Family Strengthening Initiative
Goodwill’s Family Strengthening Initiative provides
comprehensive case management services to low-income
unemployed and underemployed adult residents living
in New Castle and Kent Counties. The primary goal
of the initiative is to improve each individual’s
economic status by finding more meaningful employment
or by obtaining in-demand job skills through pre-employment
training and coaching. Ultimately, by increasing the
wages earned by the working poor, the family unit
is strengthened. Additional wrap-around case management
services include referrals and resources in the areas
of education, housing and transportation. This holistic
approach moves program participants closer to self-sufficiency,
thereby reducing or eliminating the need for subsidies.
Family Strengthening Through Education Scholarship
Program
For many of those who turn to Goodwill for assistance,
the lack of an education is a barrier to self-sufficiency
and to improving the quality of their lives. Statistics
show that education is the gateway to an individual’s
opportunity. A high school education has been shown
to add an additional $600,000 to an individual’s lifetime
earnings, while a college degree can add over $1.4
million more in lifetime earnings. Nearly half of
those we serve lack a high school diploma—considered
by many to be the bare minimum for finding a job.
Since Goodwill serves as an important safety net for
people in the community who have slipped through the
cracks of society—including many who are unemployed
or underemployed—we have launched a program aimed
at boosting the educational background of those whose
lives we touch.
The “Power of Education”
Goodwill has embarked upon a three-year $1.5 million
fundraising campaign to create an educational scholarship
fund, known as Goodwill’s Family Strengthening Through
Education Program. Once fully funded, the program
will assist an estimated 40 to 60 people each year
with the opportunity to earn their high school diploma
or a two-year associate’s degree in any area of study
in which they have an interest. Goodwill will also
work with its established community partners to remove
barriers and provide critical support such as career
counseling, prepayment of fees and tuition, computers
and books or by offering flexible scheduling options
and transportation assistance.
The Family Strengthening Through Education Program
has been endorsed by the Delaware Department of Education
and by the individual presidents of our local universities
and community colleges. We have also partnered with
local school districts in Delaware and Delaware County,
who will provide diplomas and GED’s for program participants.
In addition, program participants can access Goodwill
classes at training centers in Holmes, Pennsylvania,
and in Wilmington, Dover and Bridgeville, Delaware,
or go online and complete coursework from a home computer.
Through partnerships with Delaware Technical &
Community College, Delaware County Community College,
and the Delaware Department of Adult Education, Goodwill
is offering scholarships to eligible individuals covering
costs associated with pursuing GED/adult basic education,
associate’s degrees, and in-house career development/job
training programs.
For more information about the Goodwill Scholarship
Program or to download our latest campaign progress
newsletter, click on the link below.
 To make
a tax-deductible donation to help others pursue credentials
that will bring living wage earnings, contact Jennifer
Clark, Director of Family Strengthening Initiatives
at
(302) 504-1724 .
For more information about the Family Strengthening program, contact Cathy Kipp, Staff Development & Family Strengthening Manager (302) 504-5726.
GED Financial Support Form
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