Americorps Needs Volunteers

 

Goodwill Industries – Big Bend, Inc. has received an AmeriCorps grant funded through the Corporation for National and Community Service. The grant will allow us to increase the number of people we serve through GIBB Career Training Centers.

Goodwill Industries – Big Bend, Inc.’s mission is to provide job training, education and employment to people with disabilities and other barriers to employment, helping them to reach their fullest potential in supporting themselves and their families.

National Service programs are intended to strengthen communities by relying on their own citizens’ talents. Becoming an AmeriCorps member is an opportunity to make a difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. It’s a chance to apply your skills and ideals toward helping others and meeting critical needs in the community. National Service programs, AmeriCorps, and Goodwill Industries – Big Bend share the same goal: providing services to the community while helping those in need to become self sufficient.

The focus of the AmeriCorps Goodwill GoodWorks! Program is to recruit AmeriCorps members and volunteers to provide services to our program participants in order to strengthen the whole family and transition to stability. The members and volunteers will primarily assist with training, community resource connections, and housing connections. They will help in training areas such as computers, financial literacy, GED, keyboarding, and office skills. Members will also connect clients with community resources so they can get financially stable. This will be done by helping them find employment and overcome barriers. Barriers can involve lack of computer skills, money management, and lack of reliable transportation. Assisting with housing connections will help clients who are homeless find safe and stable housing as well as assist in overcoming other barriers.

Volunteers are an untapped resource and can provide an immeasurable service to not only the community but to the individuals themselves. There are people out there who currently volunteer as mentors, tutors, coaches, story tellers at libraries and many other roles.

Volunteers are out there. There are people out there who take civic responsibility very important, the AmeriCorps Goodwill GoodWorks! Program goal is to recruit those same members and volunteers to provide services directly to their communities. If you are interested in making a real and tangible difference in your community by volunteering for the AmeriCorps Goodwill GoodWorks! Program, call Susie Arce in Panama City at 850-522-3900 or email sarce@goodwillbigbend.com.