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.

Joe Atherton

Day Habilitation Achiever of the Year

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 Dade

Supported Community Living Achiever of the Year

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 Rentas

Training Achiever of the Year

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 Stelken

Townsend Employment Achiever of the Year

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 Lebron

Helms Family Award

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.

Davenport Goodwill Store

Retail Mission IMPACT Award

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.

Larry has made significant progress in multiple areas during 2022, including added dedication to personal needs such as hygiene and grooming. He also realized the ambitious goal he set for himself to quit smoking. These wins have built Larry’s confidence and have made him more willing to take on self-improvement projects and goals.

Larry is always willing to participate in a variety of group outings, and is learning new ways to engage with others. With each step forward, Larry is better integrating with his broader community.

During her first visit to the local Goodwill offices, Lisa was unable to cross the threshold. A previous traumatic incident sparked dual challenges of anxiety and low self-worth, which narrowed her world. Despite apprehension and anxiety, Lisa returned, began taking computer classes and training courses.

Soon, Lisa expressed an interest in finding a job. It was a huge step forward.

Lisa has been able to maintain employment by using coping mechanisms to quiet negative self-talk. She no longer requires on-site coaching and relies on her career navigator when life gets overwhelming.

Tanna has recently overcome anxiety to independently travel to appointments and connect with her community. She has learned to summarize medical appointments for her family and staff members.

Using lists and timers, Tanna successfully plans meals, shops for food and prepares dishes based on her nutritional best practices.

Tanna maintains a monthly events calendar, welcomes new ideas from her support team and remains eager to establish and achieve short- and long-term goals. Her dedication has resulted in newfound independence and life balance.

In 2022, Tonya moved from nearly full time job coaching to one hour of support each week. Because of her determination, she has maintained a community-based job for the past few years. In fact, Lisa now assists with training new team members at her job.

Communication with her job coach, co-workers and employer has increased, allowing Tonya to regulate emotion and better perform job duties. This newfound confidence is bolstering Tonya to compete for employer-based rewards, earn high marks on customer satisfaction surveys and take real joy in community employment.