Volunteer with Goodwill Industries’ Mentoring Program, Steve Purich, Receives International Award

JOHNSTOWN, PA, May 8, 2012—Steve Purich of Johnstown has been named the Elsine Katz Volunteer Leader of the Year by Goodwill Industries International (GII) for his community volunteerism and leadership with Goodwill of the Southern Alleghenies’s (Goodwill’s) GoodGuides^® Youth Mentoring Program. Goodwill nominated Purich for this award for his tireless efforts in advocating youth mentoring, leading volunteer recruitment, and encouraging business leaders to serve as mentors for youth in the region.

Purich, a retired financial planner with a 42-year career, has volunteered more than 800 hours in two years with Goodwill’s GoodGuides Program. Leading by example, he became a trained mentor and has personally recruited more than 40 volunteer mentors. He has also served as a mentor himself for six youth on a consistent basis and actively assists Goodwill staff with many projects throughout the year, throughout the community.

Through his efforts, Purich was instrumental in organizing “safe mentoring sites” throughout the community. He coordinated with leaders and representatives of more than 20 organizations to ensure that these sites provide positive support for youth.

In her nomination letter, Phyllis J. Bandstra, Goodwill’s President & CEO wrote, “While building his Community Intervention Plan and identifying area organizations to join forces, Steve learned about our GoodGuides Program that we launched in January 2010 and called a meeting with our key staff. Since that meeting, Steve has been highly instrumental in supporting our mission. In May 2011, our agency recognized and honored Steve as one of our Collaborative Partners of the Year for his initiation, involvement, and dedication to the GoodGuides Program.”

The Elsine Katz Volunteer Leader of the Year Award is given to a local Goodwill Industries volunteer in recognition of outstanding leadership and service to a member Goodwill Industries organization. It is named in honor of the late Mrs. Elsine Katz, a past president of Goodwill Industries Volunteer Services at Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee (Nashville) who endowed the award.

For his volunteerism and leadership, Purich will receive his award at GII’s annual Delegate Assembly meeting in Miami, Florida on June 24, which he will attend with Goodwill staff members.

For more information on Goodwill’s GoodGuides Youth Mentoring Program, please contact Cindy O’Connor, Program Manager at (814) 536-3536, ext. 304 or coconnor@goodwilljohnstown.org.

Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley (GICV), Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1962 to empower individuals and families with employment barriers to achieve their fullest potential in the community through work services. Headquartered in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, GICV serves individuals with disabilities and disadvantages, dislocated workers, youth, and other job seekers throughout south central Pennsylvania in the counties of Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Indiana, Somerset and a portion of Westmoreland by providing education and career services as well as job placement and postemployment supports. GICV is a community-based member organization of Goodwill Industries International, a 179-member network in the U.S., Canada, and 13 other countries. Learn more at www.gicv.org.