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Jitt Sepulveda was born and raised in the Philippines. In December 2004, he decided to join his wife in America and moved halfway around the world to a country he had only heard about. The move was daunting. Jitt knew very little about the English language and he wasn’t qualified to work in the United States. For nearly a year and a half, he depended on his wife for everything. Finally in 2006, the U.S. Government granted Jitt permanent residency, allowing him to seek employment.
Immediately, Jitt looked to his local Goodwill Career Center for help. The Career Center’s staff worked with Jitt matching local job opportunities with his own skills and interests. Within one week, Jitt had an interview with
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| a local company. “I never expected that I would get the job because I have no idea what it’s really like to live here in the U.S.” Through the communication skills he’s developing as a result of gaining competitive employment, Jitt is learning more about the American way. Each day his English improves and his confi dence grows. |
“The career center staff has
been awesome. They have
screened applications for us
and given us a rundown and
recommendation on each person.
We are extremely pleased.”
Dish Network
Human Resources Representative |
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Goodwill Career Centers provide a vast
range of supportive employment services to
individuals seeking career placement as well
as to companies seeking qualifi ed applicants.
Revenue generated from the sale of donated
items in Goodwill retail stores fi nancially
supports the Career Center’s services.
Services Offered:
Individuals can: |
- Learn how to prepare an
effective resume
- Use computers and online job banks
to search for jobs
- Fax and email applications/resumes
- Conduct business focused research
using the resource library
- Make copies
- Use phones to call employers
- Utilize staff to assit with job
searches
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Employers can: |
- Utilize career center staff to
prescreen job applicants
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- Use classrooms and conference rooms
to hold career fairs & orientations
- Use classrooms and conference rooms to interview applicants
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The Result:
Anyone, no matter their economic background, age, educational level or place of residency, can visit Goodwill’s Career Centers and receive supportive employment services. Once employed, these individuals contribute positively to their respective communities, easing poverty and unemployment.
For More Information:
Contact Drenda Davis-Jackson
Career Center Manager
Telephone (229) 317-0970 ext. 209
djasckson@gwisr.org
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“I still want to pinch myself,” said Shanesia Winston and with good reason. In just one year, the 23 year old single mother of two bought her first house and started her own company, Expert Cleaning Concepts. “I had been saving for it for about a year,” she said. However, Shanesia knew little about commercial cleaning and needed formal training before getting her company off the ground. A friend told her about Goodwill’s Custodial Training Program. “I didn’t know Goodwill did any training or anything like that,” said Shanesia, “I had always donated to Goodwill, but then thought why when they just keep it and sell it?” Shortly thereafter, her perception of Goodwill changed. “When I got in the class, I understood what the money was used for
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and it made me look at Goodwill differently,” she added.
Now, licensed, bonded and insured, Expert Cleaning Concepts maintains a vast list of commercial clients, solidifying Shanesia’s dream of owning her own company. |
Shanesia admits, Goodwill made a
difference in her life. She’s able to
take her children to school in the
morning, go to work and be her
own boss. When the day is done,
she can attend PTA meetings or
simply come home and be a mom. |
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Goodwill’s Custodial Training Program provides participants with a detailed and structured hands-on learning experience. The course, which is certifi ed by Spartan Chemical, lasts five weeks and offers students a complete study of commercial cleaning. Classes incorporating such topics as money management, leadership and being a dependable employee are also taught. In addition, participants receive a small stipend for their work and assistance with career placement.
Skills Learned:
Graduates receive certifications in: |
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Restroom Cleaning
- Offi ce Cleaning
- Carpet Cleaning
- Hard Floor Care
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The Result:
Participants qualify for higher paying, more competitive positions unavailable to them previously due to the level of cleaning expertise required. |
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Who’s eligible?
Anyone over the age of 16 who has the ability to stand for 6-8 hours, lift up to 25lbs and tolerate various temperatures is eligible to enroll in the Custodial Training Program; however, many participants are referred. In many cases, referring agencies help supplement training costs.
For More Information:
Contact Lisa Mayo
Custodial Case Manager
1-866-325-8265 ext. 1836
lmayo@gwisr.org
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Darrell Marshall never envisioned that he would ever feel helpless. He had a good job, a car and his health, but in one day, he lost it all. “I ran a stop sign when my breaks failed and hit a tree head on,” Darrell recalled. The accident crushed one of Darrell’s legs so severely doctors had to reconstruct it with pins and a rod. They told him he would never be the same. “My doctor said I wouldn’t be able to do construction work anymore,” said Darrell. In debt and with nothing to fi ll the void, Darrell was referred to Goodwill’s Work Adjustment Training Program. “I was thinking…this isn’t going to work,” he said, “How could Goodwill benefi t me?” But it did. “It gave me something to do everyday,” Darrell added. It also helped pay the bills. As a participant in the program, Darrell was paid for the hours he worked.
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| More importantly, the training program inspired Darrell to have faith in the one thing he needed to believe in most, himself. “I didn’t have a car or transportation to work so I had to ride my bicycle,” he said. The exercise rehabilitated Darrell’s leg and made him realize his injury was not a hindrance. Confident and proud, Darrell expressed immense appreciation for the help he received, “I think it’s a miracle that Goodwill exists.” |
As a result of the Work Adjustment
Training Program, Darrell also
completed Goodwill’s Custodial
Training Program. He found two jobs
and with his savings was able to buy a
car. He hopes to one day buy a modest
home. Two bedrooms and two baths he
said would suit him just fine. |
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Both Work Evaluation and Work Adjustment enable clients to secure and maintain competitive employment through use of real work experience, case management and placement assistance.
The Programs:
Work Evaluation: This is a 10 day program in which clients are evaluated on existing work skills including, but not limited to: |
- Communication
- Supervisor/Employee relations
- Business ethics
- Money management
- Physical and cognitive abilities
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Based on the evaluation, case managers will recommend: |
- That the client receive immediate assistance with career placement at which time additional aid, if necessary, is provided to ensure a successful job search. Additional aid can include childcare referrals and bus passes.
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| Or |
- Case managers may recommend that the client continue to develop his/her work skills in Work Adjustment.
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Work Adjustment: This is a 3-6 month program combining supervised case management and job coaching, enabling clients to sharpen and develop work skills by working along side existing Goodwill employees.
The Result:
Clients are better equipped to secure and
maintain competitive employment because
they have learned, for example, how to: |
- Work effectively with supervisors
- Maintain a structured work schedule
- Communicate with others appropriately
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Who’s eligible?
Clients are accepted into Work Evaluation and Work Adjustment following referrals from a variety of community based agencies.
For More Information:
Contact Christina Patterson
Director of Workforce Development
1-866-325-8262 ext.1838
cpatterson@gwisr.org
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Jacinda Johnson had fi nally settled into her apartment, decorated and had everything just the way she liked it. Pictures of family and friends adorned her bedroom walls; her work clothes hung neatly in the closet. Then in a flash, her life changed.
Just one spark and a neighbor’s call to 911 is all it took. In a matter of minutes, fl ames stemming from the apartment next door erupted through the roof. Police offi cers and fire trucks quickly fi lled the street. Jacinda was unaware her apartment was in peril until she returned from work and found fi re hose lines scattered across the street. When it was over, she discovered much of what she owned had been |
| destroyed either by fi re or water damage. “I didn’t know how I was going to replace these items because it took me so long to purchase them in the beginning,” she said. Through Goodwill’s partnership with the local Red Cross, Jacinda received vouchers redeemable at Goodwill stores. “I purchased bedroom furniture, a mattress and box spring, pots and pans, dishes and towels,” she said. “I don’t think words could ever say thank you enough.” |
Through Goodwill’s partnership
with the local Red Cross, Jacinda
received vouchers redeemable at
Goodwill stores. |
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Each year Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers distributes up to $50,000 worth of vouchers across its 50 county region in Georgia and East Alabama. Community agencies and organizations whose mission addresses social and economic crises as well as natural disasters, as first responders, distribute the vouchers on behalf of Goodwill.
Goodwill Partners:
Partners qualified to distribute Goodwill vouchers can include, but are not limited to: |
- School counselors
- The Red Cross and other community agencies
- Department of Family and Children’s Services
- Religious service providers
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How the Vouchers Work:
The vouchers are: |
- Similar to gift certificates
- Can be redeemed at any store operated by Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers Inc.
- Can be used to purchase anything: clothing, housewares, furniture
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The Result:
Individuals and families are provided access to a cost effective means of replacing destroyed items or items that are needed, but not easily affordable through traditional retail outlets.
How do I get a Voucher?
Vouchers are only available through agencies or organizations that have established a partnership with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers.
For More Information:
Contact Kari Finley
Marketing & Communications Specialist
1-866-325-8265 ext. 1826
kfinley@gwisr.org
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