Gwinnett Coalition celebrates work of Gwinnett Cares effort during COVID-19 pandemic

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Jul 11, 2022

Gwinnett Coalition celebrates work of Gwinnett Cares effort during COVID-19 pandemic

Gwinnett community leaders recently came together to mark the accomplishments of the Gwinnett Cares effort during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, more than 10,000 people facing eviction and homelessness have been helped by HomeFirst Gwinnett and its partners, and $75 million has been spent to help more than 21,000 residents who faced the possibility of their utilities being disconnected. HomeFirst Gwinnett Director Matt Elder also highlighted the construction of 117 new affordable housing units. The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s Better Work Gwinnett program also worked to addressed unemployment, which spiked to about 15% during the pandemic but was eventually reduced to about 2.1%.

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It’s Graduation Day!

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Jul 7, 2022

It’s Graduation Day!

Key Points

First graduating class of Jobs for Life and BETTER WORK Columbus partnership
Jobs for Life and BETTER WORK are joining forces to get help lift people out of poverty

On July 7th the first group 11 men and women graduated from the Better Work Jobs for Life class at the Asbury UMC training site. This course was the first of its kind in partnership between Jobs for Life and BETTER WORK Columbus.The goal was to give men and women a stronger foundation in life skills so they can go on to be reliable employees for local businesses.

“The Jobs for Life job-readiness training course helps men and women understand their dignity and God-given identity and gifts, develop character, and foster a supportive community that will equip them for work, life, and their overall goals. This method, combined with soft skills training, has proven to enable unemployed and underemployed men and women to find and keep meaningful employment.”

The Columbus community came together to support this group of students overcome their circumstances, and we are excited to see this partnership become a staple of the BETTER WORK program.

Georgia’s unemployment rate now stands at a record low of 3.0%

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Jun 20, 2022

Georgia’s unemployment rate now stands at a record low of 3.0%

Key Points

Georgia is one of 14 states to fully recover from pandemic-related job loss.
States with severest lockdown are still struggling.
There’s been a decline in labor force participation.

Georgia’s unemployment rate now stands at a record low of 3.0% in May, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released on Friday.

The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “Georgia is now one of only 14 states in the U.S. that have fully recovered from pandemic-related job loss,” said Erik Randolph, GCO’s director of research. “The states that imposed the severest lockdown measures due to COVID-19 are still struggling, and likely will be for months to come. All told, Georgia is in excellent company as one of the top states in job recovery. That being said, it’s important to remember that unemployment rates can be misleading. Since the pandemic, we’ve witnessed an acceleration of the decline in the labor force participation rate. Particularly concerning is the persistent problem of prime-working-age males being absent from the labor force. The number is estimated to be around 250,000 men in Georgia in 2021. A major policy goal in our state must be efforts to reengage this men in the labor force.”

GCO honored to be listed on Atlas Network’s top 10 to watch in 2022

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Feb 2, 2022

GCO honored to be listed on Atlas Network’s top 10 to watch in 2022

The Georgia Center for Opportunity team is honored to be named as one of the Atlas Network’s top 10 nonprofit partners to watch in 2022. Atlas acknowledges GCO as an organization working “to make the world a better place for countless everyday people.”

Atlas’ designation focuses on our work to ensure that Education Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) are passed into law during the current session of the Georgia Legislature. These would allow public school funds to be used for private school tuition. Quoting Atlas:

Coming out of the pandemic and its devastating effects on educational outcomes, GCO sees the expansion of educational choice as more important and more achievable than ever before. With that perspective in mind, their campaign will push for the implementation of a sweeping educational savings account program in Georgia. These programs are an effective way of providing parents the financial means to choose the best educational option for their children, restoring hope, dignity, and prosperity.

The Success Sequence provides an outline of how to reverse the cycle of poverty in our communities. GCO uses this as a framework for much of our work.

Who is the Atlas Network

The Atlas Network is a nonprofit organization that seeks to secure for all individuals the rights to economic and personal freedom through its global network of strategic partners.

BETTER Work Network is Growing in Columbus

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Dec 1, 2021

BETTER Work Network is Growing in Columbus

A Network of Partners is Growing in Columbus

Columbus, Georgia has over 11,000 citizens identifying as unemployed, but the number of available jobs is over 6,000. What’s the problem? Why are so many people not working?

Kristin Barker serves as the program manager for BETTER WORK Columbus, and provides insight as to why there’s limited job access in the area.

Through growing partnerships in Columbus, the BETTER WORK Network will meet the needs of people where it will have the most impact – in their neighborhoods. One of our partners, Jobs for Life, will utilize their sites to help address the underlying issues creating unemployment.

We know that satisfying work has the ability to restore dignity, build communities, and reduce crime.

We are excited to see so many people working together for the good of helping people.

The BETTER WORK Network will meet the needs of people where it will have the most impact – in their neighborhoods.