When Aaron was released from a 12-year prison sentence, he needed a second chance to reintegrate into society and ultimately achieve his goal of building a successful trucking company. To do that, he needed to find reliable employment.
One of Aaron’s friends then recommended he try Goodwill. Shortly after, he was hired as a production clerk at our New Circle store and was promoted to truck driver within two weeks.
“Opportunities aren’t always available when you’re a convicted felon,” he said. “But Goodwill gave me a chance. It definitely helped me in a time of need. I was in a bad spot, looking for employment. The job opportunity and instant promotion to a truck driver position—that was a blessing.”
In addition to work experience, Aaron earned his Certified Driver’s License (CDL) through Bluegrass CDL Academy, which opened more doors for his future. Most recently, he completed digital literacy training and earned a Chromebook laptop.
“That program is a great opportunity,” he said. “Especially coming out of prison and catching up on a few different things. I used to do IT work before I was incarcerated, so it was good to catch up.”
Aaron plans to continue working in his field at Goodwill while keeping his sight set high. He said he wouldn’t be where he is without the second chances he received through his Goodwill support team, which includes Kristen Holden, his career coach; Mike McKinney, senior manager of transportation operations; Emery Reid, a support specialist at the Lexington Opportunity Center; and the rest of his New Circle team.
“I still talk to a lot of people on the inside,” he said. “I tell them, ‘Hey, come to Goodwill. You’ll get hired right away and find something. They had the programs to help me.’”