As of July 1st, 2024 SOAR Career Solutions has merged with True North Goodwill! This is a significant milestone for both our organizations, and one that will provide us with the opportunity to broaden and strengthen our mission.
Please contact us directly if you have been referred to SOAR Career Solutions or are a community partner looking to connect. Thank you!
Click here to learn more about our mission services
SOAR and True North Goodwill merged in 2024 to combine efforts and resources and expand the breadth of employment and lifestyle support services we are able to provide, and in turn better meet the growing workforce needs of our community in Northern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. This will allow us the opportunity to focus our efforts together on better serving our mission recipients and clients.
SOAR’s programming, services, and staff were all retained and merged with Goodwill’s career navigation and mission services programs. SOAR will maintain it’s downtown Duluth office located at Arrowhead Place, 205 W. 2nd St #101 Goodwill will maintain it’s current locations.
About SOAR
SOAR Career Solutions, formerly known as Project SOAR, has many years of experience supporting low-income individuals to address physical, emotional, and psychological barriers that keep them from securing and maintaining sustainable employment. SOAR implements two programs – Employment and Re-entry Services. Employment Services assists participants one on one to create holistic career & educational action plans, build soft skills & job search skills, develop resumes & applications, connect to job trainings in partnership with the trades & post-secondary institutions, connect to apprenticeship opportunities & assist with job retention. Re-entry Services reduces recidivism by providing one-on-one case management & support services to individuals transitioning out of incarceration.
Founded in Duluth, MN in 1980, SOAR Career Solutions’ (SOAR) started out within the Duluth YWCA organization as Project SOAR of Northeastern MN. SOAR serves over 400 people annually through its workforce programs and supports a 14-person team located in Duluth, MN.
SOAR History & Timeline:
1980: SOAR Career Solutions’ (SOAR) started out within the Duluth YWCA organization as Project SOAR of Northeastern MN. The purpose was to serve women who were homemakers and worked in the home and women who were looking for employment but did not possess the job skills, work experience or the self-concept necessary to secure employment.
1983: SOAR was incorporated with the State of Minnesota as a 501c3 Non-profit organization.
2005: SOAR celebrated its 25th anniversary providing employment services to the Duluth community and surrounding area.
2006: SOAR started its Re-entry Services programming focusing on supporting individuals returning back to the community from incarceration.
2007: SOAR’s Re-entry Services Program received the Minnesota Governor’s Best Practices Award, given to programs developed according to evidence-based practices.
2014: SOAR’s Re-entry Services Program was a finalist for the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation’s Touchstone Award for Inclusiveness.
2015: SOAR received TakeAction Minnesota’s Leadership Award, recognizing the work done with Vision Duluth to engage 1,000’s of people in shaping a vision for Duluth rooted in equity and democracy.
2024: SOAR merges with True North Goodwill
