The ex-wife of Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos – MacKenzie Scott – announced yesterday that she has given away more than 4 billion dollars to 384 organizations in just the last 4 months. Today Goodwill Industries of the Valleys based in Roanoke announced that 10 million dollars of that total is coming its way. Goodwill will use that money for its job training programs.
(Goodwill release) Roanoke, VA – Goodwill Industries of the Valleys announced a significant donation of $10 million from MacKenzie Scott today as part of a historic gift presented to Goodwill Industries International (GII) and 45 other local Goodwill organizations. This investment comes at a time when more than 10 million Americans are unemployed and urgently need help finding their next jobs. This gift will enable Goodwill Industries of the Valleys to expand its direct efforts and deliver its mission locally to equip individuals with the skills they need to get back to work and onto sustainable career paths.
Goodwill Industries of the Valleys responds to people’s most pressing needs in Central, Southwest and Southside Virginia, and is dedicated to closing the skills gap and eliminating the associated challenges created by inequities. Goodwill Industries of the Valleys will deploy these resources over a three year period to support mission, business, and human service needs with a focus on serving individuals with obstacles to employment and providing individuals with opportunities for greater independence.
“We are uniquely positioned to lead the way in ensuring that every individual, regardless of challenges and backgrounds, has access to the skills and services they need to face today’s economic situation,” said Bruce Phipps, President & CEO, Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. “We are humbled, grateful and overwhelmed by MacKenzie Scott’s transformative contribution, which will address the growing need for skills training for job seekers and help them move onto career paths, while building access to opportunity and equitable hiring nationwide as millions of community members continue to face historic hardships during this pandemic.”
