Niada Crespo searched for jobs for six months but the single mother was never hired. She was living with her uncle, but he planed to move out of state, making her feel increasingly desperate about her efforts to start a life for herself and her son in Central Florida.

Then, after applying for public assistance, she learned of a new program that would pay for on-the-job training and subsidize childcare so she could take part in the get-off-welfare initiative.

“It was life changing because I was on the edge, ready to give up and losing hope. And having a kid made it very hard,” Crespo said.

The new initiative, launched in April by Goodwill and CareerSource Central Florida, allows people on public assistance to do paid, 12-week stints at a Goodwill Retail and Donation Center.

Participants

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