From the Community Assistance Center (CAC):
SANDY SPRINGS, GA – The Community Assistance Center (CAC) and Goodwill of North Georgia have joined forces to provide jobseekers in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody with expanded career services offerings. Additional opportunities will include connecting job seekers to high demand careers through job training and credential attainment through Goodwill. CAC’s newly-opened Career Center pairs jobseekers with volunteer career advocates to help navigate the job search process from resumes to negotiating an offer, while building ties with local companies to identify open positions. Goodwill’s online job database, workshops, training, and information sessions will enhance and multiply the Center’s efforts. Through this partnership, CAC is positioned to help neighbors improve their financial situations to combat recent rising costs in housing and other necessities.
CAC is a community leader in human services, helping over 6,000 households annually in emergency situations meet basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing each year. Rent, utility, food, and gas price increases in recent months have left many Sandy Springs and Dunwoody residents in a position where their existing salaries cannot cover their usual expenses. Often, they find themselves in a position of having to choose between necessities: do they pay rent on time, or buy groceries for their family for the week?
“It’s been eye opening: most of our Career Center clients already have full-time jobs, but are no longer making enough money to make ends meet,” shares George Northrop, Career Center Director at CAC. “Our newly-opened Career Center helps our neighbors in finding better, higher-paying jobs with more long-term career potential by providing resources to find a new job, switch careers, or supplement their job skills. Goodwill’s job search resources provide an extensive array of tools to further help our clients in their job search.”
“We are excited to partner with CAC, given their long-established footprint in the Sandy Springs and Dunwoody communities,” states Lisa Brown, Career Center Manager at Goodwill of North Georgia. “CAC’s Career Center will connect jobseekers with our established job search and skills tool, Career Connector, as well as host digital literacy training, job fairs, and information sessions. We look forward to sharing those resources with Dunwoody and Sandy Springs residents,” states Glorivee Cruz-Velazquez, Region 1 Career Center Director at Goodwill of North Georgia. Almost 20,000 north Georgians found a job with the help of Goodwill in 2021.
CAC’s Career Center is now assisting clients, and will begin integrating Goodwill’s offerings in mid-May. The physical location of CAC’s Career Center at 1130 Hightower Trail in Sandy Springs is being overhauled to better provide resources for job seekers; an open house is scheduled for September 8th, 2022.
About the Community Assistance Center (CAC)CAC is the primary human services organization for neighbors in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody that are facing financial hardships or unexpected emergencies. Founded in 1987, CAC prevents homelessness and alleviates hunger by providing basic needs assistance (food, clothing, rent, and utilities) while progressively engaging clients to work towards greater self-sufficiency. CAC also provides supportive services for youth (summer lunches, school supplies, winter coats, holiday gifts), offers adult education classes, and facilitates employment through its career center. In 2021, CAC assisted over 6,000 neighbors. Learn more at www.ourcac.org.
About Goodwill of North Georgia (GNG)The mission of Goodwill of North Georgia is to put people to work. The nonprofit has provided services in the region for more than 90 years. In fiscal year 2021, Goodwill of North Georgia provided job training and employment services to over 50,000 people and helped over 24,000 people find jobs or start new businesses. The organization currently operates 68 stores, 53 attended donation centers and 14 career centers. Revenues generated from Goodwill’s retail program help fund job training and placement programs. For more information about Goodwill of North Georgia, visit GoodwillNG.org.
Media Contact: Laura Deupree, Senior Communications & Marketing Manager, CAC, communications@ourcac.org, 770-552-4889 (o), 770-298-3938 (c)