GOODWILL AWARDED LYFT COMMUNITY GRANT
November 5, 2019Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia recently received a transportation grant from Lyft, the nationwide ride-sharing company. Job seekers being served by Goodwill can now qualify for free transportation to training programs, interviews and new employment, thanks to Lyft, helping increase participants’ ability to gain and retain sustainable employment.
“Goodwill is grateful to receive Lyft’s local grant to provide on-demand, point-to-point transportation services for individuals facing access challenges to job training participation and employment,” said Anna Hardin, Goodwill’s director of career development services.
Transportation is a challenge for many job seekers, and, as a result, Goodwill’s Community Employment Centers are often located on bus lines, making services more accessible to those who need them the most. Goodwill’s job developers seek to match participants with employers throughout Goodwill’s territory that are accessible by public transport, helping to mitigate potential barriers to success.
“Many of our job seekers do not have the funds to get to work when they first become employed, and this grant will allow us to assist clients with getting to and from work until they receive their first pay check,” said Hardin. “We can now provide transportation to and from our work readiness classes, which will help ensure that all job seekers will be able to access resources to become job ready.”
Lyft’s community grant complements Goodwill’s mission and provides a real solution to everyday challenges job seekers can face. Goodwill’s services all operate under the principle of a “hand-up, not a hand-out.” The mission of helping people help themselves through the power of work can be seen in action every day through services offered by Goodwill at no charge to job seekers. To learn more the Goodwill resources available to job seekers, visit- www.goodwillvirginia.org/get-job-ready.
