LOUISVILLE, KY. – The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Goodwill Industries of Kentucky a grant of $1,936,736 to support services for young adults facing challenges such as poverty, community violence, and involvement with the justice system. The funding will support the new Pathways to Success program, which aims to help young adults involved in the justice system reintegrate into the workforce and achieve self-sufficiency.
Pathways to Success will serve more than 100 young adults ages 18-24 within a target area of Louisville that suffers from a 34% poverty rate and a violent crime rate of 686.89 per 100,000 residents. Zip codes within this target area include 40202, 40203, 40208, 40209, 40210, 40211, 40212, 40213, 40214, 40215, 40216, 40217, 40219, and 40251. The program will utilize The Spot: Young Adult Opportunity Campuses to provide services to program participants. The Spot is a collaboration between Goodwill and KentuckianaWorks.
“Empowering our youth is not just a responsibility,” said Nicole McGill, Goodwill’s director of young adult services. “It’s an opportunity to transform lives. By providing these tools and support needed to overcome challenges, we are paving the way for a brighter future.”
Participants of the Pathways to Success program—young adults at high risk of involvement in violence—will be recruited by community violence interventionists as part of the Louisville Community Violence Intervention (CVI) program. Upon enrollment, participants will begin Goodwill’s introductory programming to prepare them for the workforce and access new opportunities within Goodwill. This includes work-and-learn opportunities that allow participants to earn $15 an hour for a total of 200 hours of work experience. Each participant will also receive comprehensive anger management and conflict resolution training from a qualified counselor experienced in helping clients cope with trauma.
Upon completion of the work-and-learn training, participants are expected to pursue education or industry-recognized credential training through Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC). Several employers have committed to providing job opportunities for Pathways to Success participants, including Joash Construction, Workwell Industries, Masonic Homes Kentucky, and Crave Café.
Goodwill was one of 14 organizations to be awarded through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Growth Opportunities program. The Growth Opportunities program focuses on helping young people in communities plagued by violence by supporting local organizations that provide participants with jobs, training, and other supportive services, such as leadership development, mentoring, and conflict resolution. A total of $46.5 million was granted to support young adult services in 12 states and the District of Columbia.
To view the full list of grant awardees, click here. To learn about The Spot, click here.
About Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 101-year-old nonprofit organization that operates in 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The organization is committed to using resources from its 66 retail stores to help build pathways out of poverty for individuals who need a hand-up in life. In 2024, Goodwill helped place 3,092 Kentuckians into jobs with its 1,400-plus employer partners and inside its 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.