Before coming to Goodwill, Gigi was in a very bad place in her life. She was struggling with addiction and did not have stable housing or income. She only focused on getting through each day. It was hard for her to plan for the future or believe change was possible. Gigi knew she needed help, but she did not have the support or resources […]
How Gigi Built Stability and a Career Read More »
For many years, Trisha struggled with addiction and homelessness. She moved between the streets, treatment, short periods of recovery, and relapse. When she left treatment, not having a place to live or money made it hard to stay on track. The last time Trisha completed treatment, she knew she wanted something different. She reached out to Goodwill’s
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Before Alexya started working, her days felt quiet and heavy. She stayed home a lot, and her depression made it hard to feel hopeful. She dreamed of having a job one day, but that dream felt far away. Still, deep down, she wanted to work and be around people. About a year ago, Alexya joined
Alexya: How She Found Joy and Independence at Goodwill 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
Standing Strong: One Veteran’s Path to Hope Read More »
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
Michael’s Road to Renewal Read More »
For Valarie, Goodwill has been more than a workplace—it’s been a place of new beginnings and second chances. Valarie grew up facing many challenges. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she eventually went to live with her grandparents. Later in life, she struggled with addiction, and lost contact with her mother. Eventually, Valarie
Valarie’s Story: Finding Family and A Home at Goodwill Read More »
Nelish started at Goodwill just four months ago, but he’s already made a strong impression. Before joining the team, he worked with a WFS case manager for almost a year to find employment. But they struggled to find him a job. When a position opened in the Goodwill store, his case manager asked the store
Nelish Found His Place at Goodwill Read More »
Josh first came to Goodwill in 2014 through Vocational Rehabilitation, where he started job training. He had been in other programs in high school, but Goodwill was different. It gave him his first opportunity to earn a paycheck. He worked as a participant at Goodwill until 2020. When the pandemic started, he had to find
Josh’s Journey: Participant to Job Coach Read More »
Living without a home often feels lonely and scary. Those are the words Annalisa chose to describe what her life was like when she was homeless. When she came to Goodwill for help it was the middle of winter, the hardest time of the year to be homeless. Not only was she dealing with the
Overcoming Homelessness: Annalisa’s Path to Safety and Success Read More »
Being homeless for a night is scary enough but imagine what it would be like to be homeless for almost 2,000 nights. That was the reality for Denise, who lived without a home for five years. She described her life as “a living nightmare” that was “mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting, depressing, and hopeless.” Overwhelmed
Five Years Homeless to Forever Housed: Denise’s Story of Transformation Read More »
