Local Goodwill Receives National Honor; Goodwill Southern California's Program Uses Adaptive Technology to Enhance Communication, Wins Goodwill Stewardship Excellence Award

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 28, 2005--The Deaf Training Employment Center of Goodwill Southern California (GSC) has received Goodwill Industries International's Stewardship Excellence Award. The Award was presented this Monday, June 27, at Goodwill's annual meeting in Wisconsin.

The National Stewardship Award recognizes the best practices for carrying out the fifth strategy of the Goodwill Industries 21st Century Initiative: Develop and optimize the use of Goodwill's resources.

“Our success lies in our ability to target different groups, identify their unique challenges, and optimize our resources and expertise to address those specific needs.”

For more than 10 years, GSC helped the Deaf community adjust to the hearing-world environment and find successful employment through its deaf training services. With time and changing needs of this population, these services evolved into a Deaf Training Employment Center (DTEC). Established as a result of a contract between GSC and the California Department of Rehabilitation, DTEC today provides personal, vocational, social adjustment and employment services to adults who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

DTEC regularly helps 100 to 150 people a year and consistently exceeds its goals. In 2004 alone, DTEC worked with 150 people, 132 of whom were placed in jobs with an average hourly wage of $10.53. It already doubled its goal for the fiscal year of 2005.

"They don't think of themselves as disabled," says Darla Kim, Director of Operations, "We shouldn't either. It's about qualified candidates and doing good work."

The center is housed at Metro North WorkSource Center, one of the GSC's full-service employment centers, but its staff is mobile. Currently, it provides training to people throughout Los Angeles County (north of Rosecrans Ave. from the ocean to Orange County). Because of the program's success, the services are becoming available to the general population in addition to the individuals referred by the Department of Rehabilitation. The future coverage area will include Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

DTEC's Personal, Vocational and Social Adjustment Program takes anywhere from three to six months (sometimes longer) to complete based on the student's abilities and commitment. The curriculum is customized to fit the individual's needs. The program helps people adjust to expectations of the work environment, teaching them basic skills such as time management, conflict resolution, job retention, motivation and more. Its Employment Services Program is designed for people who are looking for work. Here, under instruction, students create their resumes, cover and thank-you letters. The students then participate in practice interviews and receive advice and support while searching for a position.

"Our programs introduce students to the working world without fear," says Kim. "We learn from them while they learn from us."

Among other services offered by GSC to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing are the Assistive Technology Center (CAT), CompuSpeak and Video-relay.

CAT helps people gain independence through the use of computers and communications technology using a variety of adaptive aids, software programs and state-of-the-art equipment. CompuSpeak is an innovative use of technology developed by Darla Kim, so Metro North WorkSource customers who are deaf can communicate with hearing staff through instant message-like capabilities. Video-relay allows two people interact by signing while being in two different locations. GSC uses this technology in its Metro North WorkSource Center. It also helps employers establish this channel of communication by connecting them to appropriate resources.

"Because we strive to utilize the ever-evolving benefits of technological advancement, Goodwill Industries is able to help more than 700,000 people work towards independence each year with adaptive technology programs like the Deaf Training Employment Center," says George W. Kessinger, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Our success lies in our ability to target different groups, identify their unique challenges, and optimize our resources and expertise to address those specific needs."

GSC staff are proficient in a variety of languages, including American Sign Language (ASL). Metro North WorkSource Center also offers basic ASL classes to its staff and partners. More than 70 people have taken the class to date.

ABOUT GOODWILL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

More than 15,000 people with disabilities or vocational disadvantages benefit from Goodwill Southern California's education, job training and placement programs annually. GSC operates 44 retail stores, 36 attended donation centers, three campuses and six community-based career resource centers in the counties of Los Angeles (north of Rosecrans from the ocean to Orange County), Riverside and San Bernardino. Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, gave GSC its highest four-star ranking for four consecutive years, because GSC spends 92 percent of its budget on programs that transform lives through the power of work. For more information about GSC and its programs, visit www.goodwillsocal.org.