Georgia Center for Opportunity to host drive-thru job fair in Gwinnett County Thursday | GWINNETT DAILY POST

by Corey Burres | Mar 31, 2021

Georgia Center for Opportunity to host drive-thru job fair in Gwinnett County Thursday | GWINNETT DAILY POST

The Georgia Center for Opportunity will host the Better Work Gwinnett Job Fair Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Infinite Energy Center parking deck in unincorporated Duluth.

During this drive-through job fair, job seekers will have an opportunity to meet Gwinnett County employers hiring for hundreds of full- and part-time jobs. Job-seekers will also have a chance to connect with employers virtually after the event. In addition to employers, a number of service providers will be at the event, offering help with food insecurity, housing, and more.

“The global pandemic is impacting our neighbors,” said Director of GCO’s Gwinnett Workforce Initiative, Jace Brooks. “When the pandemic started, Gwinnett County saw thousands of residents out of work, many of them faced housing and food insecurity…

Big Drive-Through Job Fair In Gwinnett This Thurs April 1st | CBS Atlanta

by Corey Burres | Mar 30, 2021

Big Drive-Through Job Fair In Gwinnett This Thurs April 1st | CBS Atlanta

The Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) is proud to announce a collaborative effort known as the Better Work Gwinnett Job Fair occurring April 1, 2021, from 10am to 2pm at the Infinite Energy Center Parking Deck. During this drive-through job fair, job seekers will have an opportunity to meet Gwinnett County employers hiring for hundreds of full- and part-time jobs. Job-seekers will also have a chance to connect with employers virtually after the event. In addition to employers, a number of service providers will be at the event, offering help with food insecurity, housing, and more….

“The global pandemic is impacting our neighbors,” said Director of GCO’s Gwinnett Workforce Initiative, Jace Brooks. “When the pandemic started, Gwinnett County saw thousands of residents out of work, many of them faced housing and food insecurity. A drive-thru job fair will allow job seekers the ability to connect with potential employers while still practicing social distancing and
safe health regulations. It’s been great to see local groups working together in such harmony for the good of the community. We know the job fair will be beneficial to our local residents, businesses, and economy.”

Read the full article here

Agency puts families first in new effort to build resilience | AJC

by Corey Burres | Jan 20, 2021

Agency puts families first in new effort to build resilience | AJC

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic would come to bear down upon us, DePriest Waddy was sitting in his office at Families First when a mother and father stopped in with their two young sons in tow.

There’s no polite way to put this, but they were a mess…

They won’t do this work alone. Using the data they collect, Families First will collaborate with dozens of local nonprofits, including WorkSource Atlanta, the Westside Future Fund, Georgia Center for Opportunity, and Good Samaritan. Together they will provide the support a family needs, when they need it.

Read the full article here

We could all use a good laugh right now, right?

by Kimberly Sawatka | Oct 19, 2020

We could all use a good laugh right now, right?

We’re excited to announce that comedian and inspirational speaker Michael Jr. will be joining us as a keynote speaker for Breakthrough Online 2020.

Known as one of today’s most gifted comedians, Michael Jr. brings laughter and understanding to audiences all over the world. Michael has spent a significant portion of his career making laughter commonplace in uncommon places such as homeless shelters and prisons.

Now, Michael Jr. tours the country using comedy to inspire audiences to activate their purpose and live a life fulfilled.

Breakthrough is a way for you to share your work, explore new ideas, and connect with other organizations that are making an impact in our communities. This collaboration of ideas is why the Georgia Center for Opportunity exists and we are excited to have you join us.

Register Now

Also joining us to speak at Breakthrough: Gov. Brian Kemp

Impressive line-up of panels

We all could use a good dose of inspiration, now more than ever. That’s exactly what you’ll get with our breakout sessions:

Education: The challenge of virtual learning in the COVID-19 era
Employment: Job creation through community collaboratives
Family: Personal wellness during the pandemic
Development: Nonprofit fundraising in 2020

Register today: Thursday, November 5, 8:30am to 4:00pm EST
We’re excited to offer Breakthrough in a new virtual format as we continue to partner together for a better Georgia. Join us!

Register Now

Breakthrough 2019 – Caring For Foster Families

by David Bass | Oct 31, 2019

Breakthrough 2019 – Caring For Foster Families

We can’t address the crisis in our civil society without addressing children who lack a family to come home to.

That was the driving theme behind Breakthrough 2019’s panel on foster care and adoption. A staggering 97 percent of kids who age out of the foster care system without a stable connection to a family end up landing in chronic poverty. How can we best help these children?

For practical ideas, we heard from Andy Cook of Promise 686, Bob Bruder-Mattson of FaithBridge Foster Care, Pam Parish of Connections Homes, and Chelsea Sabo of Foster Care Alliance.

As Andy shared, “The greatest nonprofit in the world is the family.”

Breakthrough 2019 – A Sustainable Vision For Helping The Poor

by David Bass | Oct 31, 2019

Breakthrough 2019 – A Sustainable Vision For Helping The Poor

Is there a solution to poverty? That’s the question GCO president and CEO Randy Hicks discussed with AEI president Robert Doar as a keynote at Breakthrough 2019.

One powerful step forward in the anti-poverty fight is the Success Sequence: Helping as many people as possible attach to employment, stable family lives, and education. And solutions come locally.

“We don’t really succeed in helping people move up unless we have a really great and strong civil society and faith-based institutions helping people on a one-to-one basis,” Robert Doar shared. “Government can write a check. Government can fund a program. But it can’t help a person get a job or help a child learn to read. That happens at a local level in an individual experience.”