LOUISVILLE, KY. – Goodwill Industries of Kentucky has developed and published a policy brief to bring to light the barriers faced by Kentuckians who are working to escape poverty – specifically individuals who are justice-involved, young adults, unhoused individuals and individuals who receive public benefits – and influence policy change to better support them.
Research and data collection for the policy brief began in 2022, when Goodwill saw the need for evaluating the policy landscape to better understand what changes would positively affect the people it serves.
“Goodwill provides many resources to directly assist people who live in poverty to build new lives, but we also recognize the effect that public policy has on people’s ability to find a pathway out of poverty,” said Goodwill President and CEO Amy Luttrell. “We want to be a resource for policymakers and work together to promote policies that make Kentucky stronger and that offer realistic opportunities to people seeking to become productive citizens.”
Goodwill established a policy team to conduct research, consult other stakeholders and experts and meet regularly with the nonprofit’s leadership to prioritize public policy issues for advocacy. The team examined four key policy areas when compiling the brief: Issues affecting justice-involved individuals, housing, issues affecting young adults who are at risk and public benefits and the “benefit cliff.”
“When it comes to advocating for policy change, it is essential we center our efforts on the people we serve,” said Goodwill Director of Policy and Strategy Adam Haley. “Our leadership team has been very intentional on focusing on barriers that we see are some of the most common challenges our participants face.”
Goodwill anchored its policy research with testimonies from individuals experiencing the respective barriers listed above, like Melvin Robards, who was hired by Goodwill in 2013 after being incarcerated for six-and-a-half years. Melvin started in a Goodwill retail store but now serves as a Senior Manager who oversees young adult programming at The Spot Young Adult Opportunity Center. Despite other opportunities, Melvin remains at Goodwill because of its mission to provide second chances.
“Each year, watching Goodwill grow regarding what they offered and the assistance they could provide for justice-involved individuals kept me involved and sparked a passion within me,” Melvin said. “I wanted to be part of the company because I was watching these reentry initiatives. Goodwill was one of the first companies, from my perspective, to take that path.”
Goodwill’s policy brief will be updated as additional key policy areas are identified. To view the policy brief, click this link. To learn more about the policy brief, or to meet with a Goodwill client who is experiencing one of the researched barriers, reach out to the media contact on this release.
About Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 100-year-old nonprofit organization that operates in 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The organization is committed to using resources from its 67 retail stores to help build pathways out of poverty for individuals who need a hand up in life. In 2023, Goodwill helped place 3,185 Kentuckians into jobs with its 1,330 employer partners and inside its own retail stores. Goodwill uses approximately 90 cents from every dollar generated in its retail stores to operate programs and services that help Kentucky’s hardest-to-serve job seekers build the life they desire.