In celebration of Second Chance Month, Goodwill of North Georgia is excited to announce a series of job fairs designed for returning citizens. These events aim to further the organization’s mission of putting people to work by providing individuals with justice backgrounds the opportunity to achieve success through meaningful employment.

Over the past decade, Goodwill of North Georgia has served more than 29,000 citizens in Georgia with justice backgrounds, offering services like resume training, interview preparation, and computer literacy training. The organization has successfully connected more than 10,000 individuals with justice backgrounds to new job opportunities in industries such as highway construction, welding, and forklift operations. Last year, Goodwill assisted more than 2,900 returning citizens, including over 900 women and 1,900 men in North Georgia.

"There are areas in Atlanta where getting involved with the wrong things is easy,” said Keith Parker, president and CEO of Goodwill of North Georgia. “We all know that gangs are always hiring, so Goodwill of North Georgia takes our second chance efforts seriously. When people have jobs, they have dignity, and with that dignity, the chance of reoffending decreases significantly.”

The following job fairs are scheduled as part of the Second Chance Month initiatives and will feature employers ready to engage citizens with justice backgrounds:

• South DeKalb Career Center, in partnership with Stand Inc.

  • April 10, 10 a.m. – noon

  • 4086 Covington Hwy, Ste 900, Decatur

  • Note: Pre-event workshop titled "Resume Support with a Record" on April 10 at 1 p.m.

• Rome Career Center, in partnership with Georgia Dept. of Community Supervision, Northwest WorkSource Georgia, and iWORKS

  • April 15, 10 a.m. – noon

  • 154 Hicks Dr. SE, Rome

• Athens Career Center, in partnership with Georgia Justice Project

  • April 17, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (and every third Thursday of each month)

  • 4070 Lexington Rd., Athens

  • Note: Online registration opens the first Monday of every month.

• Decatur Career Center, in partnership with Georgia Dept. of Community Supervision and DeKalb DCS Reentry

  • April 22, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

  • 2201 Lawrenceville Hwy, Decatur

  • Details: Includes food giveaways and preventive healthcare screenings.

• Woodstock Career Center

  • April 22, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

  • 9425 Hwy 92, Woodstock

• Oakwood Career Center, in partnership with WorkSource Georgia Mountains (WIOA), Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA), United Way, and Probation Services

  • April 24, 10 a.m. – noon

  • 3715 Mundy Mill Rd., Oakwood

• Smyrna Career Center, in partnership with Georgia Dept. of Community Supervision Reentry Services Division

  • April 24, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

  • 3205 South Cobb Dr., Smyrna

• Metropolitan Career Center

  • April 29, 10 a.m. – noon

  • 2160 Metropolitan Pkwy SW, Atlanta

• Athens Career Center, in partnership with the Western Circuit Access to Justice Initiative and Georgia Legal Services

  • May 3, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

  • 4070 Lexington Rd., Athens

  • Details: Site for Goodwill® LifeLaunch Growth Opportunities 4 Program, an employment and training program for justice-impacted individuals.

"Ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to rebuild their life and contribute to our communities is vital for Georgia's future,” said Parker. “Together, we can break the cycle of injustice and empower individuals to find their path to success.”