My Story: Tina Bouatic

At age 14, my parents got divorced. They were both drinking and fighting a lot. I started hanging with the wrong crowd. I started cutting school, cutting classes and began to smoke cigarettes. Eventually, while doing drugs and drinking – I went out, stayed out late. I basically stopped going to school. I got pregnant.

How To Plan a Memorable Date Night Without Breaking the Bank

It’s almost Friday night – date night! Tonight you may be nervous about that first kiss with a new love interest or about leaving the kids at home with a new babysitter, but one thing you shouldn’t have to worry about on your long-awaited (and well-deserved!) night on the town is money. Sadly, even if you’re not taking a limo to a fancy restaurant, evenings out tend to be costly. Here are a few ways to plan a night to remember that you won’t have to work an extra shift to make up for.

Celebrate Democracy by Taking Action on September 22

I remember the first time I cast my ballot in an official election. I voted for my father who was running for city council. I was so proud that day, not only of my dad, but that I was able to execute my civic duty. I was able to easily register to vote by simply filling out a form at my high school and a teacher gave the class a ton of resources to turn to in order to learn about all of the candidates on the ballot. There was a presidential election that year, so there was certainly a lot to learn.

Prepping for the Cooler Months Ahead

Before the colder weather settles in, there is much to be done. We’ll have to pull our sweaters out from their hibernation, clean up our roosts so we can settle in comfortably, and brighten the indoors with a little fall color to make the most of the season. Getting it all in order may not seem like a worthy chore now, but the inevitable mid-winter cabin fever feels even worse when the house is stiflingly cluttered or completely unchanged from last year’s lock-in. So, let’s just start autumn with a clean slate, shall we?

Congress is Back in Session and Already Behind in Assignments

Congress returned from their annual summer break in August and found themselves already behind in their homework. Awaiting completion are the FY 2016 appropriations bills, though Congress will likely need a short term continuing resolution to complete that assignment. Also due is a vote on the Iran agreement, the debt ceiling, highway bill reauthorization and funding, and finding bridge funding for the SSDI program whose trust fund runs dry in a year.

Draw Inspiration to Re-Create Looks in Your Own Way

Sure, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but copying someone else’s style or going cliché with a ubiquitous purchase, won’t help you obtain a tone that is true to yourself. What works for one person may be a disservice to someone else. When choosing style elements for yourself or your home, it’s important to draw inspiration without drowning in imitation.

With Your #BestJobAdvice, Win a Microsoft Tablet!

What’s the best job advice you’ve ever heard? Have you got your own tagline of wisdom drawn from your personal experience at work? Goodwill wants to hear it. Post your job advice on Twitter using the hashtag #BestJobAdvice, and you may win a MicroSoft Surface 3 Tablet!

On Labor Day, and Every Day, Goodwill Thinks About How to Put People to Work

Many associate Labor Day with the end of summer, a three-day weekend and the start of a new school year. Families and friends gather for barbecues and one last outing to the pool until next year. Rarely do folks sit around on Labor Day and actually celebrate America’s workers, think of ways to get more people in the workforce or consider how to lessen the unemployment rate. Unless, that is, you work for Goodwill.

My Story: Cassandra Rolle

Cassandra Rolles came to Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont (Charlotte, NC) in 2013. The Goodwill helped her gain employment skills and experience through a variety of temporary positions before connecting her with a temp-to-perm position in the county government.

Goodwill College Essentials

It’s been said a million times before, but it bears repeating: college students are broke. Maybe I should just underline and bold that last statement…or repeat it; college students are broke! There are a lot of things a prepared and creative undergrad can do to save precious dollars and still obtain what they need to start the semester on the right foot, so today I thought I’d offer up a few ideas.

Women's Equality Day Commemorates Strides to Narrow the Gender Gap

On August 26, 1920, following a long and hard-fought political campaign, women in the United States won the right to vote. Research shows that 95 years after securing the right to vote, more and more women execute this right of citizenship. Women have had larger voter turnout than men in every presidential election since 1980. Some attribute this to women having more interaction with government.

Women’s Equality Day Commemorates Strides to Narrow the Gender Gap

On August 26, 1920, following a long and hard-fought political campaign, women in the United States won the right to vote. Research shows that 95 years after securing the right to vote, more and more women execute this right of citizenship. Women have had larger voter turnout than men in every presidential election since 1980. Some attribute this to women having more interaction with government.