Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio, Inc.
Youth Celebrate Summer Work Success
On Wednesday, August 10, dozens of people gathered for a picnic at Wildwood Metropark in Toledo. But this wasn't just any picnic; it was a celebration of success for Goodwill's Summer Youth Program. Among those in attendance were youth who participated in the program, their families, vocational rehabilitation counselors and friends.
Goodwill's annual Summer Youth Program provides jobs and training for youth ages 16 - 22 that have various barriers to employment ranging from physical to learning disabilities. The program is designed to help teens and young adults learn 
about the world of work by giving them paid job experience within the community. Participants learn job skills along with basic rules of good conduct in the workplace. Four of the youth involved also took part in "Job Readiness" classes which focus on identifying the youth's interests, interviewing skills, and appropriate work dress and behavior.
Fifteen youth took part in this summer's program. They were placed at several Northwest Ohio job sites including Shoreland Animal Clinic, PetCo, Panera Bread, Vail Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center, and Burger King. At the end of the eight-week program, one of the program
participants was hired on a permanent basis as a processor at Goodwill's Reynolds Road store.
Several of the counselors for different youth expressed their appreciation for the positive changes they could see in program participants and noted Goodwill's ability to work with the individuals in smoothing out problems. In a letter to Goodwill, one vocational rehabilitation counselor stated, "I also wanted to thank everyone involved in working with [my consumer] this summer. …the changes in him are remarkable! He now holds his head higher, appears to have gained confidence, and has really started to open up."
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On Wednesday, August 10, dozens of people gathered for a picnic at Wildwood Metropark in Toledo. But this wasn't just any picnic; it was a celebration of success for Goodwill's Summer Youth Program. Among those in attendance were youth who participated in the program, their families, vocational rehabilitation counselors and friends.Goodwill's annual Summer Youth Program provides jobs and training for youth ages 16 -
about the world of work by giving them paid job experience within the community. Participants learn job skills along with basic rules of good conduct in the workplace. Four of the youth involved also took part in "Job Readiness" classes which focus on identifying the youth's interests, interviewing skills, and appropriate work dress and behavior.Fifteen youth took part in this summer's program. They were placed at several Northwest Ohio job sites including Shoreland Animal Clinic, PetCo, Panera Bread, Vail Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center, and Burger King. At the end of the eight-
Several of the counselors for different youth expressed their appreciation for the positive changes they could see in program participants and noted Goodwill's ability to work with the individuals in smoothing out problems. In a letter to Goodwill, one vocational rehabilitation counselor stated, "I also wanted to thank everyone involved in working with [my consumer] this summer. …the changes in him are remarkable! He now holds his head higher, appears to have gained confidence, and has really started to open up."
Read More Success Stories
Brandon gets plenty of on-
Misty works hard during Goodwill’s summer program