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.