Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania announced the winners of its 2022 Power of Work Awards, which honor businesses that are opening their doors and improving the lives of people with disabilities and other challenges by offering them work or work-related experiences.

Selected from more than 60 nominees, the winners are:

Fudge Farm – Fudge Farm is a gourmet fudge, chocolate, and ice cream shop in Pittsburgh. According to its website, it carries the largest variety of fudge in western Pennsylvania. Fudge Farm has worked with Goodwill to support the Learn and Earn Summer Youth Employment Program for the past four years, demonstrating a willingness to continue the partnership and provide young adults with their first work experience.

The Learn and Earn Summer Youth Employment Program provides summer job opportunities for youth throughout Allegheny County. Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania has been a host site for the program for several years. Fudge Farm prides itself on diversity, which is reflected in its hiring practices. The business has hired many individuals with barriers to employment, including those experiencing homelessness, single parents, young adults with limited work history, and others facing employment challenges.

Nancy’s Revival | Revival Chili – Revival Chili’s mission is to hire individuals in need of a fair chance at work but who currently face employment barriers, such as homelessness, previous incarceration, or a lack of work experience. Jordan Robarge founded Revival Chili in October 2016 and has since dedicated his life to hiring individuals with criminal records to reduce local recidivism rates.

Robarge himself has a criminal record that once prevented him from gaining employment after college. He has worked with many workforce development programs, including Goodwill’s YouthWorks program, which helps youth gain work experience.

He was recently a guest speaker at a graduation ceremony for Goodwill’s YouthWorks program. During his speech, he offered employment to any youth who was interested—one individual accepted and was later hired.

Accenture – Accenture exists to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity, helping clients become the best versions of themselves. Through driving skills development, enabling employment, and collaborating for change, Accenture has equipped 5.8 million people worldwide with skills to improve their lives.

Accenture Pittsburgh’s recent efforts focus on the “Inclusive Future of Work” initiative, which supports people in jobs at risk of disruption due to intelligent technologies like AI, especially those lacking access to skill-building resources. Accenture partnered with Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania to facilitate sessions on leadership skills and instill confidence in participants. Workshop topics included professionalism, mock interviews, communication, emotional intelligence, problem solving, conflict resolution, personal branding, networking, and cross-cultural diversity. These workshops led to mentoring relationships that opened new employment opportunities.

2022 Goodwill Power of Work Legacy Award Winner: Construction Junction – Construction Junction (CJ) is a nonprofit organization with a store and donation center in Homewood. CJ accepts donations of used and surplus materials and sells them in its 30,000-square-foot store at a fraction of the cost of new materials.

CJ calls its business model “the largest and coolest reuse nonprofit in the Pittsburgh region!”

While its core mission is to promote conservation through the reuse of building materials, CJ also promotes a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. The organization hosts several Goodwill job training and work program participants in its warehouse, where they learn both on-the-job and soft skills by processing items like doors, tile, and flooring. CJ also offers seasonal employment for entry-level workers and individuals facing employment barriers.

The winners of the 2022 Power of Work Awards will be honored at a hybrid ceremony on April 29, 2022, at 12 p.m. at the Sheraton Station Square hotel. The event will also be livestreamed for registered attendees.

Joining Goodwill clients and representatives from the winning organizations will be Dan Swayze, DrPH, MBA, MEMS, vice president of community services at UPMC Health Plan, who serves as honorary chairperson of the 2022 Power of Work Awards. Bill Flanagan, chief corporate relations officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, will serve as master of ceremonies.

Visit Goodwill of Southern PA’s Power of Work website to register to attend in person or virtually. Sponsors are welcome through April 15.

For questions about the Power of Work Awards, contact Gabi Lloyd at 412-632-1931 or [email protected].