Kristen once found herself rebuilding her life after years of domestic violence, addiction, and incarceration. As a single mother of three, she struggled to find employment because of her background.
Then she found Goodwill Kentucky.
What started as a part-time job as a hanger grew into a career that took Kristen through positions including team lead, assistant store manager, store manager, and now career coach serving the Lawrenceburg and Cardinal Valley stores.
Goodwill Kentucky’s tuition reimbursement program helped her pursue a bachelor’s degree in addiction counseling. Through the GoodSmiles program, Kristen also had the opportunity to restore her smile. Today, she uses her lived experience to help others overcome barriers, connect with resources, and build a path toward stability.
“I am living proof of Goodwill’s mission,” Kristen said. “I am not who I used to be because Goodwill gave me the chance to become who I was meant to be.”
Kristen has completed all terms of her probation and paid every court cost and fee. She has a valid driver’s license and a vehicle financed in her name. Her home and everything in it belong to her, and she no longer worries about coming home from work to find the utilities shut off.
“I’ve reached milestones that may seem small to some, but to people who have lived through what I have, they represent stability, dignity, and independence,” Kristen said.
Now, Kristen is working to make sure more people in Anderson County understand that Goodwill Kentucky offers more than a place to thrift.
As a member of Leadership Anderson County, Kristen has heard directly from community members about the need for greater awareness of the resources available locally. She recently participated in a nonprofit roundtable in Woodford County that brought organizations together to share information and identify ways they could better connect residents with available services.
Kristen now hopes to bring a similar initiative to Anderson County by creating a collaborative network of nonprofits and community organizations that can collect, organize, and share information about local resources so residents have a clearer place to turn when they need help.
“I want people to know that Goodwill is here to help them see what is possible,” Kristen said. “Sometimes people just need someone to help them find the next step and believe they can take it.”