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At Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, we deeply value Black History Month as a time to celebrate and honor the significant contributions of Black Americans. This Black History Month, we stand with many others in recognizing the past, present and future achievements of Black Americans. Their contributions have been instrumental in shaping America into what it is today.

We also honor the vital role Black Americans play in the workforce. Their diverse perspectives, talents, and leadership are essential to driving innovation and growth. Recognizing and supporting Black Americans in the workforce is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and dynamic work environment, which ultimately strengthens workforce development.

Goodwill remains unwavering in its commitment to ensuring that everyone and everything matters. We are dedicated to serving all people with excellence.

Stay tuned throughout the month as we highlight the achievements of team members, program participants, and community partners who inspire us every day.

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is excited to announce that the Goodwill Opportunity Campus, located at 5301 Wilkinson Boulevard, is serving as an early voting site this election season. This marks the first time that Goodwill will play this role in expanding voting access for the West Charlotte community, helping strengthen civic engagement in the area.

EXPANDING ACCESS TO VOTING

In partnership with the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections, the Goodwill Opportunity Campus will provide a convenient location for residents to cast their votes. Early voting begins on Thursday, October 17 and runs through Saturday, November 2, offering a wide window for voters to make their voices heard.

EARLY VOTING HOURS:

The early voting site at the Goodwill Opportunity Campus will be open during the following hours from October 17 – November 2:

The goal is to provide flexibility for voters who may have varying schedules, ensuring as many community members as possible can take advantage of early voting.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Opening the Goodwill Opportunity Campus as an early voting site is part of Goodwill’s broader mission to serve the community beyond our well-known job training and employment services. By making voting more accessible to West Charlotte residents, Goodwill is helping foster a more engaged and informed community. It’s one more way Goodwill supports the area’s growth and well-being.

For more information on how to participate in early voting, visit the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website.

Black Philanthropy Month (BPM), established in 2011 by Dr. Jacqueline Copeland-Carson of Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Network with recognition by the United Nations, is celebrated globally every August to elevate African-descent giving and funding equity. Since its founding, millions of people and organizations across the globe have celebrated every August as a month of celebration and renewal of giving to and by African-descent communities. 

At Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, it’s our mission to build pathways that help people pursue the life they want to achieve. Success isn’t achieved alone, which is why we encourage partnership and collaboration to help our team and the people we serve in achieving their goals. As a nonprofit, we rely on donations and shopping at our retail stores to fund our mission, in addition to corporate and philanthropic donations.  

Nick and Regina Wharton, longtime donors of Goodwill, share why giving is important and why they choose to support Goodwill.

Q: Why is it important to give?

Regina: “Giving helps to put you at the center of what community stands for — no one makes it on their own.  As my mother would often say, no matter how much you think you have somebody has more. And no matter how little you think you have somebody has less. Keep life in perspective and give what you can to our community to make a difference.”  

Nick: “I believe in strategic partnerships based on authentic collaboration with organizations doing extraordinary work in the community.”

Q: Why is it important to give to Goodwill?

Regina: “Simply stated Goodwill does good work! I was honored to serve on the board for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, so I gained a lot of knowledge about Goodwill and the difference the organization makes in our community.  It also meant a lot for us to honor my father who worked in the trades as an elevator repair person and business owner.  It’s a reminder that we come from a family that has benefited from what Goodwill stands for.” 

Nick: “I think it’s so important that those who have give to organizations that are making a difference. A lot of organizations are involved in the movement to change the economic trajectory of the city. Goodwill is among the organizations making an extraordinary impact on jobs in the city.” 

Q: How important is it to be leaders as Black philanthropists?

Regina: “To whom much is given, much is required!  We have been blessed to be a blessing to others.  We give as much as we can, and we have raised responsible adults that also give. Knowing we have been a role model for them matters to us. Give what you can and collectively it makes a difference.”

Q: Where does your sense of community come from?

Nick: “My mother raised three sons in a tough working-class community in Jamaica, Queens, NYC. I benefitted from rich community support systems that nurtured my growth and development. My entire career as a nonprofit executive and in the corporate arena has been providing economic opportunities to those left behind. These experiences have hard wired a desire to see people change their lives in communities that embrace and nurture change.

Q: How can someone’s involvement help others in the community?

Regina: “Involvement is all about building awareness!  A lot of times you don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes unless you get involved. Once you get involved you will find out the many ways you can make a difference with your time and treasure.  I take every opportunity I can to mention the Goodwill Opportunity Campus — where it’s located, the good work that’s happening with programs & services, and what’s behind the retail stores!”  

— 

If you would like to help fund Goodwill’s programs and services that we offer to the community free of charge, consider dropping off your gently used donations at one of our locations or making a financial contribution.

Black Philanthropy Month (BPM), established in 2011 by Dr. Jacqueline Copeland-Carson of Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Network with recognition by the United Nations, is celebrated globally every August to elevate African-descent giving and funding equity. Since its founding, millions of people and organizations across the globe have celebrated every August as a month of celebration and renewal of giving to and by African-descent communities. 

At Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, it’s our mission to build pathways that help people pursue the life they want to achieve. Success isn’t achieved alone, which is why we encourage partnership and collaboration to help our team and the people we serve in achieving their goals. As a nonprofit, we rely on donations and shopping at our retail stores to fund our mission, in addition to corporate and philanthropic donations.  

Nick and Regina Wharton, longtime donors of Goodwill, share why giving is important and why they choose to support Goodwill.

Q: Why is it important to give?

Regina: “Giving helps to put you at the center of what community stands for — no one makes it on their own.  As my mother would often say, no matter how much you think you have somebody has more. And no matter how little you think you have somebody has less. Keep life in perspective and give what you can to our community to make a difference.”  

Nick: “I believe in strategic partnerships based on authentic collaboration with organizations doing extraordinary work in the community.”

Q: Why is it important to give to Goodwill?

Regina: “Simply stated Goodwill does good work! I was honored to serve on the board for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, so I gained a lot of knowledge about Goodwill and the difference the organization makes in our community.  It also meant a lot for us to honor my father who worked in the trades as an elevator repair person and business owner.  It’s a reminder that we come from a family that has benefited from what Goodwill stands for.” 

Nick: “I think it’s so important that those who have give to organizations that are making a difference. A lot of organizations are involved in the movement to change the economic trajectory of the city. Goodwill is among the organizations making an extraordinary impact on jobs in the city.” 

Q: How important is it to be leaders as Black philanthropists?

Regina: “To whom much is given, much is required!  We have been blessed to be a blessing to others.  We give as much as we can, and we have raised responsible adults that also give. Knowing we have been a role model for them matters to us. Give what you can and collectively it makes a difference.”

Q: Where does your sense of community come from?

Nick: “My mother raised three sons in a tough working-class community in Jamaica, Queens, NYC. I benefitted from rich community support systems that nurtured my growth and development. My entire career as a nonprofit executive and in the corporate arena has been providing economic opportunities to those left behind. These experiences have hard wired a desire to see people change their lives in communities that embrace and nurture change.

Q: How can someone’s involvement help others in the community?

Regina: “Involvement is all about building awareness!  A lot of times you don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes unless you get involved. Once you get involved you will find out the many ways you can make a difference with your time and treasure.  I take every opportunity I can to mention the Goodwill Opportunity Campus — where it’s located, the good work that’s happening with programs & services, and what’s behind the retail stores!”

If you would like to help fund Goodwill’s programs and services that we offer to the community free of charge, consider dropping off your gently used donations at one of our locations or making a financial contribution.

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont (GISP) is announcing its participation in the newly formed “Beyond the Cliff” Coalition. This Coalition is a first-of-its-kind national collaborative of nonprofits, state and local governments, and collaborative stakeholders focused on helping families achieve economic prosperity and specifically eliminating the benefits cliff. The benefits cliff describes the experience that millions of low-income families face when they increase earnings only to face an abrupt loss in public assistance which leaves them worse off financially.

While GISP is a leading workforce development nonprofit and works hard to create access to promising careers for individuals, the organization is aware of the challenges many team members face, and is working to address those obstacles for its team and community through an effort called the Benefits Cliff Community Lab.

GISP already leads a regional coalition of organizations advocating for policies that address benefits cliffs and aid workers in career progression and businesses in hiring and retaining talent. The coalition aims to change the narrative and provide solutions for individuals and families seeking prosperity. They also provide employers with resources on evidence-based practices, programs, and policies designed to mitigate the impact of the benefits cliff and drive upward economic mobility.

“Goodwill is committed to building pathways that help people pursue the life they want to achieve, and that includes our own team members. As we continue to increase wages for our team members, we are committed to finding solutions to address the impact of benefits cliffs and remove as many obstacles as possible so they can prosper and thrive,” said Chris Jackson, President & CEO, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont.

Recently, GISP, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Freedom Communities and Atrium Health presented to the Joint Legislative Economic Development and Global Engagement Committee at the North Carolina General Assembly about addressing the benefits cliff. Together they shared about the importance of addressing the benefits cliffs and the positive impact it can have for North Carolina workers and their families – and for businesses. They proposed the committee establish a legislative task force to come up with solutions to the benefits cliff.

Brittany Birken, Community and Economic Development Director and Principal Adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta*, studies the impact of benefit cliffs on individuals and communities and served in an advisory capacity in the formation of this collaborative. She said, “Bringing together these innovative efforts to address the benefits cliff has the potential to identify the solutions needed to increase family economic mobility, meet employers’ talent needs, and ensure that the economy is working for everyone.”

The Coalition is being led by Martha O’Bryan Center with funding support from Kresge Foundation. The inaugural members of the Coalition include:

In addition, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) will serve in an advisory capacity.

“At Martha O’Bryan, we seek solutions to the root causes of poverty.  We are very excited about leading this coalition focused on eliminating the benefits cliff. As an antipoverty organization, we believe families can rise out of poverty in one generation. We recognize that that has not been true in all places for all people. Solving this issue is an important step toward expanding the landscape of opportunity for all families,” Marsha Edwards CEO & President, Martha O Bryan Center.

Before Mark started working at Goodwill in 2016, he was looking for a chance to start a career but had some roadblocks in the way.   

“I moved from California in 2008. But before that, I had been in prison for 12 years,” Mark shared. “Coming here was a fresh start. But when [companies] saw my record, nobody wanted to give me a fresh start.”

Mark owned a cleaning company, but the income was too inconsistent, so he came to Goodwill looking for some help with his job search 

“I went to Goodwill for resume help, but then I started working in the stores,” he said. “The store manager told me the first day, ‘You should be in management.’ Six months to a year later, she promoted me to Shift Manager and then Assistant Manager.”

As an Assistant Manager, Mark says that every day brings something different to his position.

“I like being flexible. I like the freedom and the opportunity to do a little bit of everything. I like talking and laughing with the customers and seeing people find a gem that they’ve been looking for,” he shared. 

Finding a position at Goodwill helped Mark build a life with more stability. 

“It helped me mentally and financially, because mentally, I was beaten up. Everybody was telling me no. In the eight years that I’ve been here, I’ve barely missed a day. Goodwill saw my record, and they still gave me a chance. So, I’m going to make good on the chance they took with me,” he emphasized. 

In April, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont recognizes Second Chance Month, a time to raise awareness of the challenges facing people with justice-involved backgrounds and to spotlight the important work being done by community-based organizations to empower second chance individuals to achieve career and life success. Mark is a demonstration of our mission, growing from a participant we served to a Goodwill team member.

“[Goodwill] can help you get where you want to be, or at least take that first step,” he stated. “When I’m cashiering and a customer asks what the round up goes to, I get the opportunity to explain to them that I came through the program that you’re donating to. So, it makes an impact.”

Throughout his journey here at Goodwill, Mark has found close friends, many that he considers family, that have also inspired him.

“I’ve met a lot of good people through Goodwill,” he said. “I enjoy the people I work with; we’re like a big family. Most of us have been working together since I started; and some of them [worked here] before me. I was their peer and now I’m their manager, but they respect that, and I appreciate it. Everybody here has been so helpful. It made me believe in the Goodwill experience.”

As employers seek to support the growth and development of their employees through clear career pathways, comprehensive benefits packages and/or wage increases, it is important for employers to be aware of some of the unintended consequences of some of these decisions. Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont is one of four employers piloting the CLIFF Employer Tool developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

The CLIFF Employer Tool is designed to analyze the financial implications of wage increases and seek innovative solutions to lessen the impact of the benefits cliff on economic growth and mobility for lower wage earners.

Goodwill has initiated the use of the tool through its Pathways Program. Pathways Career Navigators introduced the tool to 117 participants, with 25 actively utilizing it. These individuals engaged in thoughtful discussions, understanding the tool’s benefits, potential impact on benefits reduction, and insights into public assistance complexities, aiding their career and financial choices.

Feedback from participants underscored the CLIFF Employer Tool as a valuable resource for plotting career paths, financial planning and family expansion. Despite potential benefit reductions, participants expressed dedication to career growth, adjusting strategies to address possible financial challenges. Noteworthy was their comprehension of the balance between wage increases and reduced benefits, encompassing considerations like Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), SNAP, Medicaid, and increased housing costs.

The successful initial phase propels the Pathways team to extend the tool’s implementation to 30-45 more participants. The accomplishment highlights the tool’s potential in empowering individuals to make knowledgeable decisions about their careers and finances, skillfully navigating the intricacies of public benefits.

LET’S GET #VOTEREADY THIS ELECTION YEAR

In a democracy, our voices are our most powerful tools. They shape the policies that govern our lives and communities. But what happens when these voices are silenced due to missed registration deadlines or confusion about the process? National Voter Registration Day, celebrated September 19, 2023, aims to eliminate these obstacles and ensure that every eligible American has the opportunity to make their voice heard in the next election.

Millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote for various reasons: missed registration deadlines, outdated information, or simply not knowing how to register. National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday that stands as a beacon of hope, guiding individuals through the complex journey of voter registration.

Beyond the fundamental goal of registering voters, this day also strives to make Americans #VoteReady by raising awareness about state-specific voter registration deadlines and policies. It empowers voters with knowledge about elections and their various options for casting a ballot. Most importantly, it encourages participation in their civic duty, ensuring that citizens don’t just register but actively engage in the democratic process.

When the registered voting population does not accurately reflect the diversity of the country, our democracy suffers. It fails to represent the needs of the entire population. To build a democracy that truly speaks for us all, we must work towards closing registration gaps. This means engaging in on-the-ground voter outreach, especially in communities that have historically been disenfranchised.

The decisions made by local officials directly impact our daily lives. From property taxes and police funding to trash pickup and school curriculum, these local policies shape our communities. Registering and voting provide residents with the opportunity to be active participants in our self-governing democracy. It allows us to address the big questions that directly affect our lives and the places we call home.

National Voter Registration Day is more than just a day on the calendar; it’s a celebration of democracy in action. It’s a reminder that our voices matter and that we have the power to shape the future of our communities and our nation. By eliminating registration barriers, raising awareness, and empowering citizens, we can create a democracy that truly represents us all. So, on this National Voter Registration Day, let’s commit to being #VoteReady and ensuring that no eligible American is left behind in the democratic process. Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive democracy for the future.

REGISTER TO VOTE TODAY!

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont serves 18 counties across North Carolina and South Carolina. We encourage active participation in our political process across our territory!

by: Lily McMahan, Policy Research Intern at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont

Research has shown time and time again that benefits cliffs are one of the most prevalent barriers faced by working families to achieving economic stability and breaking the cycles of generational poverty. The benefits cliff puts families in a difficult position. While accepting a raise or promotion furthers career goals and provides more opportunity, individuals become de-incentivized to pursue these paths – feeding a family or paying medical bills are pressing needs generally aided by public benefits. Even so much as a 50-cent raise can push people abruptly out of their eligibility for benefits, resulting in the cliff effect.[1] Rather than providing a transitional aid to overcoming the loss of public benefits, in reality, the system creates a reliance on the benefits that any career advancement is actually more harmful to the financial well being of the family. Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont has launched an initiative called the Benefits Cliff Community Lab to confront these obstacles in North Carolina. Goodwill is one of many organizations who have identified this insufficiency in public benefits; across the country a variety of approaches, from advocacy to material transitional aid, are underway. Understanding what our neighbors across state lines are doing to combat the benefits cliff will provide more information, experience and connection as we work together to ease the impact of the cliff.

In our neighboring state of Tennessee, an initiative of the Tennessee Alliance for Economic Mobility (TAEM) called Our ChanceTN has identified the pressing need for public benefits reform. A $25 million grant received from federally allocated TANF funds administered by the state of Tennessee allows Our ChanceTN to pilot solutions for restructuring the TN Social Safety Net programs in seven counties in central Tennessee[2]. They have decided to approach the benefits cliff issue by providing a “transitional benefit which will be paid directly for food, childcare, housing, and health providers to increase families’ access to fresh food, childcare, housing, and health care when a family’s net resources decrease due to the benefits cliff.”[3] Additionally, family-centered coaching allows “participant families [to] define goals for every member of the family and receive consistent support from their dedicated coach to achieve those goals.” Eligible families in these seven counties are provided with two and a half years of financial coaching, monetary support, relevant resources during the transitional period out of the benefits program, access to education options and engagement with a benefits specialist.[4] Our ChanceTN is one of many organizations that have developed a benefits cliff calculator, which analyzes how much money each family will receive from the program to stabally transition them out of public assistance benefits.[5]

Massachusetts-based Economic Pathways MA Coalition focuses their approach towards advocacy for policy change. They are focused on the pilot initiative passed in a June 2022 Act. The program, which wrapped up at the end of last month, “test[s] whether a cash payment is an effective tool for the Commonwealth to close the cliff gap” during times of career advancement.[6] According to the organization, Maine, Minnesota, Colorado and Connecticut have all piloted similar, successful programs.[7] While the Economic Pathway Coalition’s main focus relates to advocacy, they also provide various tools and information about managing benefits cliffs for those individuals affected.

New York City’s Leap Fund “serves organizations nationwide with tools and resources to identify benefits cliffs, surface eligibility, and facilitate benefits cliff conversations for informed decision making.”[8] The program brings coaches together with people receiving public benefits within the organizations, helping educate as well as determining what cliffs will affect them and when they will occur. Leap Fund developed a calculator to help navigate the benefits cliff, including when people can expect to encounter and overcome it. They offer this service as a platform for coaching organizations to obtain and use in practice with individuals experiencing benefits cliffs.[9] From January to December of 2021, they ran a test program regarding helping coach people through the benefits cliff with their tools – in 15 different states with 40 different organizations participating. The coaches they work with provide financial, employment, housing, workforce development coaching as well as case managers and social workers. Through this program, Leap Fund found that 63% of the clients they worked with shared the fear of encountering a benefits cliff was enough to deter them from accepting a raise or promotion.[10] This underscores the importance of education and awareness about cliffs and strategic planning around cliffs. With Leap Fund’s help, 75% of their clients told Leap Fund they will go forth in some new career opportunity. Additionally, their work with benefits eligibility education enabled 44% of their clients to apply for a previously unreceived benefit.[11] Leap Fund offers this program to employers to reinforce the strength and stability of their workforce. Not only will they help employers understand how benefits cliffs affect people within the employer’s operation, Leap Fund works with the employees at those companies to assess their financial health and how to best approach the benefits cliffs they may be facing.

Finally, The Source is a Michigan-based organization that partners with employers to identify and meet the obstacles faced by their employees. This organization was founded out of a desire from Mark Peters, CEO of Butterball Farms, to identify patterns and overcome barriers, such as child care accessibility, which had increased turnover at his company. The Source partners with employers to help with workforce retention by identifying and problem-solving the challenges faced in the lives of their employees, so employers can promote internal growth and aid in the overcoming of barriers to this goal. The Source provides a resource navigator that works directly with employees to help identify and meet the needs of the employer’s workforce. The program is so effective that they announce to employers that working with The Source results, on average, in a 250% return on investment.[12] Benefits cliffs are often a challenge that The Source combats within individual companies, providing recommendations to employers about the best internal policies to adopt for reducing turnover and maintaining a thriving workforce.

The varying nature of the efforts of these organizations prove that the solution to overcoming benefits cliffs is multifaceted and requires many approaches. Easing the impact of cliffs can be done through advocacy work, as seen in the Economic Pathways Coalition and their piloting of a benefits cliff transitional support program. It also has a place in the human resources departments of corporate organizations, as Leap Fund and The Source have found that giving internal support to help educate employees and employers alike about benefits cliffs results in meaningful contributions for easing the cliff impact. Our ChanceTN proves there is a mathematical approach paired with personalized analytics and coaching that can be taken as well. As visibility around the benefits cliff grows and more organizations begin to address the issue – be it through political analysis, data collection, telling personal stories or imagining solutions – amplifying and sharing information between organizations will be crucial to working together to curb the benefits cliff through legislative change across the United States.

 

[1] Budget & Tax Center, “Addressing the benefits cliff for child-care subsidies in North Carolina,” Benefits Cliff Community Lab, accessed July 17, 2023, https://benefitscliffcommunitylab.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/BTC-Fact-Sheet_ChildCareAssistanceBenefitsCliff.pdf.

[2] “About,” Our ChanceTN, accessed July 17, 2023, https://ourchancetn.org/about.

[3] “About,” Our ChanceTN, accessed July 17, 2023, https://ourchancetn.org/about.

[4] “Eligibility,” Our ChanceTN, accessed July 17, 2023, https://ourchancetn.org/eligibility.

[5] “Calculate Your Transitional Benefit,” Tennessee Alliance of Economic Mobility, accessed July 17, 2023, https://beyondthecliff.com/TAEM.

[6] Massachusetts Legislation, Economic Pathways MA Coalition, accessed July 17th, 2023, https://economicpathwaysma.org/legislation.

[7] “Act relating to economic growth and relief for the Commonwealth,” The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, June 2022, https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2022/Chapter268.

[8] “Benefits Cliff Coaching Program Beta Program Learning and Insights,” Leap Fund, pg. 6, March 2022.

[9] “Benefits Cliff Coaching Program: Plan for the Future,” Leap Fund, accessed July 17, 2023, https://myleapfund.com/bccp.

[10] “Benefits Cliff Coaching Program Beta Program Learning and Insights,” Leap Fund, pg. 16, March 2022.

[11] “Benefits Cliff Coaching Program Beta Program Learning and Insights,” Leap Fund, pg. 19, March 2022.

[12] “Frequently Asked Questions,” The Source, accessed July 17, 2023, https://www.grsource.org/faqs.

Have you ever needed a second chance? We all have. And so do justice-involved individuals entering back into society. Unemployment among formerly incarcerated people is five times higher than among the general public. This disparity is especially challenging for people of color and women. The risk of recidivism is reduced when the individual finds gainful employment, which in turn helps strengthen our communities.

“On July 23, 2015, I was released from prison after serving 12 years. After my release, I was living in a halfway house and looking for employment. I was having a heck of a time just finding somebody to employ me. Someone told me, ‘You need to go to Goodwill because I see you’re serious about getting a job.’ So, I took their advice,” said Herman Meeks, Store Manager of the Goodwill store in Shelby

Meeks has been working for the nonprofit for seven years, and despite his life challenges, he has achieved redemption with Goodwill. He’s been consistently promoted, and today, he serves as an inspiration to new team members looking for a second chance.

“What I love most about working for Goodwill is the camaraderie. Everybody here genuinely believes in the mission, and the mission directly ties right back into me,” Meeks said. “Today, I own my own home; I have two cars; I have plenty of money saved. I’m just blessed beyond measure.”

In April, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont recognizes Second Chance Month, a time to raise awareness of the challenges facing people with justice-involved backgrounds and to spotlight the important work being done by community-based organizations to empower second chance individuals to achieve career and life success.

“I feel people should know about Second Chance Month and about being a second chance employer; what it means to give a second chance to someone who’s been incarcerated who may have made a mistake in their life but they’re looking to turn their life around,” said Meeks.

Marcus Sifford, Store Manager of the Goodwill store in Pineville, echoed Meeks about the importance of Second Chance Month; emphasizing the significance of giving someone rehabilitating back in society “a chance to make a living”.

Sifford is also formerly incarcerated and has been with Goodwill for 13 years. Like Meeks, he’s transparent about his story and hopes it motivates others to apply with second chance employers, like Goodwill, once they’re released.

“I’ve hired a lot of ex-felons, and I tell people my story,” Sifford said. “I also tell them if you know somebody that can’t find a job because of their background, send them to Goodwill and give us a chance to make a change in their life.”

In addition to hiring second chance, Goodwill also partners with The Center for Community Transitions (CCT), an organization that helps justice-involved individuals and their families with employment and reentry services. We help to connect Goodwill participants with justice-involved backgrounds to CCT to take advantage of their specialized supports, and we help to enroll CCT participants into tuition-free job training programs at Goodwill. Together, we help to reduce recidivism by providing people with criminal records and their families tools and resources to rebuild their lives.

In 2022, Goodwill re-examined policies for justice-involved individuals to make sure its practices were supportive and inclusive. The changes allow the nonprofit to hire more justice-involved individuals and make a greater impact in our community.

Changes include:

“Each year we partner with area re-entry experts to determine best practices and as a result we are able to offer more second chances to justice-involved individuals to help those get a new lease on life and prevent recidivism, thus continuing to strengthen our community,” said Chip Bryan, Director of Talent Acquisition for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont.

Goodwill’s mission is to build pathways that help people pursue the life they want to achieve. This means that we enhance people’s dignity and quality of life by ensuring equitable career opportunities are available. Our organization is proud to be a second chance employer and will continue to stand firm in our commitment to creating more equitable access to career opportunities for all.