Goodwill expands services for US veterans in NJ

NEWARK, N.J., Nov. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries® of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc. (Goodwill NYNJ) has received a $500 thousand annual grant for three years from the United States Department of Labor, Veterans' Employment & Training Services, to operate a Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program(HVRP) in 7 Northern New Jersey counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, and Union.

Through this HVRP, Goodwill NYNJ will provide US veterans job training, counseling, and placement services (including case management, wraparound supports, career services, retention supports, job readiness, literacy, and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force.

According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), most veterans who experience homelessness are men over age 50 living in urban areas. Older veterans are expected to be a majority of the population of veterans who experience, or are at risk of, homelessness in the coming years. As members of this group get older, they are likely to have increasingly complex age-related needs. About one-half of all veterans experiencing homelessness who have participated in VA homeless assistance programs are involved in the justice system. Women make up about 9% of veterans who are experiencing homelessness and are more than twice as likely as non-veteran women to experience homelessness.

In 2020, Goodwill NYNJ provided job placement, training, on-the-job coaching, and retention services for over 14 thousand people who are unemployed or underemployed, half of them individuals with disabilities. In the same period, Goodwill NYNJ placed 703 People in jobs, including 345 workers with disabilities, outside Goodwill stores at industry sector jobs in technology, healthcare, accounting, warehousing, security, food preparation and service, and public agencies. Goodwill NYNJ also provided behavioral health services to help 1,400 Individuals with mental illness stay healthy, on their job, and out of hospitals in 2020.

"Goodwill NYNJ has provided customized training and placement services for the most vulnerable members of our communities for over 106 years, including people with all types of disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, those who are unemployed or underemployed, and anybody who has stayed in the margins of the workforce for a long time," said Katy Gaul-Stigge, Goodwill NYNJ President and CEO. "We owe it to our veterans, who have served our country, to support them in their journey to work with dignity. With employers needing to fill vacancies, and we can't afford to leave anybody behind to find good jobs."

US veterans interested in learning more about the HVRP or to enroll in the program should call (973) 481-2300 or email [email protected]

About Goodwill NYNJ:
Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc. (Goodwill NYNJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates 27 retail stores throughout the region powered by donations of clothing and household items. Goodwill NYNJ translates those donations into workforce development services for people with disabilities and the unemployed, and job training leading to employment. Annually, Goodwill NYNJ services build better lives for thousands of New York City Metropolitan Area residents and their families. For over 105 years, the agency's mission has been to empower individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment to gain independence through the power of work. Learn more about Goodwill NYNJ at  http://www.goodwillnynj.org; follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillNYNJ; and find us on Facebook or Instagram: GoodwillNYNJ.

Contact: Jose Medellin | [email protected] | (646) 238-9133 mobile

SOURCE Goodwill NYNJ