Goodwill Manasota recently received a grant of $60,000 from the Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation in support of its GoodPartner Coach program. This is the 10th year that Goodwill has received funding from the French Foundation for this purpose. The GoodPartner Coach program offers individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment with job training and case management services. Sixty percent of Goodwill’s workforce has a self-identified disability or disadvantage.

Team members participate in a career-needs assessment, the development of an individualized case-management plan, and training components to reach ultimate desired outcomes. Job performance and educational benchmarks are set, providing clear expectations for career advancement readiness. The goal of the program is to enable those who may have been overlooked elsewhere to gain positive personal and workplace behaviors and skills, feel the pride of earning a paycheck, move toward self-sufficiency, build a strong work history, and develop the experience and skills to position them for higher-paying jobs outside of Goodwill.