Ohio Valley Goodwill’s Focus on Community Employment Exploration Helps People Move Forward!

Ohio Valley Goodwill has been offering award-winning employment and training programs for people with disabilities for the past century and has a focus on helping individuals to explore their community to find out more about the many work opportunities that exist. As part of this effort, participants in the organization’s Work Adjustment program are provided the chance to visit different community job sites to find out more about the various work opportunities as well as the position responsibilities. Individuals who are not already engaged in the formal job placement process, are encouraged to become involved in community employment exploration activities at least two times annually.

Typically, three to five individuals with the support of an Employment First Assistant, visit different businesses in the Greater Cincinnati area with the express purpose of observing and gathering information about the various position responsibilities. The group is charged with finding out as much as they can about the many aspects of the job as well as discussing their experience afterwards. Goodwill has learned that community exploration helps people to have a better understanding of the many possibilities that exist in terms of future employment and in turn motivates them to consider seeking a community job.

One of the individuals who became involved in the community exploration options, Demont Bouldin; a long-time participant in the organization’s work and training programs was initially resistant to the idea of community employment. As he became engaged in the employment exploration activities, he became very excited about the possibilities that the larger community might offer. As a result of his involvement and participation in the community employment exploration program, Demont has now decided to pursue a community job and is now seeking the perfect work opportunity.

Demont Bouldin on Metro Bus.

Annually, Ohio Valley Goodwill serves more than 3500 people and last year, helped 919 to obtain community employment. Goodwill is a certified Employment First provider agency and looks forward to working with the people that the organization serves to help them to achieve employment success.
To find out more about Goodwill’s 100 year old history of putting people to work, visit www.cincinnatigoodwill.org/services.