Meet Bob and Joyce Buerger
Advocates, donors and shoppers: these are only a few roles Bob and Joyce Buerger fulfill through their support of Goodwill Easter Seals.
The Buergers became acquainted with Goodwill Easter Seals when Bob joined the board of trustees over twenty years ago as a representative of DP&L. Goodwill Easter Seals’ fiscal responsibility and impact on the community is what inspired their long-term commitment.
“I’ve worked with a lot of local organizations and this is the best one at gathering and using resources,” says Bob. “Plus, it puts people to work who otherwise wouldn’t be.”
Joyce recalls taking goods to Goodwill collection points. “The employees who worked there would be smiling and confident. It’s an opportunity for them to feel good about themselves.”
“Our gifts help people to work with dignity. Everybody wants that. It’s not a give-away program” says Joyce.
As annual donors, Bob and Joyce support the agency’s endowment, a project Bob helped put into place. The Goodwill Easter Seals endowment supports programs that otherwise would not be available to our clients.
In addition to supporting the power of work, Bob and Joyce are happy that Goodwill Easter Seals is a leader in being environmentally correct. “People don’t realize how quickly the stores turn around,” says Bob. “Something you donate probably won’t end up in a landfill.” In fact, nine million pounds of unsellable donations are salvaged each year creating jobs and keeping those items out of landfills.
Bob and Joyce chose to make a legacy gift to Goodwill Easter Seals by including the organization in their will.
“Planned giving is a continuation of what we have done while alive” says Bob. If you don’t say ‘I want my money to go to Goodwill Easter Seals’, who will?
