Our Mission | Goodwill of North Georgia

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Our Mission

We Put People to Work

At Goodwill of North Georgia, our mission is a simple one: We Put People to Work. We use the funding generated through donations and our stores to operate 14 career centers and our virtual career center, Career Connector. Here, we provide job training and placement services to anyone who wants it. With the support of donors, shoppers and community partners, we help local job seekers overcome the barriers to employment. Last year, we helped connect more than 22,000 individuals with jobs.

How We Put People to Work

Our Career Centers

We have 14 career centers where we offer abundant resources. You can get free access to job boards, resume software, computers, job fairs and support from a career coach.

Explore Career Centers

CareerConnector.org

With Career Connector  job seekers can access virtual career services free of charge. Upon registering for the site, visitors gain access to an abundance of job search resources.

Start With Career Connector

Training Programs

Our training programs give you an edge. Upon participants’ successful completion of our training programs, we’re there to assist with job placement and retention services.

See Training Programs

Targeted Programs

In addition to our training programs, we offer special programs focused on targeted audiences such as youth, returning citizens, people with disabilities, and more.

See Targeted Programs

Facility Services

We provide top-notch building and grounds management services for government organizations and businesses. This allows us to provide jobs for 200 plus people with severe disabilities.

Learn About Facility Services

Careers at Goodwill

Join our team and be a part of a movement that is making a difference. We’re looking for talented, dedicated employees in a variety of areas.

See Goodwill Careers

Donations

By donating gently used items, giving a monetary contribution or volunteering with us, you are fulfilling our mission to put people to work. Every donation, big or small, is impactful and provides jobs for tens of thousands of North Georgians.

Learn More
Women handing Goodwill employee a bag of donations

Our Success StoriesSee All Success Stories

Meet Diego Hernandez-Millan

A native of Puerto Rico, Diego Hernandez-Millan spent much of his childhood living in Pennsylvania before his family relocated to Georgia in search of better educational opportunities. His parents and older siblings sought job search assistance at the Cartersville Career Center and in 2019, when Diego turned 16, he visited the center looking for his first job.

Meet Micah Young

At 23 years old, Micah Young has demonstrated that she’s a hard worker. She’s had retail jobs at Ingles and Walmart, and obtained warehouse experience working at Chico’s. She was working as a label creator at Staff Right in May 2020, when she decided to stop by Goodwill’s East Athens Career Center for help with completing her resume.

Meet Robin Renae Harkins

Robin Renae Harkins came to Cornelia’s Goodwill Career Center in May 2021. Her aunt, a Goodwill program graduate, suggested that she might benefit from the agency’s programs. With funding provided by SNAP E&T, Robin enrolled in the Retail Customer Service program.

Meet Eduardo Southerland

In February 2019, Eduardo Southerland’s GVRA counselor referred him to Goodwill’s Oakwood Career Center. The Flowery Branch native graduated from North Hall High School in 1998 and spent the next 18 years working for The Gainesville Times, where he mailed newspapers to subscribers. After leaving the newspaper, Eduardo spent a year as a bagger at Publix. As 2018 drew to a close, he was interested in pursuing employment with better compensation.

Meet Antonious Powell

Antonious Powell had been managing his own business, a mobile car wash lab. With weather and the number of customers being unpredictable, Antonious decided it was time to pursue a different career path. He wanted a stable career where he could have financial security but had been out of school for a while and was not sure how he could obtain the necessary education and training to move into a new career. Money was limited and paying for school was not an option.

Meet Radhika Tripurani

Radhika spent many years working in the marketing department of a small, local travel firm. During the pandemic, travel traffic demand drastically declined. Like many others, this resulted in Radhika being laid off. Determined to never be in a position where she could be laid off again, Radhika decided to pivot into a new career in technology.

Meet Maxon Smith

In April 2021, Maxson Smith’s Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) counselor referred him to Goodwill’s Woodstock Career Center. At 22 years old, he wanted to overcome his challenges and join the workforce.

Meet Xavier Wright

Xavier Wright, a native of Elberton, joined the Army after completing high school. After serving in the Army, he settled in Athens in 2016 and began searching for job opportunities nearby. His search led him to South Carolina, where he believed he would find better jobs with higher wages.

Meet Elida Cortes

In June 2021, Elida Cortes was referred to Goodwill’s Decatur Career Center by her Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) counselor. At 32-years-old, Elida had never worked before and was eager to find a job.

Meet Diego Hernandez-Millan

A native of Puerto Rico, Diego Hernandez-Millan spent much of his childhood living in Pennsylvania before his family relocated to Georgia in search of better educational opportunities. His parents and older siblings sought job search assistance at the Cartersville Career Center and in 2019, when Diego turned 16, he visited the center looking for his first job.

Meet Micah Young

At 23 years old, Micah Young has demonstrated that she’s a hard worker. She’s had retail jobs at Ingles and Walmart, and obtained warehouse experience working at Chico’s. She was working as a label creator at Staff Right in May 2020, when she decided to stop by Goodwill’s East Athens Career Center for help with completing her resume.

Meet Robin Renae Harkins

Robin Renae Harkins came to Cornelia’s Goodwill Career Center in May 2021. Her aunt, a Goodwill program graduate, suggested that she might benefit from the agency’s programs. With funding provided by SNAP E&T, Robin enrolled in the Retail Customer Service program.

Meet Eduardo Southerland

In February 2019, Eduardo Southerland’s GVRA counselor referred him to Goodwill’s Oakwood Career Center. The Flowery Branch native graduated from North Hall High School in 1998 and spent the next 18 years working for The Gainesville Times, where he mailed newspapers to subscribers. After leaving the newspaper, Eduardo spent a year as a bagger at Publix. As 2018 drew to a close, he was interested in pursuing employment with better compensation.

Meet Antonious Powell

Antonious Powell had been managing his own business, a mobile car wash lab. With weather and the number of customers being unpredictable, Antonious decided it was time to pursue a different career path. He wanted a stable career where he could have financial security but had been out of school for a while and was not sure how he could obtain the necessary education and training to move into a new career. Money was limited and paying for school was not an option.

Meet Radhika Tripurani

Radhika spent many years working in the marketing department of a small, local travel firm. During the pandemic, travel traffic demand drastically declined. Like many others, this resulted in Radhika being laid off. Determined to never be in a position where she could be laid off again, Radhika decided to pivot into a new career in technology.

Meet Maxon Smith

In April 2021, Maxson Smith’s Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) counselor referred him to Goodwill’s Woodstock Career Center. At 22 years old, he wanted to overcome his challenges and join the workforce.

Meet Xavier Wright

Xavier Wright, a native of Elberton, joined the Army after completing high school. After serving in the Army, he settled in Athens in 2016 and began searching for job opportunities nearby. His search led him to South Carolina, where he believed he would find better jobs with higher wages.

Meet Elida Cortes

In June 2021, Elida Cortes was referred to Goodwill’s Decatur Career Center by her Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) counselor. At 32-years-old, Elida had never worked before and was eager to find a job.