Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey Inc. in Newark received a $500,000 annual grant for three years from the United States Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment & Training Services to operate a homeless veterans’ reintegration program in seven counties including Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Union.
Through this HVRP, Goodwill NYNJ will provide veterans of the United States military with job training, counseling and placement services – including case management, wraparound supports, career services, retention supports, job readiness, literacy, and skills training – to expedite their reintegration into the workforce.
Veterans most likely to experience homelessness are men over age 50 living in cities, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As members of this age group, they are likely to have more complex age-related needs. Approximately half of veterans who have participated in VA homeless assistance programs are involved in the justice system. Women, although just 9% of veterans who are experiencing homelessness, are more than twice as likely as non-veteran women to experience homelessness.
New Jersey dignitaries help inaugurate the Goodwill NYNJ facility in South Hackensack on July 27, 2020. From left, New Jersey Assembly member Clinton Calabrese, Hackensack Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lauren Zisa, Goodwill NYNJ President and CEO Katy Gaul-Stigge, and South Hackensack Mayor Jim Anzevino. – PRNEWSWIRE
In 2020, Goodwill NYNJ provided job placement, training, on-the-job coaching, and retention services for more than 14,000 people, half of them individuals with disabilities. Goodwill NYNJ placed 703 people in jobs in that time, including 345 workers with disabilities, in the technology, health care, accounting, warehousing, security, food preparation and service, and public agencies industries. Goodwill NYNJ also provided behavioral health services to help 1,400 individuals with mental illness.
“Goodwill NYNJ has provided customized training and placement services for the most vulnerable members of our communities for over 106 years, including people with all types of disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, those who are unemployed or underemployed, and anybody who has stayed in the margins of the workforce for a long time,” said Katy Gaul-Stigge, Goodwill NYNJ president and CEO, in a prepared statement. “We owe it to our veterans, who have served our country, to support them in their journey to work with dignity. With employers needing to fill vacancies, and we can’t afford to leave anybody behind to find good jobs.”
Veterans interested in learning more about the HVRP or to enroll in the program can call (973) 481-2300 or contact the organization via email.
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