Goodwill Industries of Kentucky sheds light on barriers for those facing poverty

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is working to bring change to Kentuckians trying to escape poverty.

On Monday, the group announced it published a policy brief to influence policy change.

The brief sheds light on barriers for individuals who are justice-involved, young adults, unhoused individuals and those who receive public benefits.

Goodwill Industries says research and data collection for the policy brief began in 2022.

“When it comes to advocating for policy change, it is essential we center our efforts on the people we serve,” said Goodwill director of policy and strategy Adam Haley. “Our leadership team has been very intentional on focusing on barriers that we see are some of the most common challenges our participants face.”

It says it put a policy team together, which gathered research and looked at four key policy areas when creating the brief: issues affecting justice-involved individuals, housing, issues affecting young adults who are at risk and public benefits and the “benefit cliff.”

In a release, Goodwill Industries says that research was gathered with testimonies who experienced those barriers.

One of these testimonies included Melvin Robards, who was hired by Goodwill in 2013 after being incarcerated for six-and-a-half years.

According to a release by Goodwill Industries, Robards started in a Goodwill retail store but now serves as a senior manager and oversees young adult programming at The Spot Young Adult Opportunity Center. Despite other opportunities, Melvin remains at Goodwill because of its mission to provide second chances, the release says.

“Each year, watching Goodwill grow regarding what they offered and the assistance they could provide for justice-involved individuals kept me involved and sparked a passion within me,” Robards said. “I wanted to be part of the company because I was watching these reentry initiatives. Goodwill was one of the first companies, from my perspective, to take that path.”

Goodwill’s policy brief will be updated as additional key policy areas are identified.