When I graduated from high school, I was looking for a part time position somewhere to earn money for college. In this economy, it was pretty hard to do so. I didn’t really know where to start – and that’s when I first encountered Goodwill Industries® of Denver.

I was lucky enough to take part in the program with the City and County of Denver receiving job training and help with internship placement. Through that program, Goodwill® provided classes on workplace etiquette, how to dress in the workplace, résumé reviews, mock interviews and just generally helped us ready for entering the workplace.

I learned a lot from those classes and eventually got to interview for an internship with First Bank. Once I received the internship, I was set up with Stephanie, my Goodwill case manager. She was kind, helpful and awesome.

Cleo Clausell works in her office at First Bank.

When I first started, I felt confused and I didn’t really know what was going on. I talked to Stephanie about it, and she helped me and First Bank find the best way for us to work together. After that, I was off and running.

When it came to the end of the internship, I decided I wanted to have a permanent position. I talked to Steph about it and she was so confident in me. It helped give me the confidence I needed. I interviewed for the permanent position and got the job – my first real job – and I love it!

Now that I’m working and going to school, I feel a step closer to achieving my goal of being an elementary school teacher. There’s so much ahead of me and Goodwill helped me get there.

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Told by Goodwill Computer Museum volunteer Phil Ryals

At 18, because of the unrest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,  I had to leave for my safety. I crossed into the border of Zambia on foot, literally running across the border to safety. I was on my own. I spent 18 years in a refugee camp outside of my native country. At that time, I was able to move to Austin, TX, through a UN resettlement program. I brought my wife and four young children with me.

In Austin I found assistance through a local non-profit who worked with immigrants and refugees. I was unable to find employment to support my family. In four months, I submitted over 40 applications but received no interviews or even calls of interest. An opening was found at Goodwill Industries® of Central Texas. After interviewing with the recycling supervisor, I was offered a full-time job as a baler in the recycling department and started work in July 2009.

When I started at Goodwill, they provided a French interpreter at my three-day orientation. Although I am fluent in French, Swahili and other dialects, I am still learning English. The interpreter walked through the job duties with me, explaining vocabulary and duties.

Charles Mwamba drives a forklift at Goodwill Industries of Central Texas.

At first, I had to walk and ride the bus to work which took about two hours each way. After six months on the job, I had saved enough money to purchase a vehicle. I now have my license, and I drive to work. With steady employment, I have been able to save money and move my family into a safer and less expensive apartment.

I am much happier now that I have a job, and I am able to work full-time and have constant employment. I drive a forklift and work the baler to recycle metal and plastic and work with the recycling team on collection events helping with computer and television recycling.

I am happy that I have a way to support my family. I want to continue to grow as I work at Goodwill and develop my career. I also want to learn more English. I am happy to have these opportunities that Goodwill has offered me.

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Before I came to the program, I was hospitalized for a few months due to a brain injury that I was born with. I was unable to work for some time and I was pretty much down and out.

Even though I was down for four years, I fought the struggle in order to continue to move on in life. When I was able to work again, I joined Goodwill Industries® of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey’s WeCARE program. It took me some time, but after a few interviews I was hired on October 2006 by a law firm.

I started off as a file clerk, searching for files for attorneys and entering data. It was important because I needed a job at the time, and it was something very big for me to do it. After about two years, I received my own office and a new position. I moved up gradually and became a clerk/scanner, who enters court records, police reports, medical reports and other information into the computer system.

Edmond Cadet enters reports and records into the computer at his law office job.

I’ve been here for almost four years now. I also attend York College and am planning to become a paralegal. I said it to myself quite a few times to a couple of my friends also, “When you’re down and out, the only place to go is to go up.”

With Goodwill Industries, they didn’t let me down. They gave me the opportunity to continue rising and moving on up in this world.

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I had experience with patient care while taking care of my mom. Mom wanted me in the medical field for years. I was a career as a server, and I knew I wouldn’t physically be able to do that forever.

I relocated to Greenville, and through the Goodwill Industries^® of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina Job Connection center, I learned about the CNA program. I was comfortable with the field because I had experience doing it, and it was great to have the opportunity to begin a new career.

I enjoyed the employable skills classes — lots of things I knew, but there were things I didn’t know. And we received instruction on how to do things, not just being told what we need to do. It’s good to be reminded about things that you don’t always think about, so you don’t undersell yourself in an interview.

Julia Dunigan helps a client in her role as a CNA.

I became certified in April 2009, and I am now working as a CNA. I love the chance to work with people, and I love that they appreciate what I do for them. I’m focused toward the medical field, finding fulfillment in what I’m doing now. I’m looking forward to opportunities to grow in my career — there are lots of doors to enter.

Since moving here, my sister has become ill and now, I’m able to use my professional skills to give her the best care possible, make her comfortable and help her recover as quickly as possible.

Hear more stories from people like Julia.

As told by Scott Snowling, case manager for Charles Plummer at Goodwill Industries^® of Greater Grand Rapids.

Charles came to Goodwill® in April 2009 through the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative program. Charles had various breaking and entering convictions. He was referred to Goodwill through his parole officer, as he was released from prison with very little personal resources.

He was pretty unsure about the program at first, but continued to show up.  He completed our month-long Better Life Initiative classes and received a certificate in May 2009.  He started a 90-day temporary work experience at our recycle center, and completed that experience in August of 2009 with a great recommendation from his supervisor.

Charles Plummer helps out in Goodwill's warehouse.

Shortly thereafter, his case manager set up an interview for him for a dishwashing position. Charles performed well in the interview and was offered the job. The job was seven miles off of a bus line, so Charles took the bus to the southern most point that the Grand Rapids bus line would take him, and then he rode his bike the remaining seven miles to work.

After a few weeks, Charles was able to develop friendships, so he now gets a ride each day to work. Charles’ supervisor loves him, and he now has benefits available to him. He now is the trainer for new dishwashers, and is learning some food prep skills as well.

Charles is also a few hundred dollars away from getting his license back, and has already purchased his own vehicle. He is now taking marriage counseling classes, and will be getting married at the end of the summer.

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About four years ago, I had trouble finding a job. Then Goodwill® of San Antonio came around. They really helped me to get on my feet by giving me the training I needed. But that’s not all – they then helped me understand how to manage my finances.

I had a vision for my future and wrote it down. I shared that vision with my case manager at Goodwill. My credit score was terrible – in fact, it was 535. With Goodwill’s help, I eventually earned a score of about 730. That help included a three-day class that taught me about finances and improving my credit.

Rudy Batiilla stands in front of Goodwill's grounds maintenance building.

Once my finances were under control and my credit was solid, we worked together to plan for a vehicle and eventually a home for my family that was within my budget.

So much has changed in my life over the past four years. I have the strength I need to achieve my dreams. The job alone has built my self-confidence and, with the help of my finances, I can see my dreams coming true. My life is better, and the lives of my wife Gina and our twelve-year old, are better as well.

I’ve come so far and I’m totally in a daze about the changes in my life. Goodwill is there to offer whatever it takes to help a person become successful on their own.

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My background is as a hairdresser for 38 years, but I have a bad back and can’t stand a long time anymore. I spent some time traveling in a motor home, selling at flea markets, but that was getting very difficult, and I wasn’t making enough money.

Through social security, I got a low-income apartment. I felt that I didn’t have a life, and that I would like to work. I went into the manager of our apartments and I asked her what I could do so that I could work without my rent going up. She told me about Goodwill Industries® of New Mexico.

I went to Goodwill® and found out it was the Senior Community Service Employment program (SCSEP), not just Goodwill. I enrolled in the program in 2008 and started at Ser de New Mexicto as my first host agency before I was rotated to Goodwill.

When I got to Goodwill, the lady who was doing data entry for the program put in her resignation, so they asked if I’d like to apply. I applied and got the job. I do the data entry for the SCSEP program and I also do pre-enrollment assessments for the participants that are coming into the program.

Julie Stewart takes a break from SCSEP duties at Goodwill Industries of New Mexico.

I love everything — the data entry is just an adventure to keep everything clean in the system.  Doing pre-enrollment assessment is wonderful because I can share my experience with the people. A lot of people have given up hope, feel that life is over as a senior, and are in such dire situations. It’s so hopeful for them to get into this program and for their life to change.

Since I started working at Goodwill, I’ve gotten a new car and a four-bedroom home with friends. I have a life that’s purposeful and meaningful. I really wanted to be a part of something that was helpful to others, and this is what Goodwill is about.

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Before Goodwill Industries® found me, I was a mess. I was lost, I was confused, and I didn’t know what I was going to do day in and day out. I’ve been through a lot, but one of the biggest things that I’ve been through was losing my mom at the age of 15. She raised me right, and she was my best friend—nothing compares to her.

From ages 15 to 19, I lost my focus. I lost hope. I was raised in church, but I wasn’t walking on that path. My two options were either jail or death. When I was 19, I had a daughter, who is now three years old. She brought me back my focus, but she wasn’t my main priority starting off, just because I was confused and I didn’t know what I was living for.

One day, my elder called me and said that she had seen a TV program about a Goodwill Industries Serving Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa youth partnership program dealing with young adults ages 16-21. She told me to check it out and find out what it was all about.

I went down there and went to orientation, and it was just like I belonged. They explained to me, “Our goal is to help you achieve your goals. If you have any dreams, anything you’re passionate about, we’re here to help you accomplish it. But we can’t do the work—it’s all up to you.”

I became part of the partnership program and started opening some doors. They got me some on-the-job training as a plumber and are helping me prepare for my schooling. They helped me revalue what my life goals were and what was important to me in my life. They brought me back to my path.

Now, I’m a role model — not only to my daughter, but to my cousins and my sister. I’m a positive man. I’m recently married, and I’m on the right path. I’m doing the right thing because of Goodwill Industries. I had to do my part, but they showed me they believed in me. They said, “As long as you believe in yourself, we believe in you. And so whatever you want, you can achieve.”

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I am the owner and operator of The Chocolate Box. In the year 2000, I was being downsized from corporate America for the third time. I wanted to start my own business. I had already been doing gift baskets as a hobby, and someone told me about the Business NOW program at Goodwill Industries® of North Georgia (Atlanta).

The program teaches you how to write a business plan, how to develop your business, and how to do research and development. As part of my business plan, I wanted to add chocolates with my gift baskets and, in May, I opened my first retail location.

My business will be one that will give back to the community. I will do fundraising with Newton County and the surrounding areas. I will have a straight-A program, in which students who get straight As on their report card will get a free marshmallow. I will have teacher appreciation for teachers that come in to get a free coupon.

Goodwill® has been with me through the ups and downs. I got sick, and I had to go get a part-time job. They understand that life really happens and they encourage you through the whole thing.

I just graduated from a new Goodwill program called MicroMAX. That program takes you to the next level when you’re ready to start hiring and creating jobs. It was perfect timing for me, because I am ready to start creating jobs.

Hear more stories from people like Daisy.»

I started working with Goodwill Industries^® of Middle Tennessee back in 1992 in the donations department. One of the things I like about working at Goodwill is we’re not only making money for the mission — instead of losing money throwing things away — but we are also are helping the environment because we don’t have so much stuff going into the landfill.

People give us these things hoping we’ll make good use out of them, and that’s what I like seeing done. These items at one time meant a whole lot to these folks that gave them to us.

Goodwill^® is a very fine organization, and it’s done a lot of good things for a lot of people. There are people that would probably have several barriers to employment and not be employed had Goodwill not intervened. I’m one of those people. I’m very happy to be a part of the organization.

Read more about John (PDF) in the Nashville Goodwill’s 2008 Annual Report.

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