Ten years ago, Valerie couldn't hold down a stable job. "My road of destruction began in college," she says. "Alcohol and drugs just seemed to take over my life." Valerie had been unemployed for two years when Goodwill hired her as a...
"Goodwill is more than just a company. It's a ministry, because it encourages people." A retired machinist, Robert quickly learned retirement life wasn't for him. "I needed a little extra income, and I didn't want to sit around the house," he says. "But no one wanted...
"There's a 'blind vine'," JoAnne said with a laugh, explaining how she found Goodwill after a not-so-welcome break from the job market when she moved to Nashville from Delaware several years ago. "I heard about Goodwill from other folks in the Nashville area who are...
We'll announce the winner of our Project Organize contest on Wednesday, November 21. In the meantime, we'd love to share with you our finalists' stories. Read on … Meet Cortnie Nashville, TN I am a newly-single mom of three amazing young children, ranging in ages from 8 months...
Born with arthrogryposis, or clubbed feet and hands, Caltera was told by her doctors that she'd never walk or talk. She wasn't expected to be able to care for herself or be independent. Those negative messages only strengthened her resolve. Caltera walked into Goodwill...
Yolanda worked as a childcare provider until peripheral artery disease took most of her left leg. She tried to return to work, but no one would hire her — they told her she was a liability. After a year spent at home feeling hopeless, a...
[caption id="attachment_868" align="alignright" width="180"]Jose Ortega[/caption] I love that, at Goodwill, we can help ex-offenders, people with disabilities, people out of the workforce for a while, etc. to make a difference in their own lives. We offer training and computer classes that make a huge difference in...
Brent worked as a truck driver for years, hauling goods across the United States — until five years ago, when he suffered a torn retina. He underwent seven surgeries to repair the retina, but all were unsuccessful; he'd completely lost sight in his right eye. His...
Last month I planned an afternoon tea party for my mother’s birthday and wanted to create a look that was simple, elegant, beautiful — and within my budget! Naturally, Goodwill was my go-to place to buy the tableware and decorations to achieve a picture-perfect garden...
Tabitha was born with a hearing impairment, but she has never let it hold her back. After completing a degree in computer systems, however, she couldn't get a job in her field. "I applied at several IT companies, but they didn't hire me because of my...
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...
Organizing a donation drive is a fun and easy way to help Goodwill fulfill its mission of providing jobs and training to people with disabilities or others who have trouble finding and keeping jobs. It’s also a great way to get the entire community involved....
For most people, there is one obvious reason to have a job: a paycheck. There’s nothing wrong with that. We have to be able to provide for our loved ones and ourselves. Clothing, food, shelter—these things aren’t free. Danny is no different. He needs money. He has...
Jamie was about to turn 40 when she reached a low point in her life. She had just gone through a divorce, and then she got mixed up in drugs. At the time, Jamie was living in Florida and working day labor, so she did not...
[caption id="attachment_795" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Contest winner Cindi Moore and family."][/caption] Cindi Moore found herself overwhelmed by the amount of stuff she, her husband and three kids had accumulated in just three years. The Moores moved into their house in Old Hickory in 2008 and, up until...
