Due to an abusive relationship, Sarah relocated from Florida to Kentucky when she was 35 weeks pregnant but had trouble obtaining meaningful employment.
“No one wanted to hire me, either because of my record or my belly,” she said. “I was a single mom with two babies, going to college full-time. My parents were my support system, but I wanted to stop relying on them.”
Sarah then met Jessica, a Goodwill career coach who referred her to the Opportunity Center in Somerset. Sarah worked on her resume, began the process of having her record expunged, obtained Goodwill vouchers to purchase clothing and secured employment at the conjoined store as a production clerk. Sarah was eventually named Safety Captain, a role she held for two years.
Utilizing Goodwill’s tuition reimbursement program, Sarah obtained her bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University in business administration and was promoted to training facilitator for Goodwill. She is currently pursuing her PhD in education.
“When I was accepted for this job, I thought it was too good to be true. My criminal record wasn’t even expunged yet,” Sarah said, “This role is important to me, because I love teaching and I want to make a difference. I love offering hope to others.”
For Sarah, her job as training facilitator is more than a paycheck, it’s her purpose.
“Goodwill gave me the confidence to exit a dangerous relationship. I didn’t have any skills or confidence. I had never been alone,” Sarah said. “I never thought I was going to get a second chance, because I had damaged my life so much. I didn’t think I was deserving. I thought I was cursed with bad luck forever, even after getting clean and sober and college degrees. I felt like I was a puppy at that pound, discarded. But Goodwill adopted me. They are my family now. Goodwill changed my life forever.”