When most people think of Goodwill Industries, they think of things like the well publicized vehicle donation program. They think of the donation centers and all of the community works that are undertaken by the organization. That is all well and good, but there is a little bit more to Goodwill Industries than just vehicle donation.
The people at Goodwill in the Washington, D.C. area are working really hard to make real life changes to the metro area. Chief among their projects is a new job training program, which looks to put people in position to obtain gainful employment. This is especially important now, as jobs are difficult to come by. If people in the area are going to be employed, they have to have the necessary skills to stand out in a difficult climate.
This is one of the most important projects that Goodwill Industries puts on, in addition to its vehicle donation program. In these trying times, the folks at Goodwill have realized that helping the community is about much more than taking up donations and helping out during the holidays. It is much more about doing things to enhance the community and its future. With the new job training programs, people get necessary skills training to help them succeed in interviews and to help them succeed when they actually gain employment.
The good thing about the program, at least in D.C., is that it teaches not only the hard skills of getting the job done, but also the other skills associated with workplace success. How do I dress? What do I say? What does it take to have big time success? These are all very real questions, so they are things that the program works hard to instill in participants.
While you might hear more about vehicle donation than any of the other Goodwill Industries programs, know that they are doing more than just taking up collections to help the community. Though vehicle donation remains chief among their charity efforts, this is one program that is putting people in the position for both instant and sustained success.
