02 Sep Richard’s Story

Richard had spent most of his life changing tires on tractor trailers. After a while all that heavy lifting took a toll on his body. “I have a bad disk in my back, and I just couldn’t do the job anymore,” he said.

Over the next several months, Richard applied for dozens of jobs, and he even landed a few interviews, but nothing ever panned out. “I was unemployed for almost a year,” he said. “We got behind on our bills and were just days from losing our home.”

Richard was about to give up when he received a job offer from Goodwill. Today, he spends his days greeting our donors at the Smyrna drive-thru location on Presidents Place. “I’ve been with Goodwill for five years now, and I love it,” he says. “I have regular donors that stop by just to see me.”

Richard said he is grateful to Goodwill for giving him an opportunity to work again. “If it weren’t for Goodwill, I would probably be out on the street,” he said. “Goodwill has added stability to my life. I can now pay my bills and take care of my wife.”

During his year of unemployment, Richard was looking for a job that would pay the bills. Today he’s happy he found something much more than that. “It makes me feel good to work for an organization like Goodwill,” he says. “I love my job, and I love Goodwill.”

Watch Richard’s Story: