The Power of Education and Employment
Recognizing a pressing need to create economic mobility for low- to medium-income communities, Goodwill has always sought to transform lives and communities through the power of education and employment. Over a century after its founding, Goodwill now has a service footprint in 17 countries, with revenue from its retail stores funding job training and other impactful services to prepare individuals for job success.
Local Goodwill agencies help individuals overcome challenges to build skills, find jobs, and grow their careers through the power of work. Their programs serve a range of individuals experiencing disadvantaged conditions or living with differing abilities that have created barriers to securing meaningful employment.
Changing Lives in D.C. Through Employment, Training and Housing
With the intention of fostering economic mobility for low- to medium-income communities and communities of color, Truist Foundation provided $200,000 to Goodwill of Greater Washington (GGW), located in Washington D.C., to expand Goodwill’s Workforce Development and Education Programs and its Goodwill Excel Center Adult Charter High School.
This funding helped to facilitate the expansion of the Excel Center to a second school site, enabling GGW to serve 425 District residents in 2022. Participants can earn their high school diploma, career-recognized certifications, and assistance pursuing direct pathways to employment or college. Employer partners are also actively involved in the training and help with mock interview preparation for students.
"Through our programs, there are grandmothers and grandsons who have graduated high school together, and there are husbands and wives who have done the same… it is really amazing and makes the hair on your arms stand up." – Brendan Hurley, Chief of Collaboration, Communication & Marketing for Goodwill of Greater Washington
