Goodwill Seeks Mentors to Help Teens Achieve Employment Success

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England has a new Springfield-based program designed to assist youth in overcoming disadvantages and avoiding delinquency. The program began this past September and is run out of Riverside Middle School.

Springfield was chosen as a site for the GoodGuides program because of a gap in services. Riverside Middle School is collaborating with Goodwill to reach out to youth that are at risk of dropping out school. The overall goal of the program is to help youth build career plans and skills, and prepare for school completion, post-secondary training and productive work by providing structured and supportive relationships with trusted adult mentors. It targets youths between the ages of 12 and 17 who are at-risk for dropping out of school, facing legal troubles, or are at risk for delinquency due to issues such as abuse, disability, drug or alcohol dependence, or gang membership.

“Goodwill has a long history of helping people find work,” said Edda Cantor, Regional Director for Goodwill Workforce Solutions. “A crucial part of that history is making sure that families are strong. Goodwill GoodGuides can help keep youth who are at-risk get on the right path, away from trouble and toward a better future. That’s good for everyone involved.”

The Goodwill GoodGuides program in Springfield is made possible through a two-year, $299,723 grant to Goodwill of Industries of Northern New England. The grant is part of a $19.1 million award to Goodwill Industries International from the U.S. Department of Justice and dispersed to 56 independent Goodwill agencies around the country.

“With Goodwill GoodGuides, we will be able to offer expanded mentoring services to the youth of our community,” said Jennifer Stone, GoodGuides Master Mentor for the Springfield, Vermont program. “Goodwill will train and support volunteer mentors to engage youth in promoting their career development and life skills.” Mentors spend four hours a month with youth, working on homework, developing resumes and cover letters, going to job interviews, and other activities to help area youth achieve employment success.

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England is also managing GoodGuides programs in Portland, Maine and Claremont, New Hampshire. Goodwill will recruit close to 75 mentors and serve 100 youth over the next two years.

To learn more about becoming a mentor, please contact Jennifer Stone at (802) 281-9977 or jennifer.stone@goodwillnne.org.

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England has a 77-year history of providing innovative services that eliminate barriers to opportunity and help people in need reach their fullest potential through the power of work. Last year, we served over 80,000 individuals through job training and placement, career counseling, family strengthening services, youth employment opportunities, brain injury programs, and other community support services for people with disabilities. Our programs are funded by revenue from our 26 retail stores, grants, fees, and financial gifts. Please visit www.goodwillnne.org for more information.