My Story: Shaheera Alnatshia

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Goodwill has changed the lives of many remarkable women who have gone though our various programs. One such woman is Shaheera Alnatshia.

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Success Story: Bob May

Robert “Bob” May is a veteran of the U.S. armed services and spent a decade homeless, living on riverbanks and wandering along railroad tracks. A divorce had triggered severe depression. He also stopped taking medication for his bi-polar disorder and began drinking heavily and abusing drugs. One day in 1995, a local organization for American veterans with disabilities discovered May living under a bridge and referred him to the Goodwill Serving Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa in Omaha. He was initially hired as a custodian and, today, works as an equipment repair technician. As part of Goodwill’s commercial services program with NISH/AbilityOne, he restores and repairs a wide array of janitorial equipment at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

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Success Story: Candy Nunez-Jura

Alcohol abuse and violence were a part of Candy Nunez-Jura’s childhood. She and her younger sisters would hide in the family car to escape from her father’s abuse. At age 18, Candy became pregnant and got married. Her new husband was also abusive. After several years and the birth of her second child, Candy left her abusive husband and had a difficult time finding a job and supporting her family as a single mother. She suffers from dyslexia, therefore, never learned to read or write and struggled with severe arthritis in her hands.

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Success Story: Eddie Leonard

Eddie Leonard is passionate about Goodwill. Eddie was once an active high school athlete and received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He lived overseas while working for the Department of Defense and later worked as a supervisor with an agency that served youth and group homes in his home state. Eddie was once an active high school athlete and received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He lived overseas while working for the Department of Defense and later worked as a supervisor with an agency that served youth and group homes in his home state.

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Success Story: James Bennett

James Bennett dreamed of playing professional basketball. He was a talented player and was scouted by local high schools. But that dream ended in January 2005, when he was shot in the head and spine, leaving him with partial paralysis, because he was mistaken for a gang member's rival. James spent a month in the hospital and five months in rehabilitation. His school system failed to reassign him to a new school. He sat at home for three years, started using drugs and slipped into depression. Then, shortly after he turned 18, his mother abandoned James and his younger siblings.

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