Services increase for 4th year

Goodwill employs over 300 people in a five-county area.
LIBERTY -- Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries, 2747 Belmont Ave., announced that services to the community increased for the fourth consecutive year, as did the agency's budget, the board of trustees announced at its annual meeting.
Vocational services, amblyopia screenings, social services to the visually impaired and Radio Reading services were provided to more than 6,000 people in 2005, an increase of more than 2 percent from 2004. Since 2001, the increase has exceeded 38 percent.
Funding for services increased slightly, and Goodwill produced more income to provide those services.
The budget increase was due in part to the Calcutta store operating for its first full year and the expansion of the Hermitage store, the trustees reported. Store sales exceeded $3 million.
Community involvement
Community support through Goodwill donation centers continued. More than 4 million pounds of clothing generated revenue through Goodwill stores and provided employment.
At the end of 2005, Goodwill employed 314 people in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Lawrence and Mercer counties. Goodwill employs people in its retail stores and donation centers, through its contract service division, through janitorial services, as well as through its production and administration operations.
More than 75 percent of Goodwill's direct labor is provided by people with disabilities or other barriers to employment. Goodwill also assists an additional 54 people with community employment, the trustee board reported.
It other business, new trustees elected for two-year terms are Jennifer Roller, director of Youngstown State University's Upward Bound program; Joe Fleming, Falcon Transportation; Janice JanJanin, Questar Corp.; Arlene Bahar, clerk of Youngstown City Council; and Susan Stricklin, Home Savings and Loan.
Paul McFadden, chief development officer at YSU, will serve the remainder of the term of departing board member Kelly Takach.
Elected for additional terms are current trustees Jonathan Schoenike, Richard Evans, Robert Fulton, Doug Lewis, Judy Richards, Jack Savage, Ron Shaklee and David Wolfe Jr.
New board officers are Schoenike, president; Patrick Briceland, vice president; Toby Mirto, treasurer; and JanJanin, secretary.