Program areas at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes
Retail: employment and training opportunities through the operation of Goodwill retail stores. Currently located in monroe, wayne, livingston, onondaga and ontario counties, gfl covers a territory of 20 counties and is expanding to those counties in the coming years. Gfl also operates an e-commerce business, clearance center and multiple attended and standalone donation centers and warehouses.
2-1-1/lifeline: is an accredited program through the alliance of information and referral systems and american association of suicidology. It is available for everyone, every day, anytime. Community members get connected with experienced telecounselors by simply dialing 2-1-1 for free and confidential assistance connecting to vital services withing the community as well as providing crisis services.
Food services: catering services are provided to monroe country senior congregate meal centers, along with the daily meals to local child day care providers. Food services also provides a full-service in-house cafe offering breakfast and lunch to employees and guests. An internal catering service is also available for meetings held within the agency. Food service employs a wide variety of individuals with barriers.
Contact center: the Goodwill contact center answers calls for our organization, a variety of goodwills, and on behalf of other private businesses. We provide an integrated setting employing people with a variety of barriers, including people who are blind along with people who are fully sighted. Training is provided and for some this is an early entry into a customer service job. This social enterprise helps to fund and support our 211/life line program as all our contact center systems are leveraged.
Workforce development: supports the expanded mission of gfl to prepare and empower people with disabilities and other barriers to independence to be self-sufficient and contribute to their families and communities. Individuals are connected to job-readiness training, resume building and mock interviewing, as well as opportuities to build computer skills and search for jobs. Through collaborations with community partners, Goodwill hosts participants in work experience programs, providing on-the-job training and feedback to develop the skills necessary to gain and maintain a job. the working wardrobe allows individuals access to work-appropriate clothing from suits to carhartt's, ensuring that apparel requirements are not a barrier to gaining or maintaining employment.