Goodwill Helps Teens Succeed
ROCKVILLE, MD — January is National Mentoring Month, and Goodwill Industries International is helping youth succeed by helping them overcome disadvantages and avoid delinquency through the Goodwill® GoodGuides® youth mentoring program. The effort is part of a national program that helps teens finish school and transition into productive careers through the guidance of trusted adults.
“Goodwill has a long history of helping people find work,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “A crucial part of that history is making sure that families are strong. GoodGuides can help keep youth who are at-risk get on the right path, away from trouble and toward a better future. That’s good for everyone involved.”
The GoodGuides program is made possible through a $19.1 million grant to Goodwill Industries International from the U.S. Department of Justice. The funds are dispersed to 56 independent Goodwill agencies around the country.
The overall goal of the Goodwill GoodGuides program is to help youth build career plans and skills, and prepare for school completion, post-secondary training and productive work by providing structured and supportive relationships with trusted adult mentors. It targets youth between the ages of 12 and 17 who are at-risk for dropping out of school, facing legal troubles, or at risk for delinquency due to issues such as abuse, disabilities, drug or alcohol dependence, or gang membership.
“Through GoodGuides, we are offering expanded mentoring services to the youth of our community,” said Gibbons. “Goodwill is recruiting, training and supporting volunteer mentors to engage youth in promoting their career development and life skills.”