SARASOTA/BRADENTON, FL – When community members drop off donations at a Goodwill attended donation center, they may not realize the impact they are having on their neighbors. But each donation – which powers more than three hours of job training and opportunities – directly helps Goodwill team members to build job skills and achieve economic stability.

A recent grant of $10,000 from the Bishop-Parker Foundation will further support Goodwill Manasota’s commitment to elevating its team members’ academic and professional pursuits, through the Pursuit of Education program. In short, the Pursuit of Education program covers tuition costs for Goodwill employees seeking to better their job and life prospects.

Through the Pursuit of Education program, GoodPartner Coaches (life coaches) help employees to identify appropriate training programs – with Goodwill partnering with numerous educational institutions that serve those with vocational barriers – and the organization pays for classes that team members take. Classes are tailored to the needs of the participating individuals, including making online classes available to those who lack transportation and providing digital access to those who lack necessary devices, internet service, or those with limited digital literacy skills. 

Goodwill’s Learning and Development team – along with GoodPartner Coaches – ensures that team members have all the resources they need to successfully complete the training or degree programs in which they enroll.

One Pursuit of Education program success story is Altone Wasike, who moved to the U.S. just a couple of years ago, planning to continue his education here. The high cost of college was daunting, though, so he sought full-time employment in order to save up for tuition. He began working at Goodwill at an entry-level position, learning about the Pursuit of Education program during his orientation.

In just two years, already with several promotions to his credit, Wasike earned his Role Model Worker badge (a prerequisite for receiving Pursuit of Education funding), earned his COMPTIA A+ certification, and is now working as a Desktop Support Technician at Goodwill Manasota’s Corporate Campus. And he’s not done yet: Wasike has enrolled in an Associate’s degree program at SCF over the summer and hopes to earn his Bachelor’s degree in some aspect of IT not too far in the future.

“For anyone seeking employment, I would say that Goodwill is a lovely company to work with. Everyone – from your fellow team members, members of leadership, internal and external customers, and donors – are wonderful people,” he said. “You will find many assistance programs that not many employers offer. Goodwill is really ‘Changing Lives Through the Power of Work’ and I am a testament to that.” 

There are scores of other success stories, including Paunyne Xavier, who has been with Goodwill for 17 years, rising from an entry-level retail position to store manager. Just recently, she passed the year-long Life Coach certification program and has just been promoted to the role of GoodPartner Coach.

“I’m incredibly excited to start this new chapter in my career,” she said. “Being a GoodPartner Coach will allow me to do something I’m deeply passionate about: helping people grow, succeed, and believe in themselves, just as others here at Goodwill have done for me.” 

There’s also Tess Hill, who is just 24 and has been working at Goodwill for three years, rising from Property Management Administrator to Team Lead of Real Estate and Acquisition. She has recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Arizona Global Campus, with financial support from Goodwill.

The impact of the Pursuit of Education program on Goodwill’s workforce is undeniable, with an average annual retention rate of over 75% for team members who participate in upskilling opportunities.

“There are numerous factors that are necessary for Goodwill to be successful in our mission of ‘Changing Lives Through the Power of Work’ but, by far, our people are our most valuable resource,” said President and CEO Donn Githens. “We are dedicated to making continued investments in our team members, because that creates a stronger workforce and local economy. We are grateful to the Bishop-Parker Foundation for its generous support of the Pursuit of Education program.”

Over the past two years, 350 team members completed the Role Model Worker program – 55 of those earned a promotion; 49 participated in language classes; five earned a GED or high school diploma; eight earned a certificate or other post-secondary credential; one enrolled in an associate program; six earned a Bachelor’s degree; and four earned a Master’s degree.

The grant from the Bishop-Parker Foundation will support the academic and upskilling endeavors of approximately 12 team members.

For more about Goodwill, visit experiencegoodwill.org or call (941) 355-2721.

About Goodwill Manasota

Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With philanthropic donations and revenue generated by the sales of donated goods, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and those with other barriers to employment by providing jobs, job skills training, and free career services. For more information or for a listing of locations, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org or call 941-355-2721.

About Bishop-Parker Foundation

Inspired by the philanthropic legacies of our founder, the Bishop-Parker Foundation supports nonprofit and public partners who collaborate to advance the Manatee County community for current and future generations. For additional information, please contact Wendy Deming at wendy@bishopparkerfoundation.org.