My Story: Sharrie Nix

If you stop by the patient waiting area at Indiana University Methodist Hospital at 4:30 am, you might be greeted by the calming voice of Ms. Sharrie Nix. Since late 2020, Sharrie has been helping patients check-in and prepare for surgery. She also assists with care coordination by connecting family members and doctors following each procedure. Sharrie is no stranger to early mornings or nervous patients given that she has been in the healthcare industry for more than 30 years.

READ MORE from My Story: Sharrie Nix

My Story: Gloria Coe

One in every five jobless Americans are people over the age of 55. At a time when employers need to build resilience, older workers can play a critical role. Older workers bring experience, reliability and perspective to every workplace setting.  

READ MORE from My Story: Gloria Coe

My Story: Elton Fields

Elton spent many years out of work before coming to Goodwill. He often performed heavy manual labor to make ends meet, but the cycle eventually became burdensome, so he sought help from the Senior Community Service and Employment Program (SCSEP) at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys in Roanoke, VA.

READ MORE from My Story: Elton Fields

My Story: Kevin

One such individual is Kevin, who lost his job during the pandemic. At the time, he lacked resources to repair his car and travel to interviews. For several weeks, he had looked for new employment, but he didn’t have the skills necessary to navigate the services for veterans in his area.

READ MORE from My Story: Kevin

My Story: Eulalio Martinez

Eulalio Martinez traveled 1,500 miles to move to Wisconsin, but he did not have a job lined up to sustain him when he arrived. For several weeks, he lived in his truck before moving into a local homeless shelter. One day, he walked a block away to Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin’s Green Bay East Retail Store and Training Center, where he approached a career navigator named Dawn and asked for help. He said he was looking for someone to take a chance on him.

READ MORE from My Story: Eulalio Martinez

My Story: Charlie Rutherford

Charlie Rutherford was born with an intellectual developmental disability (IDD), and, for more than 25 years, he has worked for Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth in its Denton store.

READ MORE from My Story: Charlie Rutherford

My Story: Jeanne Najar-Marez

When Jeanne Najar-Marez applied to the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) at Goodwill Industries of New Mexico (Albuquerque), she was looking for a resource to assist her with job training and employment. She had been out of the workforce for several years and had dealt with illness, homelessness and substance abuse during that time. She was on the waiting list in Bernalillo County, NM, for several months before she was able to enroll into SCSEP.

READ MORE from My Story: Jeanne Najar-Marez

My Story: Tremontenia Morgan

I walked through the Goodwill doors with a high school education, limited computer proficiency, and often could be quiet and reserved. I always knew I had a passionate spirit and love to help others, but I needed assistance on becoming more engaging with the general public in a workforce setting.

READ MORE from My Story: Tremontenia Morgan

My Story: Annette Cohen

Prior to enrolling in the digital skills program at Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina (Greenville, SC), Annette Cohen was at a critical juncture in her job search. As she assessed opportunities, she found that the she was either over- or under-qualified for many of the roles she was interested in. For support with her job search, Cohen went to her local Goodwill Job Connection center.

READ MORE from My Story: Annette Cohen

My Story: Randie Vines

Plenty of people have had to fight their way to independence when they have a disability that prevents them from gaining meaningful employment. But, it takes a special kind of person to have to move forward with both a disability and a barrier. This was the experience of Randie Vines.

READ MORE from My Story: Randie Vines