Local Non-Profit Recognized at 2023 Governor’s Awards of Distinction
GREENSBORO, NC – Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Inc. (Triad Goodwill) was recently the recipient of the Outstanding Innovative Partnership Award at the 2023 Governor’s NCWorks Awards of Distinction ceremony. The local non-profit was recognized and awarded for their collaboration with GuilfordWorks and the Guilford County Reentry Council on the Fresh Start Initiative, which focuses on holistic support for the justice-involved population. The initiative includes training accessibility, employability workshops, employment placement, and access to community resource partners to address barriers facing individuals with justice involvement.
“We are so proud of the impact that the Fresh Start Initiative is making in our community,” says Celina McCrea, community & business engagement manager at Triad Goodwill. “It’s amazing to see this initiative address barriers for our job seekers from both angles— providing support to justice-involved individuals and increasing awareness of the benefits of engaging with this population among employers.”
The Fresh Start Reentry Initiative is an effort between Triad Goodwill and several local organizations including NCWorks Career Center, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office- Reentry Council, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, and Dismas Charities. Together, these organizations have created partnerships to facilitate career pathways through pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship to provide much needed income to individuals with justice involvement while they are in training. They have also formulated a full intake process for participants to address all barriers to self-sustaining employment and reduction of recidivism, such as securing acceptable identification documents, reliable transportation, adequate housing, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), food assistance, and disability services and benefits.
The initiative has supported a multitude of community events in the past year and plans to hold many more to continue serving the needs of the community and justice-involved population. To learn more about Triad Goodwill’s reentry programs, upcoming events, and other job training opportunities, please visit triadgoodwill.org.
About Triad Goodwill:Triad Goodwill (Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Inc.), a 501(c)(3) non-profit leader, promotes the value of work by providing career development services, skills training, and work opportunities for people with employment needs. In the past year, Triad Goodwill served 2,146 people in the community and helped place 304 workers in competitive employment with an average job placement pay upon entry at $18.34/hr. 85¢ of every dollar earned in Triad Goodwill stores supports their mission of Improving Lives and Enriching Communities Through the Power of Work.
####
