Written by Peter Arvanitakis, reviewed by Leslie Scott
Partner Spotlight: Phoenix Family & MERS Goodwill
For many families living in KC’s multifamily communities, workforce resources exist–they’re just not always reachable. Transportation, time, and uncertainty about where to begin can all close the door before it ever opens. The partnership between MERS Goodwill and Phoenix Family, a nonprofit that works with children, families, and older adults through on-site programs and one-on-one support that build stability, strengthen skills, and help people move toward a better future, is built around one straightforward answer to that problem: bring the resources to the people.
The answer was Goodwill’s Mobile Workforce Unit (MWU), a fully equipped classroom on wheels outfitted with 10 computers, Wi-Fi, and presentation screens, brought directly to Phoenix Family’s Back to School events in August.
“We quickly learned how dedicated and responsive Karen and her team are to their mission and helping our families — and have been working together in a variety of ways since.” — Jessica Welch, Program Manager with Phoenix Family.
What the Partnership Looks Like on the Ground
That presence creates something that doesn’t happen when services stay behind their own doors. At one Back to School event, a resident rushed over straight from his part-time job, hoping to connect with someone about finding better work. The Goodwill team member on site, Joe Owen, stayed 30 minutes after the event ended to sit with him and get him enrolled. It happened because Goodwill was already there, already trusted, already in the room.
“What has made this partnership especially meaningful is the shared commitment to meeting families where they are,” said Karen Altenhofen, director of workforce development at Goodwill. “Phoenix Family has created trusted spaces within their communities, and that trust allows us to connect with residents in a way that feels approachable and supportive rather than transactional.”
Building on these annual events, Goodwill’s team began visiting Phoenix Family communities on a regular basis, offering two core services on site: digital skills training covering computer use, operating systems, and software applications, and hiring event support where residents can submit job applications on the spot using the unit’s computers.
Building a Collective Impact through the CEO Coalition
The partnership has now expanded beyond one-on-one collaboration and events. When Phoenix Family established the Coalition for Equity and Opportunity (CEO), a collective impact project to address systemic barriers to workforce participation and economic mobility made up of about a dozen nonprofit organizations, including KC Digital Drive, and supported by a planning grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Goodwill offered integral leadership of the workforce working group and substantial contributions as part of the digital access working group. They also helped connect people with lived experience navigating those barriers to join the coalition directly as engagement partners. Their insight and expertise shaped the strategies the coalition developed to support the low-income individuals and families Phoenix Family serves and informed the implementation plan that applies the learnings from the planning efforts to position the coalition for greater impact in the years ahead.
Learn More
MERS Goodwill’s Mobile Workforce Unit is available to visit community sites across Kansas City. Organizations interested in booking the unit can contact Karen Altenhofen at kaltenhofen@mokangoodwill.org.
Check out their website for more information: link here.
For a downloadable flyer about the Mobile Workforce Unit: click here.