Good Counsel is pleased to announce that the South Jersey home is the recipient a life-changing grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (“CCHD”) of the Diocese of Trenton.  The $10,000 grant received from the CCHD will be used for the renovation of the home’s Learning Center.

CCHD, in its award letter, stated Good Counsel “reflects CCHD’s priority to support programs that offer a hand up’ and not just a ‘hand out.’  The new computer lab that Good Counsel Riverside will install should be a great help in assisting your guests to complete their education, search for and apply for employment and other training will help them become more self-sufficient.”

CCHD determined Good Counsel met the three major criteria necessary to receive this highly competitive grant.

1. Priority will be given to new initiatives taken by agencies or parishes that enhance or provide for a foundation of self-sufficiency
2. The agency or parish outreach program will have a mission of providing social services with a focus on basic human needs (food, clothing, shelter, jobs, etc.).
3. Applications will only be accepted from Catholic agencies (Catholic agencies recognized as such by the National Catholic Directory) and Parish Social Service Outreach Programs in the Diocese of Trenton.

Why a whole renovation?

Good Counsel’s Life Skills Program is essential for resident mothers to further their education, complete online classes, learn about finances and budgeting, as well as learn how to compose a resume – all of which will lead to self-sufficiency for mom and her baby and often, older children.  The Riverside Home has a set a goal of 100% of mothers to either earn their GED and/or attend courses at community college or vocational school.  Also, 100% of the residents will be trained on Microsoft Office Home & Student using the new computers in the learning center.

To reach their goals, the Riverside Home will outfit the new Learning Center with five new computers for five workstations, a printer, Microsoft Office software as well as Resume Maker Software.  The center will be furnished with adult desks, chairs, and shelving to create the optimum learning space.  Because our mothers multi-task completing their Life Skills Program alongside caring for their children, the learning center will also have a kid-friendly area that will enable our younger residents to learn, do homework, or play an educational game alongside their mother while she searches for employment, housing, or updates her resume.

Our mothers do not own appropriate clothing for job interviews, networking, or job fairs, so a portion of the grant money will be used for a clothing allowance for each mother to have a proper business suit and shoes.

Good Counsel is blessed and grateful for the generosity of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development for providing the necessary funds for the new Learning Center at Riverside.  The potential benefits from the new Learning Center are limitless for the current moms in residence and their children and each homeless, pregnant mother who comes to Good Counsel.

Click here for more information about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development Diocese of Trenton.

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