Fairfield Goodwill opens walk-in opportunity center to help job seekers

“As we cut the ribbon on expanded resources for the Fairfield community, Goodwill also embarks on a new era for the organization,” said Mark Hiemstra, president and CEO of Ohio Valley Goodwill.

The Goodwill Opportunity Center will be next to the Goodwill retail space. The center includes pre-vocational training that is designed to help individuals acquire the skills they need to get a job. The center is not yet open but should be within the next few months, according to the organization.

“This speaks directly to Goodwill’s mission of helping people with disabilities, military veterans, individuals challenged with homelessness and others who will get the chance they deserve,” Hiemstra said.

Hiemstra said that Goodwill connects people to needed resources, as the organization strives to eliminate barriers and prepare people for employment opportunities or help them explore housing services that it can offer.

“So, if somebody needs to connect to a food bank or needs to connect a job and family services to get some daycare vouchers or food stamps, for example,” he said. “Goodwill will offer a direct connection to those resources while continuing to offer our services.”

Fairfield Mayor Mitch Rhodus said the walk-in center will address an ongoing need in the city as the center “will offer an array of comprehensive community resources.”

Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Superintendent Lee Ann Emmons said they share Goodwill’s commitment to helping people “discover their dreams and making those dreams come true.”

The Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities supports more than 4,100 people with lifelong services available through partner agencies, such as Goodwill, which Emmons said is “a trusted partner, and we look forward to watching that partnership grow here in Fairfield.”

The remodeled Fairfield store and donation center is modernized to improve shopping and communicate Goodwill’s mission. Proceeds from Goodwill store sales fund the organization’s programs and services, enabling it to provide job training, career counseling and employment opportunities to individuals facing barriers to employment.

“Our commitment to eliminating barriers, empowering people, and elevating human potential remains at the heart of this re-opening,” Hiemstra said.