In 2007, Cindy lost her husband. A year later, she lost her job. “It was a very difficult time,” she said.

Cindy had been out of work for a year and a half when she stopped by the Goodwill Career Solutions center in Jackson for help. Just a few months after enrolling in the program, Goodwill offered Cindy a job as a donation attendant at the Goodwill store in Humboldt where she worked for about a year until the store closed.

Before the store closed, Cindy’s district manager lined up an interview for her with Goodwill’s donations supervisor in West Tennessee. At the time, Brian Martin needed to fill a donation attendant position in Jackson.

On the day of the interview, Cindy’s car broke down, but she was determined to get there on time. “When the Medina police chief stopped to help Cindy, she talked him into driving her 15 miles to her interview in Jackson,” said Brian. “This is what sold me on her ability to get things done and overcome obstacles.”

Cindy said having a steady job at Goodwill for the last five years has allowed her to become independent. “I don’t have to depend on others to take care of me,” she said. “I can actually make a living for myself, which I couldn’t do before.”

The job has provided Cindy with more than a paycheck. “Working for Goodwill has raised my self-esteem,” she said. “I am now a confident person. I can walk around with my head held high.”

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