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Goodwill Commits to Engaging Women Veterans

June 24, 2013 at 3:20 PM ET by Lt. Col. Archie Bates
Summary: 
Goodwill Industries International renews and expands their “Goodwill Serving America’s Heroes” initiative with a focus on women veterans.
Ophthalmologist Assistant Juanita Williams

Ophthalmologist Assistant Juanita Williams smiles while describing her experiences at a Joining Forces event hosted by Goodwill Industries International. (Photo from Goodwill Industries International)

Today, Goodwill Industries International announced that it is launching a new initiative that aims to assist 3,000 women veterans over the next two years.

By the year 2020, women will represent over 10 percent of our nation’s veteran population. The new and expanded “Goodwill Serving America’s Heroes” initiative will take a holistic approach to the success of women leaving the Armed Forces by providing assistance with childcare costs, housing, support for those with disabilities, and connections to employers, to name a few. 

Juanita Williams, currently employed as an ophthalmologist assistant, is a Navy veteran who utilized the services offered by Goodwill. She shared her opinion on Goodwill’s efforts. “Coming out of the service, we need this," she said. "We need these services that help us get back on our feet. They’ve helped me with child care, résumé writing classes, interview techniques and, of course, finding my employer.”

Goodwill, as a participant in the Joining Forces campaign, has hired nearly 1,800 veterans and provided job placement and training services for close to 100,000. Their other contributions to veteran success include partnerships with “Got Your 6” to bridge the military-civilian divide through the creative efforts and outreach capacity of the entertainment industry; Walmart, for “Operation: GoodJobs” which focuses on individualized career planning for veterans and their families; and Bank of America Charitable Foundation, which funds “Vested in Veterans,” to connect veterans to educational and career opportunities designed to ease their passage into the civilian workforce.

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Lieutenant Colonel Archie Bates, US Army, is a White House Fellow in the Office of the First Lady