Mission Moments

Current Edgar Award Winners

Each year Goodwill of the Heartland celebrates the exceptional achievements of a select group of program participants and team members through the Edgar Awards – named after Goodwill Industries International founder and former Iowan Edgar J. Helms.

We are proud to introduce you to our most recent batch of award winners and honored to share their stories of hard work, determination and self-discovery.

Renee Humphreys

Day Habilitation Achiever of the Year

Throughout the past year, Renee has shown determination, strength, and a clear commitment to improving her quality of life. Even when faced with personal challenges, she stayed focused on her goals and continued moving forward with confidence and support from staff.

Sheli Jubeck

Supported Community Living Achiever of the Year

Sheli demonstrated increased independence, confidence and engagement in daily living and community integration. She showed growth in planning, decision-making and the use of technology to meet her daily needs.

Ben Donohoe

Training Achiever of the Year

Ben's trainers had nothing but good things to say about his determination and work ethic. He held a full-time job while training for a technology career with Goodwill's help. Within a year's time, Ben completed three technology-related certifications, including cyber security professional.

Mickey Musser

Townsend Employment Achiever of the Year

Although Mickey has substantial challenges with effective communication, often struggling to comprehend and usually limiting his responses to single words, this 37-year-old has demonstrated an unrelenting dedication to work since he began his long-time tenure at the Iowa House Hotel in 2009.

Donna Warhover

Helms Family Award

Donna consistently goes above and beyond in her role, identifying opportunities to improve processes, whether by streamlining meeting support, coordinating projects across departments, or ensuring all administrative functions run smoothly. She treats every team member with warmth and professionalism, creating a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued.

Iowa City Goodwill Store

Retail Mission IMPACT Award

The Iowa City Goodwill Store excels at making a clear and meaningful mission connection by intentionally integrating the organization’s values into everyday operations and interactions with team members. Staff consistently reinforce the idea that each role — whether janitorial, book scanning, or retail — directly contributes to the store’s purpose and success. Team members are helped to understand not just what they are doing, but why their work matters.

Joe stands out because he has worked very hard on his communication skills, including implementation of his own initiatives in this area. He emulates kindness and joy as he works towards his goals throughout his shifts.

Hope's goals took several years to reach, but she didn't give up. She had to meet multiple individual goals, which served as stepping stones to her ultimate destination of a safe and affordable home for her family. With help from the SCL team, Hope was able to achieve her goal.

Ramon was able to make his family's dream of owning and operating their own Puerto Rican restaurant a reality. Goodwill offered required training for the business, which opened in October 2023 as the first such restaurant in Iowa.

Jesse has overcome personal challenges, including vision impairment, in such a way that impresses everyone who meets him. He always has a great sense of humor and treats others with kindness and respect. Jesse has taken on the responsibility of two jobs - and he does so in stride.

Mario has seen some changes during his tenure at Goodwill of the Heartland, but his core desire to help people make positive life changes has remained. As a Career Navigator in the Muscatine office, Marion has worked with a variety of people to ensure they have the skills needed to reach for their dreams and enhance their communities.

When it was time to nominate a retail location for an Edgars Achievement Award, Regional Manager Sarah Richards immediately thought of the Davenport team. They spent last year rebuilding their place in the local community while never forgetting why Goodwill Stores exist.

Jacob has made new friends and become more engaged with his community as part of Goodwill's Quad Cities Day Habilitation program.

Avarie walked into a recent job interview with confidence thanks to the skills she learned in Goodwill training courses.

Last spring, Robert learned the place where he was living had sold and he needed to find a new home. After visiting several properties, Robert found a quiet duplex close to a bus line that offered home improvement and landscaping opportunities. His new landlord says he hopes Robert never moves away. Robert is grateful Goodwill is part of his life.

Learn how Grant overcame personal barriers to become a valued member of the team at the North Scott Hy-Vee in Eldridge, Iowa.

Learn why Stephanie Torrance's 14-year career at Goodwill of the Heartland provided continued promotions and career growth doing a job she clearly is passionate about.

A career navigator in our Veterans Services program says the team at the Moline Goodwill Store has gone above and beyond to help veterans find the support and learn the skills they need to succeed. The team says this is simply who they are and why they love being part of Goodwill.