BOWLING GREEN, KY. – Monday, March 9, Goodwill Kentucky, in partnership with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kentucky, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and Fifth Third Bank, hosted a Fair Chance Opportunity Fair at the Knicely Conference Center on Western Kentucky University’s South Campus.
The event was designed to help Kentuckians with justice-involved pasts connect with resources and services that support their journey forward. A key feature was a free expungement clinic, where participants learned about the expungement process and determined whether they were eligible to have certain charges cleared from their records.
For many, expungement can open doors that were previously closed. Being granted an expungement means new, better opportunities for employment, education, and stable housing. Since launching its expungement program in 2021, Goodwill Kentucky and its partners have helped clear more than 20,000 records, removing significant barriers and helping thousands of Kentuckians move forward with greater stability, dignity, and hope. On Monday, 90 individuals were able to begin that process on-site, marking an important step toward a fresh start.
“At Goodwill Kentucky, we believe everyone deserves a fair chance to build a better future,” said Dennis Ritchie, vice president of strategic partnerships and reentry for Goodwill Kentucky. “Through strong partnerships and services like today’s expungement clinic, we’re removing barriers that stand between individuals and meaningful employment.”
The Fair Chance Opportunity Fair also provided participants with access to various resources provided by community partners, including career counseling, job placement assistance, financial literacy guidance, legal aid services, educational programs, and health and wellness resources.
“Stable employment and housing are critical to individual and community health, but a criminal record can limit access to opportunities,” said Stephanie Koenig, behavioral health director, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kentucky. “We are grateful to our community partners like Goodwill for supporting expungement clinics, which can open the door to stable jobs and safe housing, not only improving mental and physical well-being but also increasing access to preventive care and improving long‑term health outcomes.”
For more information about Goodwill Kentucky’s services, including a list of upcoming expungement clinics, visit GoodwillKY.org.
About Goodwill Kentucky
For more than 100 years, Goodwill Kentucky has helped Kentuckians find pathways out of poverty through the transformative power of work. Operating in 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties, Goodwill Kentucky places over 3,000 Kentuckians into jobs each year through its 1,400-plus employer partners and its own retail stores. These life-changing opportunities are made possible through donations to Goodwill Kentucky stores and community support. The organization reinvests approximately 90 cents of every dollar earned in its retail stores into job training and workforce programs. When you give to Goodwill, you do a lot of good.