in the new year. At home, children throw beans at the “devil” and shout “out with the devil, in with good luck.”February 5 – Constitution Day: Mexico On this day in 1917 Mexico adopted its first constitution.February 6 – Sending Off the Kitchen God Day: China This two-day festival is associated with the New Year. In traditional Chinese homes, a paper image represents a home deity that is thought to keep track of the deeds of the household for the year. On this day, the family burns the image, whose spirit is believed to go to heaven and report to the chief deity on the family’s behavior during the past year. The chief deity then determines the fate of the family for the next year. Waitangi Day: New Zealand This commemorates the signing of the treaty of Waitangi in 1840 between the indigenous Maoris of New Zealand and the European colonists, providing for British sovereignty in exchange for guaranteed possession by the Maoris of their lands.February 8 – Constitution Day: Philippines This holiday commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of the Philippines in 1935. February 11 – National Foundation Day (Kenkoku Kinen Bi): Japan This holiday celebrates the ascension to the throne of the first Japanese Emperor, Jimmu, and the founding of the Japanese nation in 660 B.C.E.February 12 – Lincoln’s Birthday: United States This day commemorates the birth of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), one of the greatest presidents of the United States, who changed the course of history by preserving the American Union during the Civil War, thereby preserving American democracy. In the process of saving the Union, Lincoln issued the historic Emancipation Proclamation, which paved the way for the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ending slavery in the United States. Lincoln’s eloquence and conviction are reflected in such historic speeches as the Gettysburg Address.February 14 – Valentine’s Day: United States The origins of this day are confused. There appear to have been two or three early Christian martyrs named Valentine. One was probably executed on February 14. One man named Valentine secretly married young sweethearts in opposition to the Roman Emperor Claudius’ ban on marriage (a policy designed to prevent young men of military age from forming family ties). Another legend mentions flowers grown by Valentine and given to children. When Valentine was imprisoned the children remembered him by throwing nosegays and notes into his prison window. These were the original Valentine greetings.New Year: China This is the beginning of a three-day celebration of the Chinese New Year, although traditionally the New Year celebration extends for fifteen days until the Lantern Festival. The festivities mark the beginning of year 4708 (The Year of the Tiger) since the mythical founding of the Chinese people. This celebration is called “Spring Festival” in the People’s Republic of China because the official New Year’s Day is January 1, based on the Gregorian calendar.New Year (Sol): South Korea This begins the traditional Korean New Year 4343. The New Year’s celebration is, along with Chusok, one of the two most important holidays in Korea. Officially a three-day holiday, it is traditionally celebrated for fifteen days until Taeborum. All Koreans count themselves one year older on New Year’s Day. New Year (Losar): Tibet This begins the Tibetan lunar year 2137 (The Year of the Iron-Tiger) based on the Han solar-lunar calendar. New Year’s is the major celebration of the Tibetan calendar and revelries may continue for up to two weeks. New Year (Tet Nguyen Dan): Vietnam This is the most important holiday in Vietnam and it begins the Vietnamese lunar year 4708 (The Year of the Tiger). Officially a three-day holiday, it is often celebrated for seven or more days. All Vietnamese become one year older on New Year’s Day. February 15 – Bun Day (Shrove Monday): Iceland Icelanders celebrate the Monday before Lent by feasting on cream buns. On Bun Day, children wake up early and try to catch their parents still in bed. If they do, they “strike” their parents with colorful handmade “bun wands,” or bolludagsvöndur. Parents must then give their children one cream bun for every blow received. Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day): United States The birthday of George Washington (1732-1799), hero of the Revolutionary War, president of the Constitutional Convention, and first president of the United States of America, is observed on this day. Celebrated for the first time in the late eighteenth century when George Washington was still president, Washington’s Birthday became an official federal holiday in 1885. February 16 – Independence Day: Lithuania In 1918 Lithuania declared its independence from Russia. However, in the aftermath of World War II, the Soviet Union absorbed Lithuania into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and it was not until August 19, 1991 that Lithuania regained its independence.February 18 – National Democracy Day: Nepal This public holiday commemorates the people’s revolution of 1950-51 resulting in the termination of Nepal’s 104-year hereditary Rana regime on February 18, 1951 and the adoption of a constitution in 1952.February 21 – International Mother Language Day: United Nations This day was proclaimed by UNESCO on November 17, 1999 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and to celebrate the nearly six thousand languages spoken in the world today. It is observed on February 21 in international recognition of Language Martyrs’ Day in Bangladesh. Martyrs’ Day (Shaheed Dibash): Bangladesh Also known as Language Martyrs’ Day or National Mourning Day, this commemorates the lives sacrificed in the effort to make Bengali (or Bangla) one of the national languages when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. At the time, the West Pakistani regime was trying to force Urdu as the national language. On this day in 1952 a procession by Bengalis in Dhaka was shot at by police, resulting in the death of four martyrs. The nascent Bengali nationalism ultimately led to the creation of the nation of Bangladesh. This day was declared International Mother Language Day by Bangladesh and UNESCO on November 17, 1999.February 22 – People Power Day: Philippines This commemorates the overthrow of Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the Philippines as a dictatorship from 1972 to 1986, by the democracy movement. This holiday is commonly celebrated from February 22 to February 25. It was on February 25 that Ferdinand Marcos left the Philippines and Corazon Aquino was recognized by the United States as president.February 23 – Defenders of the Motherland Day: Russia On this day, Russia honors those who are serving in the Armed Forces and those who have served

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