Goodwill Manasota honors Community Ambassadors of the Year
Goodwill Manasota celebrated its Community Ambassador of the Year Awards for the first time since 2019 on Oct. 12 at Michael’s On East, recognizing advocates and leaders in the areas of veterans services, philanthropy, and community partnership as well as a remarkable team member.
The event, which was emceed by Pavitra Ciavardone, director of Community Engagement & Strategic Partnerships for Goodwill, included a welcome and 2022 community impact report by president and CEO Donn Githens; the presentation of colors and Pledge of Allegiance led by the United States Marine Corps Color Guard from the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion in Tampa; and an invocation by Rev. Timothy Boggess of First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota.
“We were so thrilled to bring back this event, which recognizes those in the community whose contributions of time, resources, expertise and passion for helping others have enabled our organization to expand our mission impact,” Githens said. “We could not succeed in our social enterprise operations without the leadership, support and collaboration of people and organizations like those we honored today.”
The honorees this year were:· Veterans honoree: U.S. Navy veteran Rob Kehs, who served from 1985-89 as a jet engine mechanic, is known as an “unsung hero” who never cares about receiving recognition for all that he does for veterans in the community. Kehs is the current president of SRQ Vets.
· Philanthropy honoree: Sarasota Private Trust Company, New York Private Bank & Trust Company and The Milstein Family (accepted by Bill Isaac, chairman, Sarasota Private Trust Company and one of the very first recipients of a Community Ambassador Award from Goodwill). In the wake of Hurricane Ian, Sarasota Private Trust Company, New York Private Bank & Trust Company and the Milstein Family donated $1 million to assist community members impacted by the storm; Goodwill served as the pass-through agency for $750,000 of the total gift, which was used to purchase gift cards for Publix, Walmart and Wawa, and subsidize Goodwill vouchers for individuals and families severely impacted by the storm. Fourteen partner nonprofit organizations opted in to assist in distributing these hurricane resources to more than 2,500 local households.
· Community Partner honoree: Easterseals Southwest Florida (accepted by Easterseals president and CEO Tom Waters). Goodwill Manasota and Easterseals are longtime partners, collaborating on initiatives to assist those with disabilities in finding and retaining employment. The organizations also recently began working together to help area veterans through the equine assisted learning program, Operation1Stride.
Rosinsky Achievement Award
Goodwill also presented its inaugural Robert W. Rosinsky Achievement Award – made possible by the Louis & Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust – to team member Dora Talamantes.
Although Talamantes was not a native speaker of English when she applied for a job with Goodwill, those in charge of hiring recognized the many qualities and abilities she would bring to the organization. In her acceptance speech, Talamantes noted that, during her job search, “I knocked on many doors but only Goodwill opened their doors to me.”
Since working for Goodwill, Talamantes has learned to speak English, become an American citizen, and risen from an entry-level job to a store manager. She was recognized with "The Rosy" for her dedication, excellence, and commitment to continuous improvement.
For more about Goodwill Manasota, visit experiencegoodwill.org.
Submitted by Sharon Kunkel
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota-Manatee 'Community Ambassadors' receive Goodwill recognition
