Goodwill is First in U.S. to Become Certified by New Standards Program for Business

Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona has become the first company in the USA to become HealthyVerify Certified.

HealthyVerify helps businesses and workplaces develop best practices for health safety and addressing employee and customer concerns about the Coronavirus. Experts from HealthyVerify will visit and tour businesses, help them train employees and then certify best practices have been adopted.

“Governor Ducey deemed us an essential business in early April because our stores fund our mission services and allow shoppers to buy affordable items,” said Courtney Nelson, vice president of Marketing and Communications for Goodwill. “While we were thrilled to reopen, we also wanted to make sure we took the necessary steps to do so as safely as possible.  The HealthyVerify Certification demonstrates our concern for public health and commitment to providing a safe environment for employees, customers and donors.”

The HealthyVerify safety standards program was created by Rose Law Group with the help of Arizona State University and Barrow Neurological Institute at Dignity Health’s St. Joseph’s Hospital in Arizona.

Dr. Ana Moran is leading the development of HealthyVerify’s health safety programs and training protocols. She is an expert in infectious diseases with more than 20 years of experience in the field including developing and managing hospital infection control and prevention programs.  Moran is also a Clinical Associate Professor at the Barrow Neurological Institute.

She said Goodwill is the perfect first business to roll out the health safety certification effort. “Goodwill was a great first project to start with because of the impact it has with the community,” Moran said

Goodwill shoppers are appreciating the new changes too.  A Prescott Valley shopper said, “Thank you for keeping us safe.  The Prescott Valley store is doing a great job! They greet you with a sanitized cart. They are wearing a mask and gloves. They offer you sanitizer going into the store. The floors are marked, cashiers are wearing masks and protected by plexiglass. At donations they sprayed sanitizer on my items. It was a great experience! Kudos to the team.”

As of Friday, May 8, 2020, all Goodwill locations have safely reopened. Retail stores are open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Tuesday’s, which is Senior Discount Day, the nonprofit is opening early from 9-10 a.m. to allow seniors 55 years of age and older to shop for an hour before the doors open to everyone.

Seven Career Centers throughout Central and Northern Arizona have also reopened to help job seekers with resumes, mock interviewing, filing for unemployment and more.  Career centers are operating on reduced hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Career advisors are also helping job seekers online through MyCareerAdvisor.com and by calling 602-535-4444. To find locations and hours, please visit the web site.

Founded in 1947, Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona is one of the oldest nonprofit agencies in Arizona. There’s a neighborhood Goodwill near you, and donating and shopping at Goodwill means you are helping us work toward ending poverty through the power of work and promoting a sustainable environment. Last year, Goodwill reached more than 2 million donation occasions, including 901 donation drives to benefit local schools, nonprofits, and other efforts. Every year, Goodwill diverts nearly 200 million pounds of material from going directly into Arizona landfills. Thanks to your Goodwill, we are empowering individuals, strengthening families, and building stronger communities.