I struggled with drug addiction for a decade before I finally hit rock bottom. I lost my home, car and driver’s license and was unable to hold down a job.
My life was a wreck. It was not until I went to jail, and the Department of Child Services took my kids before I was finally motivated to turn my life around. I was released to a halfway house and after five months of sobriety, I was hired as a donation attendant at Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, where I was quickly promoted to cashier. I also worked with a Goodwill Guide — career and life coaches who help employees, students and other participants in Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s programs increase their employability and overcome other barriers.
My Goodwill Guide helped prepare me for an interview for a job promotion to a leadership role at Goodwill. I got the job and I am now responsible for overseeing and ensuring the safety of 40 employees each shift.
I am grateful that Goodwill provided me with an opportunity and trusted me. I would like to manage my own store in the future so I can help people as Goodwill helped me.
Things have certainly gotten better! I not only regained custody of my children, but they are also on the honor roll at school for the first time. I had my driver’s license reinstated and purchased a car. I also proudly celebrated three years of sobriety in January 2019!
“Angel is relentless in her positivity and dedication to personal and professional development — not just for herself, but also for the employees she manages,” said Edward Rickenbach, Angel’s Guide. “There’s no doubt in my mind that she’ll achieve any goal she sets her mind to.”
When you donate and shop at your local Goodwill, you help individuals like Angel reach their full potential through the power of work. In fact, 87 cents of every dollar you spend in our retail stores and through shopgoodwill.com® and other e-commerce platforms is reinvested in your community to create employment placement, job training and career support services. Find the location closest to you or make a monetary donation to show your support.
