Goodwill Job Center Opens in Gaffney, Hopes To Help Unemployed

With a few final touches Goodwill's new job connection site in Gaffney is gearing up for its grand opening in Gaffney.

It will serve a county with an unemployment rate of more than 16%.

The Job Connection, along with the new Goodwill store is slated to open on Floyd Baker Boulevard at 8:30 Thursday morning (November 18, 2009).

The Job Connection already has a proven track record in 6 other communities across the Upstate, like the one Spartanburg.

Hazel Smith from Cowpens is one of more than 3,000 people who have found work this past year with the help of employment specialists at Goodwill like Marcy Desmarias.

“If you just keep coming every day if you have to, call like I did 2, 3 times a day, Marcy will find you work," said Smith.

"I'm here to help you out in any way I can,” said Desmarias.

“And I am very personal, as personal as I can get," added Desmarias.

You may have contributed to the job connection, without even realizing it. Every time you buy an item at a Goodwill store, 92 cents out of every dollar goes to helping people find a job.

In this economy the 250 people who walk through this door each month are grateful for the free help.

“When things go down you have to lift yourself up and go another way,” said Smith.

“So now I'm employed again. I've been out there 6 weeks today on my new job," she said.

Smith says the personal touch combined with personal motivation are the ticket to getting back in the workforce.

Below are the services The Job Connection provides, and the locations:

Services Available:
• Computers for employment searches and online applications
• Job leads and referrals, including SC Job Link postings
• Resume & Cover Letter construction, advice and guidelines
• Application assistance
• Fax machine and telephone for employer communications
• Employer cold calling preparation and interviewing skills
• Basic Computer Literacy classes, ESL classes
• State Criminal Background Checks (SLEDs)
• Regularly scheduled Job Fairs
• Access to Community Resources

7 Upstate Locations
Job Connection Anderson
3019 N. Main Street
Anderson, SC 29621
864.964.8202

Job Connection Haywood
115 Haywood Rd.
Greenville, SC 29607
864.351.0134
Job Connection Berea
3229 W. Blue Ridge Dr.
Greenville, SC 29611
864.269.6640

Job Connection Simpsonville
915 South Street Unit N
Simpsonville, SC 29681
864.967.4217

Job Connection Greer
1333 W. Wade Hampton Blvd.
Greer, SC 29650
864.877.5285

Job Connection Spartanburg
300 Dawn Redwood Drive
Spartanburg, SC 29304
864.579.1025

Job Connection Gaffney
Opening November 19, 2009
1307 W Floyd Baker Blvd.
Gaffney, SC 29340
864-487-7775