L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano G oodw ill of the O lympics and Rainier Region, headquartered in Tacoma, Wash., has been around for nearly a century. It was founded in 1922, some two decades after the national organization was founded in Boston by Rev. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister. Over the years, the local affiliates have helped Washington state resi- dents survive good times and bad. Although most people know Goodwill for its thrift stores, the nonprofit also supports job train- ing and placement, education and life skills. In the Olympics and Rainier region, this trans- lates to services for some 7,000 people in 15 western and south- western counties in Washington state. Whether student or veter- an, s enior citizen or unem- ployed, anyone w ho w alks through its doors is welcome to enroll in a job training or educa- tion program, completely free of cost. Nearly two years ago, Lori Forte Harnick was hired as presi- dent and chief executive officer of Goodwill's Olympics and Rainier region. Her background as a firs t-generation Italian American, coupled with her par- ents' personal journey, helped her understand and celebrate the value of cultural diversity, inter- national unders tanding and social justice. Harnick's parents emigrated from Italy as teenagers in the 1930s—her mother from Pescara and her father from Rome. They met in Connecticut and were married there in 1946. Harnick is the youngest of four daughters. "I loved growing up Italian and not just for the food," said Harnick. "My parents taught me by their example how to have the courage to explore a world beyond your comfort zone. I grew up very aware of other cul- tures and different languages, and as a result, I've focused my career on programs and projects with an international flavor." As often happens with immi- grants eager to assimilate, Har- nick's parents would speak Ital- ian with their peers, but English in the home. "They wanted us to fit in and be successful," she said, "and to do that, you needed to s peak Englis h. S o they focused on their English and also on our English." Harnick earned a bachelor of s cience degree in marketing from the University of Connecti- cut, followed by an MBA in international bus ines s from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her early career was spent working in pub- lic affairs, marketing and brand communication across diverse industries that included health care, automotive and informa- tion technology. In 2008, she moved with her husband and two children to the Pacific Northwest, where she had accepted a position with Microsoft as senior corporate communications director, fol- lowed by a stint as general man- ager of its Citizenship and Pub- lic Affairs office. After several years, she was given the oppor- tunity at Microsoft to follow her pas s ion—philanthropy and social service. Her new position was a lead- ership post with Microsoft Phil- anthropies, where she managed the software giant's $1 billion annual-giving program. On the job Harnick traveled extensively, visiting scores of countries and working with organizations large and small, including some non- profits in Italy. A fter nearly a decade at Microsoft, Harnick decided it w as time for a change. S he chos e to trans ition from the international arena to the region- al, focusing her talents on the local community and its philan- thropic needs. In April 2017, she became CEO at Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region where she oversees some 1,600 employees and a budget of $80 million. Goodwill is a social enter- prise, which means it's mostly self-sustaining. About 10 percent of its support comes from public and private donations and the rest from its retail shops, recy- cling operation and other money- making enterprises. The funds are fed back into the organization to finance job training, place- ment and support services. Most of the training programs are offered in Cowlitz and Pierce counties, but Harnick hopes to expand offerings to more coun- ties in the near future. Goodwill's training and edu- cation programs are diverse, pro- fessional and timely; more than 30 programs are available. A barista training program is tai- lored around the needs of the N orthw es t coffee culture. Offered to youth aged 16 to 24, the program is taught in a real- world café setting called The Coffee Buzz, which just com- pleted its ninth year in business. A culinary arts program, held at an in-house restaurant, The Neighborhood Bistro, is certified by the American Culinary Feder- ation. Attendees learn the basics of food preparation, cooking, customer service, cashiering and other skills to prepare them for entry-level food service jobs. Other programs address comput- er literacy, math competency, construction skills, GED comple- tion and financial education. "We're here to make a differ- ence in people's lives, not just in the short term but in the long term," said Harnick. "After they find a job, we support them with success coaches, for example. If they have trouble getting to work, we can help with trans- portation. We also have mentors and counseling services avail- able." In 2017, more than 1,400 peo- ple who participated in a Good- w ill training program in the Olympics and Rainier region were placed in jobs with compa- nies in the community. Some 600 employers hired Goodwill- trained graduates. H arnick relis hes her new position and the value that Good- will is bringing to the communi- ty. She believes it reflects posi- tively on the hopes and aspirations her parents carried with them when they came to the U.S. some 80 years ago. "I take pride in my heritage," she said, "and in the Italian- American experience. My par- ents worked hard and sacrificed a lot to give me a better life. I like to think my career is a way to honor them and all they did to help me succeed in their adopted country." RITA CIPALLA Lori Forte Harnick (far left) attends the opening of a tax center at the Tacoma Milgard Work Opportunity Center, where about 1,000 families receive free tax assistance. (Goodwill) Lori Forte Harnick and Goodwill: building a stronger community together Students who enter Goodwill's culinary program learn the basics of food prepa- ration and cooking, customer service, safety and sanitation along with food-ser- ving skills and cashiering. (Goodwill) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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