EP #142 How Rappahannock Goodwill Turns Donations Into Local Jobs

Goodwill is one of those brands we think we already understand, until you hear what’s happening behind the donation doors. We sit down with Stacey Linkenhoker and Jessica Weber from Rappahannock Goodwill Industries to unpack how their work in the Fredericksburg, Virginia region turns community giving into real workforce development outcomes, from job seeker support to employer partnerships.

We talk through what Rappahannock Goodwill actually includes today: a large network of retail stores and donation centers, plus e-commerce, all designed to fuel mission services. Then we zoom in on their Virginia Career Works Center “one-stop” approach, where you can walk in for resume help, interview practice, job search strategy, and guidance that connects you to the right resources. The focus is simple and practical: reduce friction, make a strong job match, and help people stay relevant as the job market shifts.

Stacey also explains how WIOA programs support youth ages 16 to 24 and adults who face barriers to employment. We get specific about what “barriers” can look like and how short-term credentialing can create a doorway into a career pathway, especially in growing fields like healthcare, IT, marketing, and the skilled trades. We also dig into how employers can get involved through partnerships, sharing credential needs, and weekly hiring events that connect companies with job seekers who are actively preparing to work.

If you’ve ever wondered where your Goodwill donations really go, or you’re looking for job training in Fredericksburg VA, this conversation puts the mission into clear focus. Subscribe for more local business stories, share this with someone who could use career support, and leave a review with the biggest misconception you had about Goodwill.

Stacey Linkenhoker and Jessica Weber

Rappahannock Goodwill Industries

fredgoodwill.org

marketing@fredgoodwill.org

+1 540-645-6820

4701 Market St, Fredericksburg, VA 22408, Fredericksburg, VA

Transcript

Welcome And Meet The Guests

Speaker 2 0:01

This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 4 0:12

Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of our favorite local brands. I have two special guests joining me today. We've got Stacey Linkenhoker and we've got Jessica Weber joining us. They are with Rappahannock Goodwill Industries. Welcome to the podcast. Thanks, Dori, for exciting to be here today. Well, I'm excited for this and excited to learn all about Rappahannock Goodwill Industries. So let's start there. Share with us a little bit about the organization.

Speaker 3 0:49

So we have been a long-standing member of the organization of the Fredericksburg community. We've grown up quite a bit since the 1960s. Today we have over 15 retail stores. We also have e-commerce, so we sell things online at two different locations, and we are located across the Fredericksburg region. We have stores all the way from Caroline to Stafford to out in Tappahannock and many donation centers in between.

Speaker 4 1:19

Amazing. I had no idea that you had e-commerce. So thank you for sharing that. That's interesting. So you've been in the Fredericksburg area for a long time. Talk to me a little bit about the background, the history of the organization.

Speaker 3 1:35

So we have grown up from actually a laundry facility that at its core was helping individuals with disabilities find work in the community. We have expanded our retail sector to help support our mission of helping the community find work. And we've done that in a variety of different ways, everything from having job help centers throughout the community to help our workforce develop and match the needs of local employers to specialize in unique programs that fund job seekers' interest in training to match the needs of employee demand and skills in the area.

Career Works Centers And Job Seeker Help

Speaker 4 2:15

Amazing. Amazing. So let's dive a little bit deeper. Can you go over the services that you offer?

WIOA Youth Support And Credentials

Speaker 3 2:24

Absolutely. My role as a one-stop manager that assists in the Fredericksburg Virginia Career Works Center. And then we also have two other locations. There's another one in Warsaw. And so we are considered a one-stop workforce partner with the Bay Consortium Workforce Development Board. We bring together a number of agencies that are set to support the community in different ways with workforce. And some of the broad ones that a lot of job seekers are seeking today is help with a resume, help with interview practice. And a lot of job seekers are seeking support to find work in the community. So getting that job match, that right fit, is something we specialize in. And I'd love to pass it over to Stacey to talk about our Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act program.

Speaker 3:22

So again, my name is Stacey. I am the case manager for our WIOA program. We also have a lot of adult space manager. So I work with in school and out-of-school youth ages 16 through 24. And then after that, they roll over into our adult program. And we focus on helping those with barriers to employment to find credentialing, helping with job search, helping with resume updating and interview preparation, kind of some career assessments, and really kind of honing those skills and figuring out what it is that they want to do and how to get there.

Speaker 4 4:02

Amazing. But what you're providing our community is so valuable. And I imagine there's a lot of people that have no idea of all the services that you offer. So this is amazing. Thank you for providing this for our community.

Speaker 1 4:27

I I tell a lot of our youth when I'm when I'm working in career fairs or you know events, um, and we have a table set up and they're always like, what do you mean Goodwill is more than just a thrift store? Like, well, you know, when you go to checkout and it says, like, would you like to donate to mission services? That's that's why I'm here. Um, so we are mission services, and there is a lot more that goes back behind those stores. And I think that that is kind of a really valuable, you know, piece of information that a lot of people don't realize. Um they think of it solely as just a place to go and get some clothes or some cool things and and to donate the things that they no longer want, but there is a whole other side of goodwill.

Speaker 4 5:06

Amazing. What is something that you wish the listeners knew about goodwill? Like, what do you want the um the public? How um how can they support your mission and and what do you want them to know?

Speaker 3 5:23

I think it's really a twofold answer. One is we want the community to know that we are here for them. Um we're considered a one-stop center. You can come in and ask for help for connectivity to different resources. You can walk in and get a consultation if you're a job seeker. Um, we have a lot of different ways to connect folks everything from when they're in crisis to when they're also currently working and looking to continue to stay relevant in the workforce and upscale. I think the other piece that we want people to know is giving to goodwill gifts back to your community. When you come to the store, it's more than just buying a piece of clothing, it's it's helping your community grow economically as well as investing in the people that live here.

Speaker 4 6:10

Amazing. I'm really glad that you shared that because I think when people come in and they see something that has been donated and they think, I'm gonna pay, you know, five dollars for this, it's not it's not just going back to you know the store, it's going to back into our community. So I I really love that that you shared that. And it it is important to to support our community. And so, other than giving, you know, donations to Goodwill and shopping at Goodwill, are there other ways that the community can get involved and participate?

Speaker 1 6:46

I think that there's lots of different ways. So um, depending on you know who we're talking about, we're talking about those who, you know, middle of the ground are are happy in their jobs and they're making enough to get by, donating and and sharing the services that we offer outside of that when they come across people who who may not be in that same position, referring them back and letting them know that you know the career center is here and they can come in and use the resource room and they can come in and talk to people and we're happy to help, and that's our job, and that's why we're here. But also as you know, business owners, there are lots of ways that you all can connect and and we're actively looking for those partnerships in so many different ways. And whether that be partnering with us for a work experience, or whether that be you know, giving us a connection or letting us know when they're hiring so that we can help fill those positions. We have job seekers who are here all of the time who are looking for credentials, letting us know what credentials you need for the positions, um, what you're looking for. Those sorts of bits of information come back to us and we take all of that and kind of mold it into our services so we can make sure that we're providing the best service we can and the most help and maximizing the funding that we have. As with every organization, every organization in the area is limited on funding on what we can do and how we can work with it. So when we have that, the more information that we have, the better we can serve both those who walk through the center's doors for help and those out in the community who are looking for help.

Speaker 3 8:25

Amazing. We always encourage employers to knock on our door. Um, actually, every Thursday throughout this year, we host a variety of hiring events. Um, so I just have uh a four employers here today that are looking for job seekers to fill their various company positions.

Hot Industries And Removing Job Barriers

Speaker 4 8:47

Amazing. I I was I'm glad you mentioned that because I was just gonna ask are there specific industries that you're looking for, or do you um get people who are looking in in all industries?

Speaker 3 9:02

That's a fantastic question. So um we have a no-wrong door policy. No matter what kind of work you're looking for, what kind of employer you are, we're here as a conduit to help you connect. Um, we can say that in terms of the job market, there are some very um definitive industries that are growing right now. Um, a big one is healthcare, uh, another one is um a lot of our marketing areas are expanding here with messaging. IT, trades, trades are really big.

Speaker 1 9:33

Um, and so you know that and that covers such a large umbrella of what we have in the area. So it there isn't really one in particular. I know we do see an increase in healthcare and IT right now because those are the jobs that are available, and people are realizing when they're searching for jobs that these all of these jobs are open. And so I need to find a way to get into that. And that is one of the things that we help with is paying for those credentials for those who are, you know, low income for the youth, low income and facing a barrier to employment. And that barrier can be, you know, uh single parenting, that barrier could be basic skills deficiency, that barrier could be coming out of the criminal justice system. There's a variety of barriers that we help, and we take that information and help put them through credentialing so that you know those shorter-term credentials. I try to tell those that are coming in, think of those like six to eight months, take a class and get a credential and you can and have a doorway into a career pathway. We're not here to help you, you know, get to your ultimate dream job, but we are here to kind of take away that barrier so that you can get started and use those funds that we have to support you along the way. And sometimes that support looks like you need a pair of scrubs so that you can get to work because you you can't afford them until you start working. We can help bridge those little gaps that seem so trivial sometimes that people don't really know how to ask for that help. But our job here is to offer it so that we make sure that whatever those small barriers are to you getting a job and being able to stand on your own two feet are covered and we can take that weight for you.

How To Reach Them And Wrap-Up

Speaker 4 11:16

Amazing. What you are doing is so incredibly important, and I'm I'm happy that you're sharing this information and we're getting the word out. And if people want to help, if they want to, if they're a business owner and they want to connect, how can people connect with you?

Speaker 3 11:37

I think the biggest way is um you can walk in one of our centers. Um you can also give us a call or shoot us an email. We're always happy to lend an ear to hear to listen to folks in need.

Speaker 1 11:49

Um, yeah, I I would agree. I would say, you know, reaching out to somebody, we've got all of our contact information is on the website, and you can reach out to us, email us, stop in. And one of us is always here to make sure that we can greet you and talk to you and pass you along to whomever in the center that you need to speak to and kind of provide those resources. And I think that is just incredibly valuable for not just us here at the center and business owners, but really the entire community.

Speaker 4 12:19

Amazing. Amazing. Well, Stacey and Jessica, thank you so much for all that you're doing for our community and thank you for sharing Rappahannock Goodwill Industries with us. I'll include all of the contact information in the show notes, and thank you again.

Speaker 1 12:35

Thank you.

Speaker 2 12:38

Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to FXBG Neighbors Podcast.com.