Get on the Bus 2009

Two years ago this month, I started at Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit as the CEO and President. The time seems like it has flown by as all of us at Goodwill are focused on helping people get trained and ready for work. We have raised the volume on our message as what we do at Goodwill becomes more relevant in these tough economic times. We put people to work so they can become self-sufficient. One of the ways we help folks when they find that job is with transportation.
Many of the people who earn a job depend on the bus to get to their new workplace. Often, though, they can’t afford the fare until they start earning regular paychecks. So, for the third year, we are running our "Get on the Bus" campaign that allows anyone in Metro Detroit to make a contribution to help local Goodwill clients get to the jobs they’ve earned. In many cases, that job is their very first.
CVS, Pepsi, SMART, Comcast and WJR are partnering with us to support "Get on the Bus" throughout October to raise funds for bus passes, as well gas cards and automotive repairs so Metro Detroiters can overcome their transportation barriers and get to work. A donation of only $49 gives a Goodwill trainee a bus pass for an entire month. Any amount is of course appreciated.
You can give by visiting www.giveabuspass.org or calling 888-380-GIVE.
It is campaigns like this that can involve an entire community in philanthropy and help Goodwill accomplish our most important objective – helping Metro Detroiters overcome barriers to employment.