LOUISVILLE, KY. – Goodwill Industries of Kentucky will celebrate the grand opening of its newest Opportunity Center in Paducah with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, August 24 at 1601 Broadway Street at noon CST.
Paducah Chamber President and City Commissioner Sandra Wilson, Goodwill President and CEO Amy Luttrell, Director of Career Services Chad Spencer, Opportunity Center Manager Margie Silva and a mission speaker with experience in Goodwill’s programming will speak during the event. Attendees are invited to tour the Opportunity Center following the ribbon cutting. Goodwill and its partners will host an expungement clinic prior to the ceremony to help job seekers clear their justice-involved backgrounds – one of many services available at the Center.
“Goodwill is ecstatic to cut the ribbon on this Opportunity Center and bring a collection of much-needed resources to the Paducah community,” said Spencer. “I’ve seen firsthand how these services can change the lives of participants who experience chronic poverty, addiction, justice involvement and so much more, and I couldn’t be prouder of that work.”
The Paducah Opportunity Center is designed for area residents who experience barriers to employment and self-sufficiency, including addictions, justice-involved backgrounds, education deficiencies, limited workforce histories, childcare challenges, transportation, homelessness and mental or physical disabilities. The Center will serve as a one-stop-shop for those individuals, with services, programs, classes and community partner presentations.
The Center is part of Goodwill’s plan to expand its geographic presence and meet the growing service needs in communities where holistic resources are needed the most. Goodwill has rebranded its current resource centers as Opportunity Centers and has established more locations in 2023, its centennial anniversary year. The name change reflects the long-term transformation of the organization, which has been operating and providing opportunities since 1923. Goodwill has formed cooperative partnerships with like-minded organizations to collaborate and provide programs and services together at the Opportunity Centers.
Currently, Goodwill operates Opportunity Centers in Bowling Green, Corbin, Elizabethtown, Lexington, Metro Louisville, South Louisville, Morehead, Paducah, Pikeville and Somerset. Late this year, the nonprofit’s largest mission-related investment – the Norton Healthcare West Louisville Opportunity Campus – is expected to be completed. The Opportunity Center on the campus has an estimated annual economic impact of $18.7 million and will serve approximately 50,000 individuals each year.
To learn more about the grand opening of the Paducah Opportunity Center or Goodwill’s services, visit GoodwillKY.org.
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 2022, Goodwill helped place 2,368 Kentuckians into jobs with 877 of its 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.