Golfing for Goodwill: Tournament funds programs beyond the stores

ESTERO, Fla. (WINK) — Goodwill Southwest Florida is known for its thrift stores, but the organization says its mission goes far beyond the racks.

On Thursday, Goodwill held its 15th annual charity golf tournament at Spring Run Golf Club in Estero, raising money for programs that support people across its five-county service area.

The money raised helps fund Goodwill’s mission services, including career development, disability services, life skills programs, and small business support.

“Most of the things we do involve people with disabilities or disadvantages,” said John Nadeau, president and CEO of Goodwill Southwest Florida. “We do a lot of workforce development. We help people with resumes, help people with technology, and learn how to use their computers.”

Nadeau said the tournament helps keep those services free for the community.

“All of these services will be provided free to the community,” Nadeau said. “So, we take the pressure off of the government, we take the pressure off the school district, we do these things, and we're very good at it. We've been doing it for a long time. We're 61 years in business here in Southwest Florida.”

Goodwill leaders say the programs are built around helping people gain independence, whether that means learning job skills, building confidence, or taking the next step in life.

“We're looking at life skills in general,” said Jessica Tursi, Goodwill’s director of disability services and navigation. “So sometimes that's community safety skills. Sometimes that's social interaction. Sometimes that skill is to get to the next step in your life.”

For longtime supporters, that mission is why they keep coming back.

Brad Hyde, director of consulting for retirement and wealth at OneDigital, said the company has donated more than $100,000 to Goodwill’s programs over the years.

“Oh, God, yeah, absolutely,” Hyde said when asked if it was worth it. “It's 100% going back to the community. On behalf of employees, people in the marketplace. It's just a fantastic organization.”

Nadeau said seeing people grow through Goodwill’s programs is what makes the work meaningful.

“Those are the kind of things that are very rewarding for me,” Nadeau said. “I came out of a regular business environment my whole life, but this is by far the best thing I've ever done, and I wake up every morning really happy to go to work.”

Goodwill Southwest Florida says the tournament helps turn a day on the course into more opportunities for people across the region.

For more WINK Sports stories, click here.