Goodwill Helps Communities Thrive
Goodwill programming helps communities thrive by training transferable job skills
Most people have heard of Goodwill thrift stores and the organization’s overall mission to alleviate the
barriers posed by poverty across North America. Many of us have even shopped or donated at our local store, which is fantastic. But chances are, you probably have not thought too much more about what Goodwill does.
With the revenue generated by the sale of donated items, Goodwill provides a critical service that helps uplift community members, beyond what you might think about. Despite being less recognized, this service is essential and deserves highlighting.
For over a century, one of Goodwill’s core missions has been to prepare residents of the communities it
operates out of for the “jobs of today and tomorrow.” Today, hundreds of thousands of people do not have the skills to thrive in our increasingly digital workplace. Goodwill provides the training and support to help those job seekers gain the expertise and tools they need to participate fully in today’s job market.
Nationwide, Goodwill works with different partners such as Google and Microsoft to offer technical skills education and certifications, giving them proficiency in in-demand areas for employers. And they’re successful at it, too. Goodwill of San Francisco Bay, for example, reports that 84% of their placed trainees are still employed a year later. This is an excellent program, not only for local job seekers, but employers in search of qualified talent, too. All too often, those who possess the determination and resilience to learn new skills and become valuable workers are simply missing the resources to access the necessary training. Goodwill’s programs remove these barriers, uplifting not only these individuals but entire communities as well.
Whether it’s because of immigration status, financial background, or any other number of potential reasons, Goodwill believes everyone deserves a path to building a stable career and uses the revenue generated through their thrift stores to offer a hand up.
As almost every community has a local Goodwill, there is a lot you, personally, can do to raise awareness for this fantastic service. Most importantly, raising awareness within your circles; whether it be a church or volunteer groups, networking channels, social media, or other forums. Oftentimes, the people who could benefit from this training most aren’t aware of its existence, and your promotion of it could be the difference between them receiving the help or not. Likewise, continue to support your local Goodwill by shopping and donating; this funding makes uplifting human lives and communities possible.
