Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma (Oklahoma City) received a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide supportive services to veteran families with very low incomes. Under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, the Goodwill will join forces with six other organizations that serve veterans to provide services designed to promote stability.
READ MORE from OK Goodwill Wins $1.4 Million to Provide Support Services to Veterans
A couple years ago, Goodwill Industries International instituted a program to help low-income individuals gain financial stability thanks to a grant from the Charles Schwab Foundation. In 2010, as part of this Schwab grant, Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana (Indianapolis) partnered with the Indianapolis Charles Schwab office to pilot the volunteer-based financial education program, Good Assets. Local Charles Schwab employees, as well as Goodwill® staff, teach financial education in a group setting. They also serve as financial coaches, meeting one-on-one with participants to advise on financial needs and goals. A financial coach’s roles include facilitating realistic goals, enhancing accountability and providing opportunities for practice so that participants can ultimately develop their own financial goals.
READ MORE from Volunteer-Based Financial Literacy Program Empowers Goodwill® Employees
Goodwill of North Georgia (Atlanta) runs two programs that train women in non-traditional jobs such as highway construction and carpentry: Women in Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional Occupations and Georgia Women in Highway Construction. Participants receive assistance in paying dues, obtaining transportation, obtaining apprenticeships, interview experience, resume preparation and more. “They really feel like [the program is] a brand-new start,” said Mandy Trowell, construction training program manager. “They knew they could do this, and they are just as tough as the men. Once they’ve gotten the job and maintained it, they’re able to really support their families for the first time in a lot of cases.”
The Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley (Dayton, OH) Rapid Employment Program, which operates out of space at a nearby homeless shelter, has helped 194 homeless men get back to work since its inception in October 2011. The program is part of the county's 10-Year Homeless Solutions Plan and has helped men find jobs ranging from cross country truck driving, to positions at McDonalds, in retail, in factories and as security guards.
READ MORE from Goodwill® Helps Homeless Men in Dayton Get Quickly Back to Work
The Prosperity Center at Goodwill Industries of Lane and South Coast Counties (Eugene, OR) opened in 2010 thanks to a community impact grant from United Way of Lane County. Since then, the center has helped 227 people improve their financial and employment situations through a unique one-on-one mentorship model made possible by local partnerships. The center’s participants are “members” not “recipients,” helped by five “prosperity planners,” not “case managers”—deliberate language that helps transition mindsets from reliance on social services to financial self-sufficiency.
Karl was struggling to find employment that would allow him to support himself and pay child support for his children. After connecting with Goodwill, he found the long-term job he needed. "I can take care of my kids. I am so proud," he says.
After falling in with the wrong crowd, Michael ended up in prison for 22 months. When he was released, he was determined to make a chance. He connected with Goodwill in Indiana and now works as a team lead for cleaning and janitorial services at the local VA hospital. "I try to be positive and help people," Michael says. "I love my job and those around me."
Daniel Owens was recovering from a relapse of his bipolar illness and living in debt when he came to Goodwill in Medford, OR. There, he connected with training and financial stability programs that helped him return to the workforce, and gained the support to start his own video production company.
To combat this cycle that often traps borrowers in debt due to predatory lending processes, Goodwill Industries of Central Virginia (Richmond) has partnered with the Virginia Credit Union and St. James Episcopal Church for almost two years now to offer an alternative to payday lending coupled with financial education and coaching. The program provides borrowers with a short-term loan that has many of the features of a payday loan—essentially a pay or cash advance—but with important distinctions aimed at helping borrowers transition away from a dependency on these high-cost alternative loans.
READ MORE from Goodwill’s ‘goodChoice’ Program in VA Helps People Break Lending Cycles
Pearline was two and half credits short of receiving her high school diploma when she connected with the Goodwill headquartered in Kalamazoo, MI. Thanks to their Life Guides program, she received the support she needed to be successful and return to school.
