AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – As you’re wrapping up back-to-school shopping, one store is reminding its customers that every dollar matters.

At Goodwill, donations and purchases support education opportunities and job training programs.

As you’re looking around at all of those school items, it may be time for you to head to the classroom yourself.

“The back-to-school rush is heating up. I was just putting some backpacks out the other day for prospective students, so I’m very excited,” said Regional District Manager Joseph Cochran.

While you can find those back-to-school essentials at Goodwill, know you are supporting someone else’s education journey.

More than 86 cents of every dollar go toward Goodwill’s job training and placement services.

“It’s not just this is money going somewhere. There are legitimate programs we have here to serve the community and individuals in need,” said Cochran.

For those in need, they provide case management and intensive services through their job connection career centers.

“We try to serve mostly the underserved population of the disabled, previously incarcerated, and also individuals that are on the verge of homelessness,” said Cochran.

Cochran has been with Goodwill for 16 years and worked his way up the ladder.

He says Goodwill helped him when he was in grad school.

“The company was able to give me a tuition reimbursement so that way I was going to be in a better position coming out of school and after I graduated so it was very awesome that they were able to provide me with that,” he said.

Helms College is supported through Goodwill and offers everything from a GED to a college degree.

“Our Helms College, which has longer degree programs in health services in culinary arts, but we also have what’s called Helms Continuing Education and so we offer more short-term training and certifications,” said Cochran.

He encourages everyone to come visit.

“We’re glad to have you not only shopping, dining and donating with us, but should you be thinking about going back to school, it is an affordable option,” said Cochran.

They recently added an ESL course through Helms College.

You can also take phlebotomy, administrative and office skills and a forklift operator program through Helms College.

These programs are funded through their retail stores.

To sign up, visit https://goodwillcareerdevelopment.my.site.com/HCE/s/programs or any job connection career center.

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