News Release
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Goodwill Industries Opens Doors In Korea
November 9, 2004 |
Rockville, MD —
Goodwill Industries International, Inc., has signed an agreement with
the Education and Rehabilitation Exchange Foundation (EREF) to create
Goodwill Industries of Korea. Under the agreement, Goodwill Industries
of Korea will build a network of community-based Goodwill agencies in
the Republic of Korea to provide job training and career services to
people with disabilities and others who are trying to enter the
workforce.
"More than 1 billion people around the world are
unable to support their families and move out of poverty," says George
W. Kessinger, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International.
"The creation of Goodwill Industries of Korea marks a new opportunity
for people with disabilities and other job-seekers in the Republic of
Korea to benefit from career programs that will help them find good
jobs and move up the career ladder."
The Korea Goodwill will
offer a range of career programs for jobs in agriculture, hospitality
and other service industries. Three churches in Seoul, Suwon and Pusan
have already replicated Goodwill workforce development and retail
programs benefiting people with disabilities. They are committed to
expanding Goodwill services in their respective territories,
independent of the church activities. In addition, Taegu University and
Korea Nazarene University will train professional staff for special
education, counseling, rehabilitation and other positions within
Goodwill Industries of Korea. Goodwill Industries International will
monitor the new Goodwill organization's success through a set of
performance benchmarks for revenues and people served by the Korea
Goodwill programs.
"In Korea, less than half the people with
disabilities who want to work are employed," says Young Woo Kang,
Ph.D., founder and President of EREF. "Through Goodwill and the power
of work, we hope to help people enjoy the independence and dignity that
work brings." Dr. Kang is a member of the U.S. National Council on
Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency that makes
recommendations to the President and Congress on issues affecting 54
million Americans with disabilities.
Goodwill Industries of
Korea is an outgrowth of Goodwill's strategy to expand its services
globally. The strategy is a key component of Goodwill's 21st Century
Initiative, Goodwill's pledge to help 20 million people around the
world improve their economic self-sufficiency through work. In
partnership with Ekstein House/Goodwill-Israel, Manpower Israel and
Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh, the organization is also planning to
offer a pilot welfare-to-work program in Israel. Earlier this year,
Goodwill Industries opened Europe's first Goodwill store in Stevenage,
England, as a joint venture between Goodwill Global, the international
strategic business unit of Goodwill Industries International, Shaw
Trust, and Rehab Group of Ireland.
About EREF: The
Education and Rehabilitation Exchange Foundation is a nonprofit
organization in the United States and Korea that promotes equal
participation of people with disabilities through an annual
international conference on disability issues, the publication of
disability-related resources, and professional training.
About Goodwill:
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 207 independent,
community-based member organizations in 24 countries. The organization
provides job training and career services to people with disabilities,
welfare recipients, dislocated workers and other job seekers. In 2003,
more than 616,000 people in North America benefited from Goodwill
career programs. |
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Phone: (240) 333-5264
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