Goodwill Manasota recently received a grant of $65,000 from The Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation in support of Goodwill’s award-winning GoodPartner Coach program. This is the fourteenth year that Goodwill has received funding from the French Foundation for this purpose, with generous support provided since 2011.

The GoodPartner Coach (GPC) program offers individuals with various barriers to stable employment – of Goodwill’s more than 800 employees, roughly 70% have barriers to self-sufficiency – with employability skills training and case management services. The goal of the program is to enable those who may have been overlooked elsewhere to gain positive personal and workplace behaviors and skills, feel the pride of earning a paycheck and move toward self-sufficiency, build a strong work history, and develop the experience and skills to position them for higher-paying jobs within the organization or outside of Goodwill.

In 2024, a significant number of Goodwill Manasota’s employees represented the following demographics: persons with disabilities, veterans, older workers, English as a second language (ESOL), lack of a high school diploma, and those who were justice involved. Individuals with significant barriers often require more wrap around care and services in addition to sustainable employment to move toward self-sufficiency. 

Consequently, Goodwill Manasota provides team members with full- and part-time employment, a competitive wage, and a life coach. In 2024, 823 team members were assigned a GoodPartner Coach, with numerous positive outcomes including employees earning a GED, bachelor’s or master’s degrees; participation in ESOL, financial literacy classes, and a variety of upskilling activities; achieving one or more goals on individualized development plans; and earning their Role Model Worker badge, which indicates completion of Goodwill’s basic employability skills training modules.

Goodwill team member Paunyne Xavier can attest to the value of the GPC program. A 17-year employee of the nonprofit organization, she began her tenure in an entry-level position but, through tenacity, hard work, and the support and encouragement of GoodPartner Coaches, she earned several promotions. Inspired to reach for more, she decided she wanted to become a GPC herself, something she achieved this spring.

“I’m incredibly excited to start this new chapter in my career,” she said. “Being a GoodPartner Coach will allow me to do something I’m deeply passionate about: helping people grow, succeed, and believe in themselves, just as others have done for me.”

“Our focus is on upskilling our team members so that they have a career path to family-sustaining wages,” said Margie Genter, Vice President of Mission Services for Goodwill Manasota. "Thanks to the generous ongoing support from our friends at The Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation, our GoodPartner Coach program can continue to work to boost the career and life prospects for our employees and their families.”

Goals for the GoodPartner Coach program in 2025 are: to serve all of its more than 800 team members in setting and achieving life and work goals, and achieving at least one of those goals; reach a 75% 90-day retention rate; serve 35 people in GED classes; serve 35 people in ESOL classes; enroll 30 team members in certification or college classes; and help 170 new employees to become Certified Role Model Workers.

For more information about Goodwill, visit experiencegoodwill.org.

About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that changes lives through the power of work. Goodwill’s mission-integrated operations assist individuals with barriers – such as people with disabilities, veterans, older adults, and other impediments to stable employment –  by providing jobs, job skills training and education, and life and career coaching. In 2024, Goodwill served over 7,000 individuals, placed 1,563 in jobs, assisted 463 veterans, collected over 234,600 pounds of food for area food banks, and diverted 98.4 million pounds from landfills. For more information or for a comprehensive listing of locations, visit experiencegoodwill.org or call 941-355-2721.