Ya Just Never Know

Last month I wrote of a Goodwill employee in Tacoma who was killed on their loading dock, and how they were heavily fined by the Department of Labor & Industries. I also wrote that I was concerned about the safety training my nephew/son was receiving from Goodwill here in Oregon.

In my email this morning was a letter from Matthew Erlich, the Media Relations/PR Manager of Tacoma Goodwill Industries. He wrote:

David,

I wanted to make you aware that Tacoma Goodwill recently received a $1.6 million U.S. Department of Education grant to help people with disabilities receive job training and placement services. Below is the link to the story that ran Sunday in the Yakima Herald-Republic on the grant – and what it will do for the Yakima area. Attached is the general press release.
Here’s the link:

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2008/11/14/goodwill-gestures

Feel free to call me if you have any questions,
Matthew

Matthew Erlich
Media Relations/PR Manager
Tacoma Goodwill Industries
253.284.0015
merlich@tacomagoodwill.org

Because jobs change lives

This seemed a bit boastful and a tad "rub-your-face-in-it" to me so I wrote him back asking:

Hi Matthew,
I'm unclear as to why you sent me this email. Do I know you?
David

He wrote back:

David,
You don’t. But DAWG ran a brief item on an L&I case involving a tragic loss at Tacoma Goodwill earlier this year. I thought it would be worth noting some additional news involving people with disabilities, and as DAWG focuses on that type of news, you’re the person to send it to.
Matthew

I suspected such an answer, so I wrote:

I see. I could also write about Goodwill "participants" being ineligible for any sort of benefits, being paid piece rate most of the time, and Michael Miller being one of the highest paid non profit CEOs in America.

Can't wait to see if I hear back...