For most people, Goodwill Industries is a place to find bargains on clothing and other items or a convenient way to dispose of things no longer wanted. But for many, it is the route to the best welfare program of all - a job.
"Our main focus is to empower people with disabilities or other disadvantages so that they can achieve their own maximum independence. The way that we do that is through our employment and our training programs for employment," says President and CEO David Cox.
In 2013, Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth touched 42,768 lives, including 22,063 who received employment services training for jobs, assistance in finding jobs and, in some cases, actual employment by Goodwill.
The thrift stores - there are 20 stores around the area and an outlet center at Goodwill's headquarters on Campus Drive - support the mission.
A centerpiece in the effort is Goodwill's North Texas Institute, where training for in-demand jobs is offered at reasonable rates. Scholarships are available. Courses include training in certification classes for Certified Nursing Assistant and Commercial Driver Licensees and Forklift Operator, as well as Medical Office Assistant and Rehabilitation Specialist training. "Somebody can come to Goodwill and get the training that they need, and then get a job to further their career goals," Cox said.
Goodwill's Job Resource Center in Hurst, and at several store locations, offers job search experts to help with one-on-one career counseling, resume writing and interviewing skills. There's no charge, and "anyone off the street can go in and take advantage of those types of services," Cox said.
But some people have disabilities or other disadvantages to employment - a criminal record is an example - that prevent or discourage placement in the competitive marketplace, and Goodwill fills a vital role in that area. "Goodwill International is the largest employer of people with disabilities in the entire world," Cox said. "A lot of those positions are packaging work. These workers will do some light assembly; they'll do packaging, collating and stapling for businesses that partner with us to provide these opportunities for people."
It is work for hire, but the programs aren't moneymakers. "We consider them more of a service than anything, because the employees who work on these contracts would otherwise not be employable in a competitive workforce, so we make these opportunities available," Cox said.
