Goodwill offers aid to combat homelessness in Bowling Green, Kentucky

Another Way, a new initiative to support the unhoused community

Goodwill Industries International, the long-standing American nonprofit, is striving to tackle the issue of homelessness in Kentucky through its recently announced program, “Another Way”. This initiative, specifically designed to aid unhoused communities, is set to commence in Bowling Green from July 1, according to a press release from the Kentucky chapter of Goodwill.

Bowling Green’s growing poverty and homelessness issue

A study conducted by Western Kentucky University in 2021 pointed towards an increase in homelessness and poverty among locals in Bowling Green, a trend accompanying the city’s recent economic growth. Based on their findings, there is a pressing need to assist those unable to cope with this rapid development.

How Goodwill’s “Another Way” program can help

“Another Way” outlines an innovative approach in which assistance, funded by over $81,000 generous donation from the city, arrives in more than just monetary form. Participants are granted opportunities for work-based learning and job skill development. Furthermore, they are provided with transportation to and from their workplaces around the city. Implementing this program twice a week, four individuals will be accommodated for up to four hours in a single van each day.

In addition to these support systems, participants will also receive an introduction to a variety of resources aimed at overcoming internal and external barriers, right within Goodwill’s Bowling Green Opportunity Center. These comprise $50 cash, and food provisions for lunch. “The ‘Another Way’ program can give our homeless population another way to earn a living, to be introduced to Goodwill’s supportive system, and ultimately, to live their best life”, states Chad Spencer, Goodwill’s Director of Career Services for the southwest region.

“Another Way” takes its first steps in Louisville

Prior to its adoption in Bowling Green, this program was initially launched as a pilot in Louisville back in 2019. Since then, “Another Way” has positively influenced lives of over 1,500 individuals. The program has been successful in directly connecting more than 600 of these individuals to resources for achieving self-sufficiency. In addition to this, the program facilitated transportation for over 75 individuals to substance abuse or mental health treatment facilities and also helped over 130 people find temporary-to-permanent housing solutions. Remarkably, over 150 participants were able to find employment through the resources provided by the program.

The early success of “Another Way” in Louisville serves as a hopeful precedent for its upcoming implementation in Bowling Green, showcasing its potential in providing effective aids to the struggling, unhoused communities in Kentucky.