Goodwill® and Walmart Foundation Connect Veterans with Job Success

Operation: GoodJobs empowers veterans and their families with the tools they need to succeed in the workplace

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new program, funded by the Walmart Foundation and administered by Goodwill®, will empower military veterans with  the tools they need to find employment, advance in their careers and ensure long-term financial stability for their families. The Walmart Foundation's grant of $1 million will support the program, known as Operation: GoodJobs, at Goodwill agencies in the three key markets of Austin, Houston and Tacoma through 2013. Together, Goodwill and the Walmart Foundation will collaborate with a broad array of community partners to help ensure that veterans and their families have every opportunity to succeed.

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"Everyone is struggling to find good jobs these days, but veterans face particular challenges and it is our duty as a nation to support these young men and women who are having difficulties transitioning back into civilian life," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "We at Goodwill believe it is absolutely imperative that we give each of these veterans every opportunity they need to thrive."

Operation: GoodJobs assists veterans with job training and placement, but also plans for each participant's continued success by designing individualized, holistic plans that support the needs of their entire family and helps ensure economic security for participants and their families in the long-term. Each participant in Operation: GoodJobs will receive a complete career assessment and an individualized development plan that will include a range of family needs, from basic needs like nutrition, shelter and child care, to specific job training identified in the assessment process.

"As one of the nation's largest private employers of veterans and those on active duty, we share Goodwill's vision of a country where every veteran has a chance to succeed economically and support his or her family," said retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Gary Profit, senior director of military programs at Walmart. "Making that vision a reality starts today through Operation: GoodJobs. These young men and women stood up for us, and now it's our turn to stand up for them."

Veterans return home as proven leaders who have demonstrated their work ethic and commitment to achieving results as part of a team. Operation: GoodJobs will help to provide the necessary career counseling, resume help and skills training, so that veterans can obtain employment positions and in turn, employers can realize their skills and talents and match those skills with available employment opportunities.

If you know of a veteran who would benefit from these services or have questions, please call 800-GOODWILL.

Background: Our Returning Heroes

As the military works to withdraw troops from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) — two conflicts that represent the longest-running military engagements in U.S. history — the need for a continuum of coordinated, integrated services for veterans and their families is at an all-time high. Too many service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are finding it difficult to secure employment so they can continue their service and support their families. In 2010, there were more than 20 million veterans in the United States. That number is increasing every day as troops come home. Under current plans, at least 100,000 men and women will leave military service in the next five years. This news is troubling as a stubbornly bleak job market translates to high unemployment for veterans, especially those ages 18-24, who face an unemployment rate of more than 20 percent — more than twice the national average. 

About Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with 14 affiliates in 13 other countries. Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 2,600 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2011, more than 4 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 82 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at www.goodwill.org. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl or find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.

About Philanthropy at Walmart 

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support initiatives that are helping people live better around the globe. In May 2010, Walmart and its Foundation made a historic pledge of $2 billion through 2015 to fight hunger in the U.S. The Walmart Foundation also supports education, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International