Goodwill® Receives SNAP E&T National Partnership Grant From USDA

Funds will expand capacity to help SNAP participants access job skills, training and placement

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Oct 09, 2020, 08:55 ET

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that Goodwill Industries International, the largest nonprofit workforce provider in North America, is one of four national nonprofits that will receive a new grant to strengthen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training programs (SNAP E&T). This grant will significantly increase the reach and capabilities of these programs, which help SNAP participants build economic self-sufficiency.

The USDA is providing more than $6.7 million in SNAP E&T national partnership grants to four leading nonprofit organizations — Goodwill Industries International, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the American Public Human Services Association and the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund — to help enlarge program capacity to serve SNAP participants. Grantees will use the funds to develop materials, train subject matter experts, and work with member or affiliate organizations to expand SNAP E&T. Additionally, more than $3.2 million in SNAP E&T Data and Technical Assistance (DATA) grants will be designated to support improved E&T data collection and reporting across five SNAP state agencies.

"These grants will ensure the USDA and its partners are providing folks not only with access to adequate nutrition, but also with pathways to economic stability and long-term success," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

Currently, 47 local Goodwill organizations in 22 states operate SNAP E&T partnerships. With this investment and partnership with the USDA, Goodwill will significantly raise the number of participating Goodwill organizations and also grow the scope of existing partnerships. Goodwill of North Georgia, headquartered near Atlanta, will serve as a training and technical assistance partner.

"At Goodwill, we know there are millions of people across the country who are determined to find work and build their own economic success stories," said Steven C. Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "SNAP Employment and Training programs are an important component of the work we do at Goodwill to help individuals get the job skills, training and experience they need."

ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 156 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 12 other countries. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps people find employment, Goodwill is recognized with GuideStar's highest rating, the Platinum Seal of Approval.

Local Goodwill organizations offer employment opportunities, job placement and training services, and other community-based programs, funded by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,300 stores and at shopgoodwill.com^®. Last year, more than 24 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill services, and nearly 1.5 million people received in-person services.

For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, visit goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube: GoodwillIntl.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International