Goodwill Industries Of Tulsa Inc

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF TULSA, INC. PROVIDES WORK OPPORTUNITIES, JOB TRAINING AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OR OTHER EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS.

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF TULSA HAS PROVIDED SERVICES TO THOSE IN NEED SINCE 1927 AND THE NUMBER SERVED CONTINUES TO GROW. IN 2021 GOODWILL SERVED MORE THAN 8,700 PEOPLE IN A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. THE TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ALL GOODWILL PROGRAMS ON THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE WAS IN EXCESS OF $63 MILLION DOLLARS. THE PRIMARY PROGRAMS OPERATED BY GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF TULSA ARE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL BELOW.THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO IMPACT GOODWILL'S OPERATIONS AND SERVICES. CLEARLY JOB TRAINING AND PLACEMENT ARE A VITAL NEED BUT THROUGHOUT MUCH OF 2021 MANY PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT EXTENDED FACE TO FACE INTERACTION AND DID NOT WANT TO ATTEND IN-PERSON TRAINING OR PLACEMENT SERVICES. AS A RESULT, GOODWILL CONTINUED VIRTUAL CLASSES FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE TRAINING WE OFFER AND RELIED ON A VIRTUAL JOB BOARD FOR OUR JOB CONNECTION SITES. WITH THESE VIRTUAL SERVICES, GOODWILL WORKED TO MEET JOB SEEKERS WHERE THEY ARE AND SUPPORT THEM AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. WE RETURNED TO IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES AS STUDENTS AND OTHERS WERE READY TO REENGAGE WITH THIS TRAINING DELIERY METHOD.EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS: IN GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF TULSA'S MISSION STATEMENT, WE REFER TO WORK OPPORTUNITIES AND THESE RELATE TO OUR EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS. WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OR OTHER EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS AT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF TULSA ENCOMPASSES A WIDE VARIETY OF POSITIONS. EXAMPLES INCLUDE:- JOBS RELATED TO COLLECTING, PROCESSING AND SELLING GOODS DONATED BY THE PUBLIC IN OUR DONATED GOODS PROGRAM.- JANITORIAL POSITIONS IN OUR STATE SET-ASIDE CUSTODIAL CONTRACTS THAT REQUIRE THAT 75% OF THE WORK IS PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. - GOODWILL DONATION SITES THAT ARE STAFFED WITH A JOB COACH AND SUPPORTED WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES.- AGREEMENTS WITH LOCAL HOSPITALS TO PROVIDE PAPER SHREDDING AND LIGHT CUSTODIAL SERVICES THAT ARE STAFFED WITH A GOODWILL JOB COACH AND SUPPORTED WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES.- PACKAGING, COLLATING AND ASSEMBLY PROJECTS FOR LOCAL COMPANIES ARE COMPLETED BY GOODWILL EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES IN GOODWILL'S CENTER-BASED CONTRACTS BUSINESS.IN 2021, 661 INDIVIDUALS WITH BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT WERE EMPLOYED BY GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF TULSA. COLLECTIVELY THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE PAID WAGES AND BENEFITS IN EXCESS OF $10.5 MILLION.GOODWILL TULSAWORKS CAREER ACADEMY: THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES TRAINING THAT IS LICENSED BY THE OKLAHOMA BOARD OF PRIVATE VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND THE TRAINING CREDENTIALS AND CERTIFICATIONS EARNED ARE DESIGNED TO PREPARE GRADUATES TO FILL IN-DEMAND JOBS IN FIELDS THAT PROVIDE CAREER PATHWAYS IN THE COMMUNITY.TRAINING PROGRAMS OFFERED INCLUDE CAREER READINESS, DIGITAL READINESS, WORKPLACE COMPUTER SKILLS, GOOGLE IT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION, GOOGLE DATA ANALYTICS, GOOGLE PROJECT MANAGEMENT, HOSPITALITY, UNARMED PRIVATE SECURITY, FORKLIFT OPERATOR AND GED PREPARATION CLASSES. MORE THAN 675 CREDENTIALS AND CERTIFICATIONS WERE EARNED IN 2021. THESE CLASSES ARE ALL AVAILABLE FOR IN-PERSON TRAINING AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR ON-LINE TRAINING. EACH PARTICIPANT IN TULSAWORKS CAREER ACADEMY IS ASSIGNED A CAREER NAVIGATOR TO ASSIST THEM WITH ANY ISSUES THAT AFFECT THEIR ABILITY TO ATTEND OR COMPLETE TRAINING, PROVIDE PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE IN FINDING A JOB AND THEN FOLLOW-UP AFTER EMPLOYMENT TO ASSIST THE GRADUATE IN MOVING UP THE CAREER LADDER. IN 2021, GOODWILL TULSAWORKS CAREER ACADEMY PROVIDED TRAINING, PLACEMENT AND FOLLOW-UP SERVICES TO 366 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND FILLED 218 JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY. GOODWILL JOB CONNECTION: GOODWILL'S JOB CONNECTION LOCATIONS OFFER FREE SERVICES IN TULSA FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SEEKING A JOB. THE JOB CONNECTION ALLOWS JOB SEEKERS TO GAIN ACCESS TO A COMPUTER,RELIABLE INTERNET AND ONE-ON-ONE ASSISTANCE FROM TRAINED PROFESSIONAL GOODWILL TEAM MEMBERS. JOB SEEKERS WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS SPANISH RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM A BILINGUAL TEAM MEMBER. GOODWILL JOB CONNECTION STAFF MEMBERS HELP INDIVIDUALS RECOGNIZE THEIR TALENTS AND TRANSLATE THEIR EXPERIENCE ONTO A RESUME AND INTO INTERVIEW SKILLS. JOB SEEKERS ALSO LEARN ABOUT LOCAL JOB LEADS AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION, JOB CONNECTION HOSTS AN ONLINE JOB BOARD, FREE HIRING EVENTS AND CAREER FAIRS TO HELP JOB SEEKERS INCREASE THEIR NETWORKING SKILLS WHILE MEETING WITH ACTIVELY HIRING EMPLOYERS. IN 2021, OVER 7,400 INDIVIDUALS UTILIZED THESE FREE SERVICES. TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES: THESE TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. THEY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS:- SCHOOL-TO-WORK TRANSITION SERVICES FOR HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS. THE CURRICULUM FOR THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE AND IT HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS INDIVIDUALS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.- EMPLOYMENT AND RETENTION AND SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT THESE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO PLACE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES INTO COMPETITIVE JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY. BOTH PROGRAMS INVOLVE WORKING WITH COMMUNITY EMPLOYERS TO DEVELOP POTENTIAL JOBS FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. IN THECASE OF SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT A GOODWILL EMPLOYMENT CONSULTANT WORKS WITH THE PROGRAM PARTICIPANT AT THE EMPLOYER'S WORKSITE UNTIL THE PARTICIPANT IS FUNCTIONING WELL IN THE JOB. IN 2021 A TOTAL OF 17 INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WERE PLACED INTO COMMUNITY JOBS THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS.FINANCIAL RESILIENCE PROGRAMS: VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) SERVES LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME TAXPAYERS BY PROVIDING FREE TAX RETURN PREPARATION. IN 2021 THE VITA PROGRAM PREPARED 3,163 TAX RETURNS, RETURNING $4 MILLION IN TAX REFUNDS TO THE TAXPAYERS. IN 2021, GOODWILL SERVED AS THE NON-PROFIT PARTNER FOR THE CITY OF TULSA FOR THE TULSA FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER. THIS OPERATION IS FUNDED WITH A MIX OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DOLLARS AND STRIVES TO PROVIDE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL COUNSELING TO TULSANS. FINANCIAL COUNSELORS MEET THE CLIENTS WHERE THEY ARE AND WORK ON INDIVIDUAL GOALS AROUND DEBT REDUCTION, INCREASING SAVINGS, IMPROVING CREDIT SCORES AND REDUCING DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS AND CAN INCLUDE GOALS AROUND HOME OWNERSHIP, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, AND BUILDING INDIVIDUAL FINANCIAL RESILIENCE. FINANCIAL COUNSELING IS PROVIDED IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND ZOMI WITH OTHER LANGUAGES AVAILABLE BY CONFERENCE CALL. IN 2021, THIS PROGRAM PROVIDED 531 COUNSELING SESSIONS.IN JULY OF 2021, GOODWILL LAUNCHED BANK ON TULSA, A PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOW FEE, FULLY FUNCTIONAL, SAFE ACCOUNTS AT AREA FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND ENCOURAGE UNBANKED AND UNDER-BANKED CUSTOMERS TO USE THEM. THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY PRIVATE FOUNDATION FUNDS AND GOODWILL.