Goodwill Hawaiʻi to provide employment services for displaced Maui workers

Goodwill Hawaiʻi was recently awarded a new one-year contract by the State of Hawaiʻi DLIR Office of Community Services to provide Employment Core Services to Lahaina’s immigrant population or any other Maui resident who was displaced from work as a direct or indirect result of the Maui fires in August.

The funding will expand on the nonprofit organization’s current Maui relief efforts that focused on providing disaster relief support and store vouchers in the first phase of outreach.

“Goodwill Hawaiʻi has been a trusted and reliable partner in providing employment and training services in other communities statewide, especially those with a large immigrant population or other employment barriers, and we are confident in their ability to replicate their success for the people of Lahaina and across Maui” said Jovanie Dela Cruz, Executive Director of OCS.

Job seekers who enroll in the program will be paired with a Goodwill employment counselor and together they will develop an individualized action plan including specific supports needed to obtain the desired job. Supports can include translation services for non-English speakers, updating resumes, preparing for job interviews, and vocational training assistance.

Goodwill also provides wrap-around services for all of its clients, ranging from tax preparation to financial literacy training and other social and human services.

Job seekers needing assistance can visit the Goodwill office in Kahului (250 Alamaha Street, Suite N16B), email rsaludares@higoodwill.org or call 808-443-5870 ext. 1470 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

“We’re committed to aiding in the long-term recovery efforts on Maui and understand the important responsibility that we’ve been entrusted with to help victims of the fires get back on their feet and regain financial stability,” said Emily Lau, Goodwill Hawaiʻi’s Vice President of Mission Services. “Our clients can be assured that we will leverage our 60 plus years of workforce development expertise in Hawaii and an extensive network of resources and connections to help them land their desired job and achieve their goals.”

Statewide Goodwill Hawaiʻi assists more than 7,000 people annually, including low-income families, adults with disabilities, immigrants, reintegrating individuals, at-risk youth and others with employment, educational, financial literacy and social services. For more info, visit www.goodwillhawaii.org.

In the first phase of the nonprofit organization’s Maui relief efforts, Goodwill Hawaiʻi distributed $425,000 in store vouchers to nearly 1,600 impacted families to redeem at any Goodwill Store in the state. The nonprofit organization is now focused on helping dislocated workers to find new jobs. For more info on Goodwill’s efforts and how to support, visit www.goodwillhawaii.org/maui-relief.