For nearly 20 years, Dani lived in addiction and felt completely lost. But today, she’s five years clean and sober. During her addiction she shut out her family and believed the people on the streets were her only support. She was homeless most of that time, often staying in casino hotel rooms that she and […]
How Dani Continues to Overcome After Achieving 5 Years Sober Read More »
Years ago, Darrell’s life had become harder than he ever expected. He was a veteran, and he lost his job during COVID. Without steady income, he couldn’t afford the mortgage on his house anymore, so he had to sell it. For a while, he lived off the money from the sale, hoping things would get
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Did you know Goodwill has a program that helps people apply for disability benefits when they cannot work? It is called SOAR, which stands for SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery. Two SOAR Specialists, Tonie Schmidt and Don Morrison run the program. People are referred to SOAR through other Goodwill programs, such as Housing and Essential
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Before Michael came to Goodwill, his life felt messy and out of control. On the outside, it looked like he was doing okay, but inside he felt lost. He didn’t have direction, and every day felt stressful and unstable. Things began to change when Michael started getting help to manage his money from the Representative Payee Services at Goodwill. He has been a payee client
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Before David came to Goodwill, finding a job was hard. He tried for a long time, but things didn’t work out. After enrolling with Idaho Vocational Rehabilitation, he came to Goodwill for a work assessment. The assessment showed that he was a good fit for the Medicaid Supported Employment program at Goodwill. So, in April
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Kylan and his family spent a long, difficult year trying to get him approved for social security disability insurance benefits. Kylan, who is autistic, faced many setbacks. After an attorney failed to help them, and agencies caused confusion and frustration instead of help, Kylan and his mom became discouraged and overwhelmed. He wondered if the process was worth it at all. When Goodwill’s SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach Access Recovery) program stepped in, things began to change.
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Alicia’s life turned upside down when she left an abusive relationship. She and her 7-year-old son didn’t have a home, and she didn’t know what to do next. Every day was a battle to find a safe place to sleep and enough food to get through the day. Alicia wanted to take care of her
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Jean-Paul said his life was “unpredictable” before he came to Goodwill. “There were good days, and bad days. It was quiet and some days, life was all over the place.” He didn’t have a routine, so it was hard for him to stay organized. Things changed when Jean-Paul joined Goodwill’s Supported Employment program. He learned
Jean-Paul Found Routine and Purpose Working at Goodwill Read More »
On January 19, we celebrate Founder’s Day—a day to honor Edgar J. Helms, the man who started Goodwill in 1902. Helms believed in giving people “a chance, not charity.” His idea has helped millions of people around the world. Helms was born in a logging camp on January 19, 1863. He dreamed of becoming a politician or journalist,
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Johnny’s life was hard for a long time. He struggled with addiction and made choices that led to trouble with the law. He was homeless for a long time. Each day he could only focus on survival. A better future felt out of reach. He didn’t have a safe place to live, and he felt
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