My Story: Ora Harris
February 8, 2010 |When I came to Goodwill Industries® of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina less than two years ago, I was homeless and living in a shelter. To get to my job at Goodwill®, I had to walk from the shelter to the bus stop, and from the mall down a busy street to the facility once I got off the bus. It was a challenge to get to work on time every day, but I never missed a day.
While I was with Goodwill, I did a lot of growing. They helped me get my self-esteem back, and made me appreciate life more. With their help, I was able to get back on my feet and pursue the dreams I have for myself. Today, I have a vehicle and no longer have to depend on the bus to get to work every day. I went from a shelter to my own apartment. Now I am happily married in my new home.
I went from looking for a chance to work to having a full time job that I enjoy and working with people who really care about me. I am so excited to be working for Goodwill and helping other people who have the same challenges I once did.
I thank God that Goodwill gave me a chance to work, and I thank all of my coworkers at Goodwill. I have really enjoyed working here and I’m thankful that they have recognized all of my hard work. The best is yet to come!
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What an inspiration you are! To pull yourself up from the bootstraps and achieve great things was difficult I’m sure. Thank you for sharing your story!