Goodwill Recognizes Program Participants, Community Leaders at Recognition Banquet Nov. 14

Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina honored the community partners, volunteer leaders, team members, and program participants who make its mission services possible at the annual Recognition Banquet, held Thursday, Nov. 14, at the Millennium Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The banquet included presentations to Graduate of the Year Lori Cole (Asheville, N.C.), Achiever of the Year Synthia Wilson (Elkin, N.C.), Community Impact Award recipient greeNest, and Employee Recognition Awards for Goodwill team members. In addition, the Heritage Award was presented to Linda S. Wood in recognition of her service on Goodwill’s Board of Trustees.

The Graduate of the Year Award honors an outstanding person with a disability or disadvantaging condition who has completed a Goodwill career services program and gone on to demonstrate outstanding achievement by attaining and maintaining successful employment in the community. The 2024 Graduate of the Year is Lori Cole, who took part in the NextGen program for youth in Asheville. When Cole joined NextGen, she was a single mother working part-time. NextGen provided funding and a support system, helping Cole to complete her GED and phlebotomy training. She is now a licensed phlebotomist employed in the healthcare system in Asheville. Watch a video about Lori’s story here: https://youtu.be/KSuz1w9_-vo.

The Achiever of the Year award is presented to an individual who has overcome obstacles, demonstrated significant personal and vocational development, and achieved success working at Goodwill. Synthia Wilson is a Career Connections Specialist at the Goodwill Career Center in Elkin. A longtime Wilkes County resident, Wilson struggled for several years with substance abuse. After being referred to Goodwill by Wilkes Recovery, Wilson was hired at the Goodwill Retail Store in Elkin, where she earned several promotions. Wilson joined the Elkin Career Center in Elkin. In that role, she provides career and referral services to individuals who struggle to find work due to substance abuse or justice-involved backgrounds, applying her personal experience to help others. Watch a video about Synthia’s story here: https://youtu.be/YzSHH6tLj34.

Employee Recognition Awards recognize Goodwill team members who are nominated by their peers as outstanding examples of the organization’s culture and values, and who help create an environment that fosters the success of Goodwill’s mission. The recipients recognized this year were:

• Angel Boone, Project Re-entry – Asheville
• Nick Bunker, Facilities and Maintenance – Winston-Salem
• Alex George, Regional Director (South), Donated Goods Retail Team
• Wendy Martin, Project Re-entry – Statesville
• Wendy Steele, Career Connections Center – Lexington

The Community Impact Award is presented annually to a corporation, company, or foundation that has provided significant support to advance Goodwill’s mission. greeNest, located in Winston-Salem, partners with Goodwill to help furnish homes for families moving into sustainable housing. Since 2013, greeNest has purchased new mattresses from Goodwill for their “Up Off the Floor” program, which provides new beds for children in Forsyth County. greeNest supplies surplus donations to Goodwill and is a longtime partner in Goodwill’s Good Neighbor program, in which Goodwill donates vouchers for greeNest participants to purchase household items at Goodwill stores.

The Heritage Award recognizes individuals that have made a significant, long-lasting contribution to the success of Goodwill and its mission. The Heritage Award is the highest honor that Goodwill gives to those who support its mission and has only been given to six individuals. Linda S. Wood retired in 2016 from R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. after a 35-year career in operations and supply chain roles. She has served on Goodwill’s Board of Trustees for 23 years. In addition, Wood actively serves her community on boards for YMCA Camp Hanes, YMCA of Northwest North Carolina, and Virginia Tech’s Engineering and Athletic Advisory Boards.