Goodwill Manasota recently received a grant of $50,000 in Community Investment funding from United Way Suncoast, designated for its GoodPartner Coach Financial Literacy program. The United Way funding will support efforts to provide Goodwill employees — primarily those who live and/or work in North Sarasota — with one-on-one job training, coaching, life and career goal-setting, and financial literacy services for those with barriers to successful employment, including those with significant disabilities.
“We are proud to partner with Goodwill in support of our community impact priority of financial stability,” said United Way CEO Jessica Muroff. “Our community needs this support now more than ever. We look forward to the impact these dollars will make in serving people with disabilities, seniors, veterans, and those with other barriers to employment.”
Every Goodwill employee is assigned a GoodPartner Coach. These coaches work with team members to do needs assessments to determine barriers to self-sufficiency and identify areas that could be strengthened through training as well as determine access to basic needs such as housing, food and healthcare. Other program elements include writing an individualized development plan and offering case management services to address any issues that might be a barrier to success.
Financial literacy is a key component of the GoodPartner Coach program, with information to help team members become banked, the development of a personal budget, guidance on improving credit scores, and even assistance for employees seeking to purchase a home for the first time.
“The 2019 United Way ALICE Report found that, while 43% of working households may be considered above the poverty line, they are ‘Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed,’ meaning they struggle to cover basic needs such as food or housing,” said Goodwill Manasota President and CEO Bob Rosinsky. “Thanks to the grant from United Way Suncoast, our GoodPartner Coach program can continue to work with Goodwill team members so that they can break the cycle of poverty and improve their lives.”
Visit experiencegoodwill.org for more about Goodwill Manasota’s programs and services.
