Goodwill Industries

November 25, 2009

GOODWILL® TO HELP MENTOR TEENS
Justice Department Grant to Fight Juvenile Delinquency

Goodwill Industries® of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina is proud to launch a new program in Greenville designed to assist youth in overcoming disadvantages and avoiding delinquency. The effort is part of a national mentoring program known as Goodwill® GoodGuidesthat helps teens finish school and transition into productive careers through the guidance of trusted adults.

“Goodwill has a long history of helping people find work,” said Patrick Michaels, Goodwill’s President and CEO. “A crucial part of that history is making sure that families are strong. Goodwill GoodGuides can help keep youth who are at-risk get on the right path, away from trouble and toward a better future. That’s good for everyone involved.”

The Goodwill GoodGuides program in Greenville is made possible through a two-year, $299,723 grant to Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina. The donation is part of a $19.1 million award to Goodwill Industries International from the U.S. Department of Justice and dispersed to 56 independent Goodwill agencies around the country.

The overall goal of the Goodwill GoodGuides program is to help youth build career plans and skills, and prepare for school completion, post-secondary training and productive work by providing structured and supportive relationships with trusted adult mentors. It targets youths between the ages of 12 and 17 who are at-risk for dropping out of school, facing legal troubles, or are at risk for delinquency due to issues such as abuse, disability, drug or alcohol dependence, or gang membership.

“With Goodwill GoodGuides, we will be able to offer expanded mentoring services to the youth of our community,” said Becky Godbey, Goodwill’s Vice President of Career Development Services. “Goodwil will recruit, train and support volunteer mentors to engage youth in promoting their career development and life skills.”

The Goodwill GoodGuides program will launch on January 11, 2010 in Greenville. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer mentor or know of a youth who would benefit from this program, please call 864-351-0100.

Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina helps people with disabilities and special needs become independent citizens through education, training, and employment leading to job placement.  In the past year, Goodwill assisted 17,849 people in their quest for independence and created a potential economic impact of over $47 million through the wages of the 2,839 people placed into employment.

 

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