SANTA ANA, Calif. – July 23, 2019– Today, Goodwill of Orange County announced it has been awarded a $30,000 grant from Bank of America to invest in its Workforce Development Programs to support and expand vital job readiness and placement programs for veterans living in Orange County.
The investment by Bank of America will allow Goodwill to conduct outreach to more than 3,000 veterans and enroll them in quality workforce development programs designed to help each individual secure part- or full-time employment. These programs include career-readiness classes, one-on-one job coaching, vocational trainings, certification courses, educational advancement and more.
“We are grateful for Bank of America’s support and investment in our Workforce Development Programs that are aimed at giving everyone in Orange County the opportunity to find and keep meaningful employment,” said Nicole Suydam, President and CEO, Goodwill of Orange County. “We believe the power of work changes lives, and with Bank of America’s help, we’re better equipped to make a sustained difference for many veterans living in Orange County who are facing obstacles to employment.”
Low- and middle-income individuals in Orange County are still struggling to find jobs due to the skills gap and the need for job training and post-secondary education. Working with individuals to help them attain these skills and find jobs is critical to the growth of our community.
“Bank of America has made workforce development a top philanthropic priority to help prepare new and returning talent for the job skills needs of tomorrow, and to develop strategies that better connect the needs of employers with training providers,” said Allen Staff, Orange County market president, Bank of America. “We are proud to partner with Goodwill of Orange County to provide Better Money Habits financial education tailored to veterans enrolled in their workforce development programs, and this work is especially impactful to helping the region’s significant military veteran population transition more easily and successfully into lasting civilian careers.”
For more than a decade, Bank of America has supported Goodwill of Orange County by providing more than $735,000 in grant funding and countless hours of volunteer service.
Goodwill of Orange County is proud to partner with Bank of America to connect the unemployed and underserved with barriers to employment to the training and education they need to secure and retain jobs with livable wages.
About Goodwill of Orange County
Goodwill helps people who are facing barriers to find and keep jobs, which provides purpose, pride, and dignity. Founded on the belief that every person should have the opportunity to achieve the independence that work provides, Goodwill is most recognized for being the conduit where donated goods are sold in America’s favorite thrift stores to generate the revenue that provides the services to those who face employment challenges. Goodwill of Orange County, now in its 95thyear, has supported hundreds of thousands of Orange County residents since its inception by creating and providing quality training and employment services to empower its program participants to be productive and independent. The nonprofit organization has dozens of programs that support this effort, including the Goodwill Rogers A. Severson Fitness & Technology Center,Orange County’s only facility specially designed for people suffering from chronic illnesses and physical disabilities; its global approach to serving veterans and their families, Goodwill of Orange County Tierney Center for Veteran Services, which helps former service members and their families find resources and services to meet and serve their unique needs, including housing, job placement, education, and wellness; and its Assistive Technology Exchange Center (ATEC), which provides access to more than 1,000 state-of-the-art technology devices for children and adults with disabilities. These are just a few of Goodwill of Orange County’s innovative programs that have served those facing barriers in Orange County for the past nine decades. To learn more about Goodwill of Orange County, visit ocgoodwill.org.
Bank of America
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).
