Santa Cruz Goodwill uses grant money to help job seekers

A job fair at the Santa Cruz Goodwill headquarters on Tuesday attracted a big turnout. Dozens of people lined up outside the center to get their shot at impressing potential employers.

The nonprofit organization has helped Central Coast residents for decades. With the help of Microsoft’s $411,000 donation, some job seekers were more than ready to take on the interviews.

“We were able to have up to date software on all of our computers in our career center, and in our job search workshop so that everyone who comes here is getting the most accurate up-to-date technology available to them,” Goodwill employee Ellen Murtha said.

“This has helped me update my resume. It’s very, very important because nowadays everything is done in the computer, all the applications are on the computer,” job seeker Elizabeth Lopez said.

Goodwill said it has helped 12,000 unemployed people across the Central Coast with job hunting since its partnership with Microsoft last year.