Goodwill Industries of Kentucky was one of three nonprofits chosen to receive part of $1 million in funding that a Louisville Metro Council committee approved Thursday.

The Office of Resilience and Community Services will release at least $300,000 to each of the three nonprofits in wake of a unanimous approval for a resolution that will fund services that promote self-sufficiency for youths and young adults in the Louisville area. Goodwill was one of 16 nonprofits considered for the grant.

Through the Office of Youth Development, Goodwill, which was chosen by a group made up of officials from local offices, organizations and universities in part due to its record of effective career services, will use these funds to provide young adults ages 16-24 with transportation and peer support services. Nonprofit YouthBuild is responsible for centralizing services and outreach, and the Louisville Urban League is responsible for case management.

The transportation assistance will begin with bus passes and culminate in vehicle ownership for this population of young adults. The Goodwill Cars to Work program will serve as the organization’s point staff. It will ensure that participants understand the many factors that go into owning a vehicle, such as financial literacy and driver education. Goodwill’s goal in this effort is help to alleviate transportation barriers prevalent among young adults in Louisville’s west end, thus helping to create equitable access to education, health, employment, justice and other critical resources. 

Goodwill will hire additional staff to provide peer support services to participants, so they feel supported in their pursuit of self-sufficiency. This will be done through encouragement and assistance by peers who have overcome similar barriers.

This year, despite the pandemic, Goodwill has guided more than 2,000 individuals to full-time employment. To learn more about its slew of programs and services, visit goodwillky.org/programs.