Background
Helping men and women who have been incarcerated re-enter mainstream society through meaningful work and building a stronger and safer city are at the center of Goodwill's partnership with the City of Philadelphia Mayor's Office for the Re-entry of Ex-Offenders (MORE). This Ex-Offender Re-entry Program, which is also funded by a $1.4 million grant from The Knight Foundation, is self-sustaining with the support of the local business and civic community. It is based in Goodwill's 19,472 square foot Contract Services Center located at 455-473 N. 7th Street. Here's how the program works:
• In a sheltered workshop setting, ex-offenders are employed at Goodwill's Contract Services Center where they acquire marketable light industrial skills processing donated textiles and computers and working on sub-industrial contracts from local business.
• Beyond building a resume and developing positive work behaviors, participants earn a weekly paycheck.
• Once considered job ready, a team of job placement counselors help them to secure and retain competitive employment in the community.
Benefits of Program
This Ex-Offender Re-Entry Program impacts the community on many levels.
• An at-risk population is given a second chance to succeed in society.
• Lower crime and recidivism rates.
• A stronger economy with fewer tax users and more tax payers.
• Employers get committed, focused employees.
• Promotes a city-wide recycling effort and a greener community.
For more information on Goodwill's Ex-Offender Re-entry Program, please contact the City of Philadelphia Mayor's Office of Reintegration Services for Ex-Offenders (RISE) at 215-685-3370.
Partnership Opportunities
A city-wide recycling effort is what drives the sustainability portion of this program and YOU can be a part of it. Each year, Philadelphians throw out millions of pounds of unwanted textiles plus scores of other items including household goods and computers. The City spends millions of dollars to transport and dispose of them in regional landfills. And in the end, it is our environment that feels the negative impact the most. Through this Prisoner Re-entry Program, we have established a world class textile and computer recycling operation fully managed by ex-offenders. Here's how it works:
• Businesses, schools, faith-based institutions and other community-minded organizations can provide work opportunities for ex-offenders by hosting on-site textile and computer collection drives. Drives can be hosted for a day, a week, a month or on an on-going basis.
• Once you confirm the dates of your drive, you simply encourage staff, students, parishioners and supporters to clean out their closets and to bring their donations to your designated bin. Goodwill provides publicity materials for you to use to promote the event.
• Once your bin fills up, Goodwill will pick it up and transport to its Contract Services Center where ex-offenders will get to work in recycling them!
For more information on hosting a textile and computer donation drive, please call Mary Polizzi, 856-439-0200, ext. 224 or mpolizzi@goodwillnj.org.
Beyond recycling, Goodwill's Contract Services Center is equipped to handle an array sub-industrial contract services for local businesses. It's a win-win-you outsource to us and we save you valuable production time and money while giving a hard working staff of ex-offenders who want a second chance to succeed a way to earn a weekly paycheck. Services offered include:
Assembly/Disassembly
Bagging
Mailings
Collating
Heat Sealing
Inspection/Testing
Inventory Control
Labeling
Manufacturing
Custom Packaging
Pick & Pack
Quality Control
Rework/Salvaging
Shrink Wrapping
Data Entry
Document Scanning
Sorting
And other customized services to meet your business needs
To request a free, no obligation bid on sub-industrial contract services, please call Wes Hughes at 856-665-7270 or e-mail whughes@goodwillnj.org.
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