During the workweek, hungry lunchtime shoppers near the Goodwill Industries-Suncoast (St. Petersburg, FL) Ocala Outlet store on West Silver Springs Boulevard now have a unique option: hot dogs from a cart managed by nine participants in the Goodwill Adult Day Training Program.
READ MORE from FL Program Participants Turn Hot Dog Cart into Self-Sustaining Business
RESPECT of Florida — a statewide program that assists participating nonprofit organizations — recognized Goodwill Industries of the Big Bend (Tallahassee, FL) as Florida’s best nonprofit providing service-related employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
READ MORE from FL Goodwill Earns State Recognition for Employment Services
Wayne decided to leave behind his successful career with the Port of Trinidad in order to move to the United States and be with his newborn son. He found work as a manual labor, but was forced to stop after his doctors discovered he had congestive heart failure. With Goodwill's support, he found a position that allows him to use his skills while not risking his health.
Wall Street Mission Goodwill Industries (Sioux City, IA) recently celebrated the launch of its Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program aimed at finding employment for homeless veterans in Sioux Falls, SD. The Sioux City Goodwill plans to enroll 55 homeless veterans in the program. When many of these veterans return home from active duty, they become chronically homeless, living out of cars, outside or on friends’ couches. Of the Sioux Falls area’s homeless population, veterans make up 11 to 20 percent.
READ MORE from Homeless Veterans to Get Leg Up from Goodwill® in Sioux Falls, SD
Stephanie separated from her husband and had a hard time making ends meet and supporting her daughters. Goodwill's Beyond Jobs program for single mothers helped connect her to training and employment opportunities, and taught her how to budget. She now has a full-time job and a house for her two girls. She says, "It feels good to know all my hard work has paid off."
Even with support from agencies like Goodwill®, pathways out of poverty for the unemployed aren’t always clear. A new partnership between Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s Heartland (Battle Creek) and key community organizations is helping individuals living at 200 percent below the poverty level connect with education, work experience and certification in order to gain guaranteed employment.
READ MORE from Central Michigan Pilot Program Gives Job Seekers an EDGE in Sector Employment
Tabitha had split up with her husband and was living in a homeless shelter when she first heard about Goodwill. Staff helped her sharpen her job search and interview skills, and connected her with a position at a local hospital. Since getting hired, she has reunited with her husband and says her family is doing great.
When deciding to open its first satellite office in the Augusta area, Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA’s Job Connectionsm chose the Salvation Army’s Kroc Center to work closely with other community resources and to help serve new clients. The Kroc Center’s First Stop Family Service Center is a facility where people in need can receive assistance through a partnership of social service organizations such as Goodwill Industries.
READ MORE from Goodwill®, Salvation Army Join Forces to Jump Start Careers in Augusta, GA
Following a stroke as a baby, Crystal experienced challenges with motor control and motor skills. She intended to pursue a career in the movies; however, she faced a hard dose of reality after moving to California and eventually ended up back in Texas. Hear Crystal's story of how she linked up with Goodwill and is now giving back to her community.
When Carolyn found out she was going to be losing her job of 13 years, she knew she needed to update her skills in order to find new work. She connected with Goodwill's medical office training program, which also allowed her to update her Microsoft skills. After being placed through a temp agency, she was eventually hired on full time to work for the Huntington Fire Department.
