Goodwill Receives Funding to Support GoodPartner Coach Program

August 16, 2023 – Sarasota

Goodwill Manasota recently received a grant of $10,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation in support of Goodwill’s award-winning GoodPartner Coach program. These funds will help to offset the cost of one of Goodwill’s 11 GoodPartner Coaches.

The GoodPartner Coach program is provided to all of Goodwill’s team members but specifically targets employees within the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) population. The program offers individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment – of Goodwill’s 857 employees, approximately 70% have a documented disability or self-identified disadvantaging condition – employability skills training, financial literacy, and case management services. 

The goal of the program is to enable those who may have been overlooked elsewhere to gain positive personal and workplace behaviors and skills, feel the pride of earning a paycheck and move toward self-sufficiency, build a strong work history, and develop the experience and skills to position them for higher-paying jobs within the organization or outside of Goodwill.

In 2022, a significant number of Goodwill Manasota’s employees represented the following demographics: persons with disabilities, older workers, speaking a primary language other than English, lack of a high school diploma, and those who are justice involved. Individuals with significant barriers require more than just a job to move toward self-sufficiency; consequently, Goodwill provides each team member with full-time employment, a competitive wage (all employees earn at least $14 an hour), and a life coach.

“Our GoodPartner Coaches work with team members to do needs assessments to determine barriers to self-sufficiency and identify areas that could be strengthened through training as well as evaluate and assist with access to basic needs such as housing, food and healthcare,” said Margie Genter, vice president of mission services for Goodwill Manasota. “We are so grateful for the generous support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, which ensures that our GoodPartner Coach program can continue to work to boost the career and life prospects for our employees and their families.” 

The goals for the GoodPartner Coach program in 2023 are: to serve all 857 team members in setting and achieving life and work goals; provide ESOL classes to 31 employees as well as serve 20 team members who speak little or no English; assist 24 team members in earning a GED or high school diploma; help 85 team members to secure post-secondary certifications and/or degrees; assist 483 employees becoming Certified Role Model Workers to enhance employability skills; provide financial literacy training to 600 team members; assist 100 team members with digital literacy skills; and assist 66% of all team members in achieving at least one goal on their individualized development plans.

For more information about Goodwill, visit experiencegoodwill.org.