When Kelly Phillips walked into the Goodwill Career Solutions Center in Hendersonville in December 2023, she broke down in tears.

“I got laid off from my previous job, and I had been applying to more than 200 jobs,” Kelly said.

A single mother of a 17-year-old daughter, Kelly was desperate to find a job to support her.

“It was a long six months of being depressed and stressed out about where my next paycheck or meal was coming from,” Kelly said.

Kelly sat down with a Goodwill Career Solutions Coach who instantly gave her hope.

“She pulled up a list of classes and programs and said, ‘We’ll get you a job by February,’” Kelly said.

It sounded too good to be true, but little did she know, Kelly’s life was about to change for the better. She took advantage of multiple classes that Goodwill offered, including Financial Literacy and Interview Skills. Coaches worked one-on-one with Kelly to revamp her resume and prepare for upcoming job interviews.

“I always struggled with talking in job interviews, but the Goodwill career coaches helped me build my confidence,” Kelly says.

Goodwill career coaches also helped Kelly realize she could launch a new career with a skill that she had always just thought of as a hobby; altering clothes. While Kelly had spent the last 30 years working in customer service and insurance, she never imagined her personal passion would bring about her biggest opportunity.

“I’ve always sewn for fun, my daughter’s clothes and family costumes just for fun, but I never thought I would make a career out of it or get paid doing what I loved,” Kelly said.

Rob Ritchie, Assistant Program Manager for Goodwill’s Connecting Forward Program, said Kelly showed coaches some of her creations one day, which prompted them to encourage her to apply for seamstress positions.

Before she knew it, she landed a job altering clothes at Dillards.

“This is the best job I’ve ever had by far,” Kelly says.

In the short time Kelly has been working for Dillards, she’s already started training to become the manager of the department.

“Kelly is a really great example of Goodwill’s mission and what we’re able to do for people and that it doesn’t matter what you’re facing, you can do this if you’ve got the drive,” Ritchie said. “We’re going to be there every step of the way to help you achieve that.”

After months of stressing about her and her family’s future, she finally feels secure and excited to see where her new career takes her.

“Goodwill really gave me a new hope,” Kelly says. “Everything they did has helped me and my family greatly.”