A stay-at-home mom, Dorothy had been out of the workforce for over 30 years. “I wanted to stay home and take care of my two children,” she said. “Then, when my children were teenagers, my sister passed away, and her three year old son came...
[caption id="attachment_1008" align="alignright" width="100"] Matthew Bourlakas, President and CEO[/caption] A woman barely escapes the harsh reality of living on the streets, a young man’s dream of playing soccer ends abruptly, and a mother’s son feels the desperation of a life unfulfilled. These are the stories...
Jose had big plans. He wanted to be a doctor, and he was hoping to get a soccer scholarship to Vanderbilt University. But on June 4, 2007, his life was forever changed. Jose was jogging in Mount Pleasant when a driver of an SUV pulled...
For nearly two decades, Shelley lived a secret life. “I was a meth addict for 19 years, and then the inevitable happened,” she said. In 2010, police arrested Shelley for the first time. The judge sentenced her to two years of supervised probation and ordered her...
With the house about to fill up with gifts and decorations, there is no better time to clear out unused or unwanted items while making the holidays brighter for everyone by donating to Goodwill. While you’re cleaning out your closet, make room on your tax...
Shenita is always in a good mood. "I like to make people laugh," she says. Shenita worked at Goodwill years ago when she was in school. Then she worked on many different projects through another local organization that helps adults who have disabilities find work. In...
Lam had a successful career in Vietnam as a machinist, but when he made the move to America in 2001 he couldn't find a job. "I applied at several different places, but no one would hire me because I am disabled and I don't speak English,"...
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! Goodwill celebrates this time by honoring the people we employ who have a disability and those we serve who are engaged in the process of finding a job. Since January 2013, we’ve served 173 people with disabilities, and we’ve...
A car accident left Ian with permanent brain damage—damage that made it difficult for him to find work. "No one would take a chance on me," he said. That is, until Goodwill hired Ian as a greeter at the store in Lexington, Tenn. Since then, Ian has proven...
Charles had been an industry supervisor most of his life. After retirement, he decided he needed something else to keep him going. Charles had been looking for work for six months yet, with all of his experience, he couldn't find a job. He stopped by the...
[caption id="attachment_1008" align="alignright" width="100"] Matthew Bourlakas, President and CEO[/caption] In her book, “Edgar James Helms—The Goodwill Man,” Beatrice Plumb recounts Rev. Helms’ early efforts to help people in need without taking from them their self-respect. The year was 1902 and thousands of people were out of...
Two years ago, Randall had been out of work for months and needed a job. He decided to turn to Goodwill Career Solutions for help. During his job hunt, Randall participated in several classes, attended multiple "job jams" and completed his forklift certification. Just a few...
Laura had been out of work for three years and desperately needed to find a job to support her three children. In 2006, a friend told Laura about Goodwill Career Solutions and, just two days later, she got a job at Goodwill. “I’m working for my...
On Friday, June 21, 2013, NBC News reported on the use of Special Minimum Wage Certificates by some other Goodwill agencies. The certificate is a portion of the Fair Labor Standards Acts (FLSA), which allows employers to pay a rate less than minimum wage to...
Steve had been working from home repairing electronics when he got a job offer he couldn’t refuse. “I was shopping at the Goodwill store in Cookeville, and an employee asked me to put in an application,” he remembers. “They called me before I got home.” That...
