How have you and Goodwill Hawaii responded to the coronavirus pandemic?
Although we have had to close our retail stores and our donation centers during the stay-at-home order, our job placement programs have seen a rapid increase in people needing our services to assist them with applying for various government benefits, or being sure they are able to retain the benefits they have.
We have converted much of our mission services to a virtual format reaching out to people by phone, and using online platforms like Google Classroom to host job clubs, resume writing and job searches. We also are looking to help people to upgrade their skills which will lead to additional job opportunities for them.
For example, in our Career Readiness & Education Development Program, we offer practical job preparation to help people succeed in today’s job market. This includes helping people to choose the right career for them, and develop a pathway to meet the employment requirements needed. We are working hard to help others to prepare themselves to get back to work as soon as possible when businesses reopen. For many people this will mean a return to their former jobs, but for others, they will need to find new jobs.
