SARASOTA/BRADENTON, FL – Goodwill Manasota recently celebrated the five-year anniversary of its Job Connection location at Turning Points. The organizations have partnered in an effort to provide access to Goodwill’s free career services for community members who are homeless or at-risk.
Located at the Bill Galvano One Stop Center in Bradenton, Turning Points provides a wide variety of services aimed at preventing and ending homelessness in our community. Resources range from showers and laundry services to comprehensive medical and dental care.
Goodwill Manasota’s Job Connection program provides free job-placement services to individuals seeking community-based jobs. Participants receive assistance in assessing their career goals, preparing strong resumes and cover letters, identifying prospective employers, and conducting successful job interviews. Since the partnership began in 2013, Goodwill has placed 339 individuals receiving assistance from Turning Points in jobs suiting their interests and skill sets.
One recent success story is that of Matthew Morrill. He was born in Seoul, Korea and abandoned at a very young age by his parents. After a period of homelessness, Morrill was taken in at a Korean orphanage and soon adopted by an American couple in Maryland. By the time he was 16, both of his adoptive parents had passed away and he found himself homeless once again. After several years of crisscrossing the country, Morrill ended up in Bradenton, eventually making his way to Turning Points and Goodwill’s Job Connection.
Morrill was eager to find work but the only form of ID he had was an uncertified copy of his naturalization paperwork. Kathleen Goeller, Goodwill’s career development facilitator at the Turning Points Job Connection, worked with Morrill to help him get an ID so that he could find employment and get back on his feet. After nine weeks, he finally obtained a State of Florida ID card. Goeller had already identified 16 potential employers; just days after receiving his ID, he got a job.
“If not for services like those provided by Turning Points and Goodwill Manasota, who would I have turned to for this kind of guidance and support?” asked Morill.
“Our partnership with Turning Points has provided the perfect opportunity for us to help change the lives of community members who may have otherwise had nowhere to turn for support and guidance,” said Bob Rosinsky, president and CEO of Goodwill Manasota. “Through cooperation with other agencies, we are able to take our expertise in career services and get help to diverse populations who might benefit. We are grateful to Turning Points for serving as a wonderful and committed partner.”
For more about Goodwill, go to experiencegoodwill.org or call (941) 355-2721.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With the sales of donated goods and philanthropic donations, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment by providing job skills training and employment opportunities. In 2017, Goodwill Manasota served 11,672 people, placed 555 people in jobs, assisted 360 veterans as they reintegrated back into the civilian workforce, and provided 19,540 hours of on-the-clock training for its employees. Goodwill Manasota’s economic impact back to the community is worth $92.1 million. Goodwill is one of the pioneers of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement and this past year diverted more than 41 million pounds out of the landfill. Goodwill Manasota is accountable to a local Board of Directors. Goodwill Manasota, in essence, belongs to this community and is not owned by any individual or company. For more information, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org.