01 Aug Celeste’s Story

Celeste had been a stay at home mom, but after a divorce, she needed to find a job to support her family. “I was a single mother of four, and I had never had a job in my life,” Celeste says.

A friend made a deal with her: “She said if you apply for a job at Goodwill, I will too.”

Two weeks later, both Celeste and her friend started working at Goodwill. For the first time ever, Celeste was earning a paycheck. “Once I got out and found a job, I showed myself I didn’t need him,” she says. “It was hard, but I made it.”

Celeste’s life was good. “For the first time in my life, I had spending money, and I love spending money.”

One year after starting at Goodwill, Celeste lost one of her sons. During the grieving process, Celeste found a new passion: poetry.

Her first poem, “Missing You,” reveals the heartache she felt after her son’s death.

16 years later, Celeste is still writing poetry and, this year, she’s taking on a new challenge. “I’m hoping to get my GED,” Celeste says with a smile. “It is hard, and it’s going to take a while because I’ve been out of high school for a while, but I’m going to hang in there.”

While Celeste pursues her next endeavor, she will continue her journey at Goodwill. “I’ve gone from production worker to lead worker to supervisor, and I enjoy my job,” she says. “Goodwill gave me a chance, and I’m holding on to that chance.”