Goodwill Announces New Senior Community Service Employment Program

BALTIMORE, June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc. is now offering help for individuals 55+ who need job placement assistance in Harford & Cecil Counties.  A new partner of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), participants are paid the minimum wage while they gain skills working part-time in nonprofit or public agencies.  Beginning July 1, 2013, Goodwill will administer SCSEP under a USDOL grant and in cooperation with Senior Service America, Inc., the national SCSEP grantee in Maryland. The SCSEP is an equal opportunity program.

The SCSEP is the largest federally-funded program specifically targeting older adults seeking employment and training assistance. SCSEP gives special attention to seniors as well as veterans most in need including those with low income, poor employment history, physical disabilities and language barriers. Most SCSEP participants work part-time at a local nonprofit or public agency serving their communities. This paid work experience prepares many of them to find future employment outside of the SCSEP program.

The program provides a win-win for participants, host work sites and the communities in Cecil and Harford counties. Participants help community organizations extend their reach and capabilities while developing their own job skills, self-confidence and a restored sense of self-worth.

To be eligible for the program, participants must be:

• Age 55 or over
• Unemployed
• Resident of either Cecil or Harford County (Maryland)
• Living in a household with low income (125% of the federal poverty level)

To enroll in the program as a participant or a host work site please contact:
Deborah Gray
Project Coordinator, Goodwill SCSEP
208 S. Bridge Street, Elkton, MD  21921
Phone:  (410) 996-0026
[email protected]

About Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake:
For 94 years, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc. has helped others help themselves. Revenue generated from the sale of donated goods funds job training, job placement and other human services for people who are unemployed or face other challenges to employment, including people with significant disabilities. Annually, Goodwill provides services to more than 33,000 people in need of assistance because of physical, mental or other social barriers, and places approximately 2,464 in jobs, giving them "Not a charity, but a chance." For more information, visit www.goodwillches.org.

About Senior Service America, Inc:
Headquartered in Silver Spring, MD, Senior Service America, Inc. (SSAI) is committed to helping low-income and other disadvantaged older adults participate fully in determining their own future and the future of their communities. For over 40 years, SSAI has operated the federal Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), through a network of local sub-grantee organizations.  For more information, visit www.seniorserviceamerica.org/

Media Contact:
Jonathan Balog
VP, Marketing
410-837-1800 ext 175
[email protected]

SOURCE Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc.