Each year, Goodwill’s across the nation seek ways to provide an increasing array of services that help people to become independent, productive, contributing members of our communities.  Recently it has become apparent that Goodwills must increase their holistic approach to delivering services and become family strengthening organizations—Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley, Inc. (GICV) is one of them.
 
GICV is following Goodwill Industries International’s (GII’s) 21st Century Initiative “to take a whole-family approach to help people achieve success in the workplace.”  GICV has been following this approach since 1962, but in 2006, implemented a Family Strengthening Team to make its efforts more intentional and directed.
 
GICV believes so strongly in family strengthening that in January 2009, GICV with its Board of Directors updated its mission statement to better reflect this cultural change to not just offer holistic family-strengthening programs, but to become a family-strengthening organization.  GICV’s new mission statement is “to empower individuals and families with employment barriers to achieve their fullest potential in the community through work services.”
 
GICV Receives 2009 “Goodwill is Good for Families” Award
In May 2009, GICV was one of only four Goodwill agencies nationwide to have been selected to receive a 2009 “Goodwill is Good for Families” Award.  The annual recognition program is sponsored by GII and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.  GICV was recognized for designing a strategic plan focused on families, working with local families to revitalize their communities, and creating programs that specifically aid young people who have a criminal history, at-risk high school students, low-income families, individuals with disabilities, and other individuals having a difficult time finding employment.
 
The awards honor Goodwill member agencies that take a comprehensive and family-inclusive approach to their work and the services that they provide to promote economic self-sufficiency.
 
GICV was recognized for demonstrating its integration of family strengthening through:

• Leadership commitment

• Community resource connections

• Youth development

• Job-readiness and placement services

• Employer-relations activities

Following is a more in-depth look at GICV’s Family Strengthening services.

 Community Resources

GICV is committed to actively engaging its local communities by learning about and forming working relationships with a variety of social, human, recreational, financial, and other resources that can contribute to families' economic, health, educational, recreational, and social success.  GICV fosters and enters into referral relationships with appropriate organizations that can provide the resources that families need to succeed.
 
For more information on GICV's Community Resources, contact Ann Torledsky at (814) 536-3536, ext. 230, (814) 533-2493, ext. 286 or atorled@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 

 PA CareerLink, Cambria County

Under the WIA, PA CareerLink, Cambria County focuses on meeting the training, education, and employment needs of adults and dislocated workers through the One-Stop Approach.  This approach provides job seekers with information about employment and training services at a single neighborhood location.  The new location for PA CareerLink, Cambria County is:

New Location

PA CareerLink, Cambria County

Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center (former Vo-Tech)

445 Schoolhouse Road (Richland Township)

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

(814) 533-2493

 Job Placement and Advancement

To make a demonstratable impact on family earnings and incomes, GICV with its CareerLink partners provide workforce development services and programs in job placement and advancement.  These include:

• Services for multiple members of families
  

• Effective skill-building training for local employment opportunities
  

• Creative employability-skills education that has a track record for preparing unskilled individuals for the challenges of the workplace
  

• Educational enhancements, such as GED exam preparation and post-secondary education preparation, that improve employability
  

• Placements in jobs with family-sustaining wages, career ladders, and/or benefits
  

• Referrals to Community Resources/Services

GICV’s myriad of programs serves adults and youth, helping them to find, keep, and advance in employment.  Long-term follow-up and retention support for individuals and their families include:

• Mentoring and peer support activities

• Continuing training and education opportunities

• Career counseling

• Assistance with advanced job search for those seeking expanded opportunities

For more information on GICV’s Job Placement and Advancement, contact Ann Torledsky at (814) 536-3536, ext. 230, (814) 533-2493, ext. 286 or atorled@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 
For further details, see applicable categories on the Main Menu under Serving Individuals.

 Kernville Connects!

Since December 2006, GICV has partnered with the City of Johnstown (Department of Community and Economic Development) and the residents of Johnstown’s Kernville neighborhood to facilitate the resident/family component of the City’s Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy for Kernville and the adjacent Central Business District called Kernville Connects! 
 
GICV’s initiative is based on the increasingly accepted understanding that individuals do best when they have strong family relationships, and families do best when they live in communities that support their success.  GICV’s facilitation of Kernville Connects! involves working with the residents to:

• Understand the multifaceted elements that create “neighborhoods” and the civic engagement of residents
  

• Develop a vision, mission, and set of action priorities
  

• Re-establish their nonprofit corporate structure, bylaws, and the board of directors.
  

• Operate a Community Center as a hub of neighborhood educational, cultural, arts, and after-school programming, as well as employment-related and human services

GICV’s work with Kernville Connects! (officially named Kernville Community Action) is funded in part by the Department of Community and Economic Development under the City’s Community Development Block Grant funds.
 
For more information on Kernville Connects!, contact Marshall Hershberg at (814) 248-5613 or mhershberg@goodwilljohnstown.org.

 Youth Development

GICV is committed to providing direct services to youth, and in most cases, assisting both youth and their family members with educational and career goals. GICV’s Youth Development services can include:

• Educational activities such as charter schools and tutoring

• After-school educational and recreational activities

• Summer programs

• Mentoring

• Career guidance

• Job shadowing

• Career days

• Community service and volunteering

• Service learning

• Referrals to other community resources

• College visits

• Occupational training

• Job placements

GICV’s assistance to family members can include:

• Activities involving parents and siblings

• Family inclusion in youth career and goal planning

• Employment and training support for parents and siblings

• Referrals to other family community resources

For more information on GICV’s Youth Development Services, contact Nancy Peck at (814) 533-2493, ext. 264 or npeck@goodwilljohnstown,org.
 
For further details, see the Job Placement & Training section and Youth section on the Main Menu under Serving Individuals.