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Goodwill Industries Will Increase Aid to Returning citizens
By Asia Nail
Sojourner’s Truth Reporter
Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio is the recipient of a
Department of Justice, 2nd Chance grant totaling $999,974.
These funds will support a workforce development program for
returning citizens entitled, Stay the Course. The program
will target medium to high risk incarcerated individuals who
need help preparing to rejoin the community which includes
getting and retaining a job.
We all want to “Stay Woke,” yet with constant propaganda and hidden
media agendas it can be difficult to find the guiding light
on the path to #MakeAmericaSmartAgain.
However, if you, “think before you donate,” we think you’ll donate to
Goodwill.
And for good reason.
While most of you know Goodwill Industries as the place to donate your
used household goods, many of us are still unaware of their
mission.
Goodwill works to enhance people’s dignity and quality of life by
strengthening their communities, eliminating their barriers
to opportunity, and helping them reach their full potential
through learning and the power of work.
“Goodwill’s mission of helping people with barriers to
employment, linked with a job that can turn into a career,
is a perfect fit for this funding and grant opportunity,”
said Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio President and CEO
Amy Wachob.
“Returning citizens have barriers that many of us take for
granted; such as a driver’s license, a birth certificate,
work clothing or a resume detailing work experience. We are
grateful that the Department of Justice has taken notice of
the workforce challenges that exists for returning citizens
and has recognized our hard work in the reentry space by
awarding us this grant,” said Wachob.
Goodwill was founded in Boston by Reverend Edgar J. Helms, an early
social innovator who coined the Goodwill philosophy of “a
hand up, not a handout.”
There is a need for a deeper understanding of the relationship between
prison, people, and places. Community organizing is all
about building grassroots support. When everyday people
come together with a common goal, exceptional things happen.
“We received the Department of Labor grant for re-entry in 2016. This
is when we launched into the re-entry world,” shared Karyn
McConnell, Goodwill’s Director of both Mission Services and
Workforce Development.
The 2016 Department of Labor grant was to help returning citizens who
were yet in halfway houses find employment and training,
while helping with wrap around services directed at tackling
anything posing a barrier to potential employment for the
citizens.
“We have been helping people in halfway homes faithfully here at
Goodwill Industries for some time now, and very
successfully, might I add,” chimed Wachob humbly, during our
interview.
This new ‘Stay The Course’ grant is an opportunity to expand on
Goodwill’s previous work.
The 2019 Department of Justice grant will impact 150 individuals over
the next 48 months as Goodwill and Toledo Correctional
partner to better understand the challenges and identify
path- ways to potential workplace reentry solutions. The
new initiative will target both those in halfway houses and
now include those who are in prison transitioning back to
the workforce.
“The grant states we have a hard number of 150 but with a 48-month term
we have the chance to truly transform individual families
and our communities in tandem,” said Wachob.
This project is positioned to stimulate a more thorough understanding of
today’s reentry citizen. The primary use of the funds’
allotment is to allow wrap around services with the end goal
being employment.
“The citizens we help with reentry will model and reflect what the
prison population looks like. Our 2016 grant represented an
almost equal ratio of African-Americans to Caucasuians and
although Goodwill does not make this determination, we will
service anyone based on the grant criteria and its
non-discriminatory nature,” said McConnell.
Goodwill is also a part of the ReEntry Coalition, placing key employees
as board members as they work collectively. Every first
Wednesday of the month, they have a free resource fair for
returning citizens.
They are using every resource available to help individuals. “If child
support is an issue, if counseling is an issue, if addiction
arises...we have referring partners housed within the
coalition we can use to help individuals. Ohio Means Jobs is
a strategic partner as well and must not go without
mention,” stated McConnell.
“Some individuals may wonder why Goodwill is the recipient of this grant
because most members of our community know us for our stores
being a great place to donate, but we are most proud of
being recognized as premiere workforce development
provider. We have been providing workforce development
services since we've been here in Toledo since 1933, so this
grant which really does specialize and allow us the
opportunity to perform very in depth workforce development
services for individuals reentering our community. This
blends perfectly with our mission here at Goodwill of
helping people with disabilities and barriers to employment
get jobs, said Wachob, excitedly.
When asked how locals can help, Wachob shared,
“The community can HIRE individuals who are reentering the workplace.
Part of Goodwill’s ‘Stay The Course’ initiative is to break down the
stigma surrounding community members having a police record
of convictions.
Community business owners can show your support by opening your doors
and providing an opportunity for HIRE to returning
citizens. This is one HUGE way the community can help
Goodwill’s effort with this DOJ grant.
To put this into a different perspective, this award was given under the
second chance act.
The Second Chance Act in its title is giving individuals a second chance
at life.
“Understand, we are helping people returning from prison but we cannot
do this without the community’s help! We must not place a
stigma on these citizens. Even if it may be a citizens’
third or fourth chance...people deserve another chance.
Allow people to live in society without this stigma and help
employ them so they can get back on track and have a
productive future, ” stated McConnell.
“One of the great things about this grant is that it is 1 person or 1
family at a time. Our navigators will work individually with
returning citizens to find out their interests and what
career they want to have within their community. Then it is
our job to navigate through any barriers they may have
personally so they can ultimately have success garnering
employment,” said Wachob.
There are incentives and employer tax credits for interested businesses
willing to hire returning citizens. Contact Goodwill if you
are an owner who would like more information.
Goodwill Industries’ top program initiatives include two job connection
centers here in the Toledo area. Their services are FREE for
any job seeker who feels they may need help learning new
skills such as: resumes, online employment navigation,
interviewing, dressing for success, etc. These are walk-in
services and you will be assigned a personal navigator to
assist you.
Their Job Connection Center in collaboration with
ProMedica Ebeid Neighborhood
Promise (ENP) is located in on Madison Ave in
downtown Toledo. The other Job Center is embedded within the
Goodwill retail store located at the Deveaux Village
Shopping Center.
No appointments are needed and any walk of life can take advantage of
these free services.
Remember, most of us only donate things. Few donate opportunity. Now you
know who Goodwill is, what they do and most importantly WHY
they do so.
“Think before you
donate,” we think you’ll donate to Goodwill.
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