Goodwill Industries of Kentucky’s LifeLaunch: Ignite 2.0 Reentry Program and ONE Lexington partnered to host “Ignite the Block,” an event to empower the futures of Lexington-area young adults ages 18-24 who experience barriers to self-sufficiency, such as such as prior or current justice involvement, employment readiness, education, substance abuse, mental health, shelter, transportation and more.
The Ignite 2.0 Program aims to reduce recidivism in the Lexington area by addressing barriers young adults are challenged with. Participants are placed in a pre-enrollment process to establish a personalized pathway of empowerment between client and their career coach. Once enrolled, clients are then encouraged to enroll in one of several career pathways – funded by the program – in collaboration with Bluegrass Community and Technical College. There is a $150 enrollment bonus for participants, and the program incentivizes participants’ goal completion. Participants also earn a stipend for attending classes at BCTC.
ONE Lexington is an initiative created by the City of Lexington to coordinate all activities addressing violent crime – inside city government and outside – with public and private partners. It partners with nonprofit communities, schools, neighborhood leaders and city government partners to make a difference in the Lexington community.
To get a recap of the event, watch these news segments:
- WKYT: ‘Ignite the Block’ event in Lexington helps young adults with criminal history find work
- WDKY: Young adults in Lexington get another chance through community event
- LEX18: Ignite 2.0 and ONE Lexington partner to offer young adults with criminal histories a second chance
- Spectrum: Goodwill partners with One Lex for youth outreach
- KET: Kentucky Edition (begins at 22-minute mark)