Camp Mobile Rotary

Charlene Rains

For the 33rd year, 101 local children and adults with disabilities will depart from Goodwill Easterseals’ Gordon Smith Campus, Sunday, July 30, for a week-long camping adventure sponsored through a generous donation from the Mobile Rotary Club.

The campers will attend Easterseals’ Camp ASCCA (Alabama Special Camp for Children and Adults), the largest barrier-free camp facility in the nation. Located in Jackson’s Gap, Alabama, on Lake Martin, Camp ASCCA offers campers a wide variety of recreational and educational activities. Camper activities include horseback riding, fishing, tubing, swimming, environmental education, arts and crafts, canoeing, a “splash pad,” outdoor adventure elements such as a zip-line, and much more. Campers of all abilities can participate in everything from water skiing to horseback riding.

Turn up your sound and enjoy these photos from last summer’s camp:

Charlene Rains

Goodwill Easterseals recently donated hundreds of children’s books to the James T. Strickland Youth Center, which houses between 65 and 75 children and youth daily, giving these young people something positive to do with their time. Where did all these books come from? From YOUR donations! Thank you for giving a young person a chance at a bright future! Pictured are Goodwill Easterseals Program Manager, David Nowlin and Juvenile Court referee, Linda Jensen.

#GoodwillDateNight CHALLENGE TIME: $10 per outfit = an awkwardly hilarious date night

Charlene Rains

Have you heard about ‪#‎GoodwillDateNight? (http://abc6onyourside.com/news/offbeat/couple-goes-viral-after-boldly-embracing-goodwill-date-night).

A fun-loving couple, “Roger and Ethel”, bought each other outfits for $10 each to wear on a Date Night. What started as a donating and shopping trip to a Goodwill store has now turned into viral hashtag.

So now it’s our turn to keep the fun going…
It’s time for a #GOODWILLDATENIGHT CHALLENGE!

The rules are:
1. LIKE US on Facebook: Goodwill Easterseals of the Gulf Coast and/or FOLLOW US on Instagram: @GoodwillEasterSealsGulfCoast
2. Each person can only spend $10 on clothes for their significant other or friend.
3. Go out on a date wearing the outfits! Have fun with it like this couple did!
4. SHARE the photo by posting on Facebook and/or Instagram with the hashtags #GoodwillDateNight and ‪#‎GESGoodwillDateNight (MAKE SURE you use the second hashtag, otherwise we won’t know it’s for the contest). Don’t forget to tag us in the photo!
5. GET LIKES! That’s how you win!
6. ***Optional*** DONATE the clothing back to us, and help more people on the Gulf Coast find their brighter futures!

Winners will be chosen based on the most combined likes from Facebook and Instagram. Only one photo will be counted in the contest (a photo grid is fine, but please only enter one photo with the #GESGoodwillDateNight hashtag). Each person can enter individually, or you can post one photo of both of you to increase your likes and share the prize!

The top three winners will receive:
1st Place: $75 Goodwill Easterseals Gift Certificate
2nd Place: $50 Goodwill Easterseals Gift Certificate
3rd Place: $25 Goodwill Easterseals Gift Certificate

Could your post will go viral as well? The contest ends at midnight on Friday, August 11th. Winners will be announced on Monday, August 14th.

Heavy Equipment Training

Charlene Rains

The first heavy equipment/construction training class has been completed! This small group held their graduation on Wednesday, July 5. The 11 graduates received NCCER core and construction equipment job skills training. Some participants already have jobs lined up, while others have interviews scheduled this week. Henry Nunn, who had the highest GPA in the class, says that this training gives him a better opportunity to provide for his family. He learned about the class at the Career Center in Bay Minette. Ty Vaughn was referred by the SNAP Employment & Training program. Both of these men have interviews lined up with Construction companies.

The classes were offered by A Cut Above the Rest Training Facility co-founders, Melinda Ricketts and Juanida Pitts. The Mission of A Cut Above The Rest Training Facility is to provide construction equipment and commercial lawn equipment job skills training (Nationally recognized craft skill training credentials), life skills and employability training to ex-offenders, displaced workers and veterans.Goodwill Easterseals provided the classroom space – in exchange for 2 “scholarship” slots. The regular cost for the program is about $3,000 per participant. Most of the slots were funded by Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services.