Goodwill youth students were treated to a special guest appearance by Seattle Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin Friday, April 12, at Goodwill’s King County Job Training and Education (JTE) Center.

The meet and greet kicked off a partnership between Safeway and Seattle Goodwill. From April 13-21, Safeway and Albertsons statewide will provide customers an opportunity to donate at their checkstands to help fund Goodwill’s free Job Training and Education programs.

"Think about how many young children and young adults in this world who have never been asked, 'What is your passion? What do you see your life looking life in 10-15 years?' This program is fundamentally asking them that question."  - Doug Baldwin

For an hour, Doug spoke with 40 students from Goodwill’s Youth Maritime and Youth Aerospace Programs. Doug talked to students about their passions, learned how Goodwill programs were changing their lives and engaged in important discussions about improving the communities we live in.

“It was really cool getting to hear from him,” said Kidane, a youth student in Goodwill’s Youth Maritime Program. “He does a lot in making a difference in the community, and I really like that.”

"Job training is so important to our communities. Despite record low unemployment rates, there are still too many who face barriers to entry in the job market, whether it be due to language, disability, education or prior convictions,” said Sara Osborne, Director of Public Affairs for Safeway and Albertsons. “We are well aware of this issue because we have been fortunate to hire many who have faced these barriers, and now they have secure careers and add tremendous value to our team and company.  Our support of Goodwill is natural because we have been hiring their graduates for decades with great success.” This is the first time that Safeway is partnering with Goodwill to raise funds and create awareness.

People who donate at Safeway and Albertsons will be supporting job training classes such as Basic Computers, GED Preparation, Youth Programs and Retail and Customer Service. These programs are vital to the community, help people find jobs and become economically self-sufficient.

“Every day we do our best to connect people with jobs, services and the skills they need,” said Gina Hall, Seattle Goodwill Director of Philanthropy. “We provide quality, effective employment training and basic education to individuals experiencing significant barriers to economic opportunity.