Goodwill Career Centers provide free employment resources to job seekers. Our experienced career coaches provide personalized guidance to help our clients prepare for, find and land the job they want. Visit our Career Centers page here.

Community Employment Services helps people with disabilities prepare for, find, and succeed in meaningful employment. We work with each individual to identify opportunities that match their interests, strengths, and goals, providing skill development and job coaching to support success in the workplace.

State-funded services require a referral through the Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation Services or Department of Developmental Services. Families may also choose to access services through private pay.

Complete our request form to connect with a program advisor who can answer your questions and help you explore next steps. Responses typically occur within 48 business hours.

Request information about this program.

Every page turned is a step toward opportunity.

Check to see if you're within our service territory here. Request books for your organization here.

At Goodwill of Western & Northern Connecticut, we believe that opportunity has the power to change lives, and that opportunity can begin with something as simple as a book.

Our mission is to help people achieve greater independence, build confidence, and reach their full potential. While much of our work focuses on employment, job training, and supportive services, we recognize that the foundation for future success begins long before someone enters the workforce.

Literacy is one of those foundations.

Access to books helps children develop essential reading and communication skills, build confidence, spark curiosity, and discover new possibilities. Yet not every child has the same access to books at home or in their community.

Through our Good Books Program, we turn generously donated children's books into opportunities for learning and growth. By providing free books to schools, teachers, libraries, childcare centers, shelters, and community organizations, we help remove barriers to literacy and put more books into the hands of children who can benefit from them.

The program reflects Goodwill's mission in several important ways:

• Creating opportunity: Just as our employment programs help adults develop skills for the future, Good Books supports children as they develop the foundational skills that can open doors throughout their lives.

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• Removing barriers: By providing books at no cost, we help ensure that financial circumstances do not prevent children from experiencing the joy and benefits of reading.

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• Strengthening communities: We partner with local organizations that understand the needs of the children and families they serve, extending our impact into neighborhoods throughout Connecticut.

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• Giving donations a greater purpose: Books donated to Goodwill receive a second life, creating educational value while reinforcing our commitment to responsible reuse.

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• Investing in future independence: Reading, learning, and building confidence at an early age can help prepare children for greater educational, personal, and professional opportunities.

Good Books is about more than giving away books. It's about investing in potential.

Every book we place in a child's hands represents an opportunity to learn something new, imagine a different future, and develop skills that can last a lifetime.

At Goodwill, we help people build brighter futures every day. Through Good Books, we're helping that journey begin a little earlier.

Because every great future deserves a good beginning.

In conjunction with the Department of Developmental Services, this day program provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity for social and community integration. Activities can include volunteerism, physical exercise, cultural trips, music and art therapy and community events.

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Helms offers affordable two-bedroom townhouses in Bridgeport to families who qualify.

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The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) is an employment-focused program designed to assist veterans experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. Goodwill will assist eligible veterans with:

·       Preparing for and attaining career opportunities  
·       Supportive services and access to housing
·       Financially support eligible veterans in obtaining credentialing such as CDL, Security Guard Cards, and other accredited courses.

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Goodwill offers safe, quality housing with a person-centered level of support and community inclusion activities. Must be referred by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

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In collaboration with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, this program provides individuals in recovery the support and tools needed to find, secure and maintain employment.

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In association with our Acquired Brain Injury Program (ABI), Goodwill offers residential support services to people with an ABI in a group or individual settings. Individualized service plans focus on allowing the individual to live independently in the community of their choice.

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The Transitional Services Work Readiness Program helps adults, including working-age youth transitioning out of local school districts, build the skills and confidence needed to enter the workforce and increase their independence.

Through time-limited, unpaid training, participants gain practical experience in one of four tracks: retail, food service, maintenance, or administrative services. Upon successful completion, each participant receives individualized staff support with their employment search.

Funding is provided by the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services.

Request information about this program.