Goodwill Industries of Kentucky prides itself on placing individuals into reliable jobs – and those services are needed now more than ever.

Between March and June of this year, more than 550,000 Kentuckians filed new claims for unemployment insurance benefits, per reports, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Goodwill was forced to close its 66 retail stores and donation centers but is back to offering the life-changing services job seekers in 103 of the Commonwealth’s 120 counties are in need of.

Due to the current state of community, Nat Irvin II, assistant dean of thought leadership and civic engagement at the University of Louisville College of Business, said Goodwill has the potential to help individuals rebound from this difficult time by paving way for reliable employment opportunities.

The nonprofit’s renewed mission was recently highlighted by the Courier Journal: