Jennifer – a mother of three – was deep into addiction, living at a hotel, when she was charged with a misdemeanor. “The judge gave me a chance to do treatment, and I was really grateful, even though I didn’t want to go,” Jennifer said. “I went to a sober living home,...

 After losing his job in his hometown of West Memphis, Arkansas, AJ moved to Radcliff in 2017 to live with his brother and find temporary employment so he could buy his daughter a Christmas present. His ultimate goal was to obtain his Commercial Driver's License...

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,...

Sarah was residing in a sober living home near our Ring Road store in Elizabethtown when she became interested in working for Goodwill. “I saw a Goodwill advertisement and thought, ‘What a good place to work,’” Sarah explained. “I could see myself standing behind...

Tevin was homeless when he learned about Goodwill. Tevin accepted one day of work as part of Goodwill’s Another Way program. Program leaders use Goodwill transportation to canvass highly trafficked areas of the city, such as homeless shelters, highways, byways and...

Established in 1963, Older Americans Month (OAM) is celebrated every May. Led by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), OAM is a time to recognize older Americans' contributions, highlight aging trends and reaffirm commitments to serving the older adults in...

Established in 1963, Older Americans Month (OAM) is celebrated every May. Led by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), OAM is a time to recognize older Americans' contributions, highlight aging trends and reaffirm commitments to serving the older adults in...

Established in 1963, Older Americans Month (OAM) is celebrated every May. Led by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), OAM is a time to recognize older Americans' contributions, highlight aging trends and reaffirm commitments to serving the older adults in...

April is Second Chance Month, and marrie couple Jennifer and Tommy Simcoe both found their second chances at Goodwill. Tommy started as a material handler at our Hikes Point store and is now the Louisville E-commerce manager. After beginning her career as a cashier...

Nielen immigrated to the United States from the Philippines 17 years ago. Nielen’s niece told her about a job opening at Goodwill, and she has worked at our Millpond store in Lexington ever since. “They interviewed me the same day I applied,” Nielen explained. “I had...

Bridgette was working at the Northfield store as a material handler when she enrolled in our Work & Learn program. Through the program, Bridgette was able to work 20 hours per week at the store and use her remaining 20 hours to take classes at The Excel Center,...

After a cycle of jail time and rehabilitation, Amy knew she had to leave her hometown of Paducah if she wanted to recover. She was staying at a community-based housing facility in Lexington in 2020 when she learned that Goodwill is a second-chance employer. In spite...

Benita was completing paid training through our Senior Community Service & Employment Program (SCSEP) at our Scottsville Road store in Bowling Green when the manager noticed her strong work ethic and offered her a permanent position as a Goodwill staff member. For...

  Shirley, who was a single mother most of her daughter’s life, spent years working in the restaurant industry. She was shopping at Goodwill to purchase khakis for her job when she inquired about employment. The manager put her in contact with Kimberly, a career...

In 2020, Brittany was sentenced to 13 months in jail for drug charges. When she was released, she said she was “lost.” “I didn’t have a direction,” Brittany said. “I applied for many jobs, and they would all turn me down because of my record.” That’s when Brittany’s...

Nyeshia didn’t get the chance to finish high school when she was a teenager because of several distractions in her life, but her dream of getting her high school diploma never died – because she wanted to show her daughter, Na Na, that school is important. After...

“I have multiple felonies. I thought I would have to work in a factory for the rest of my life. I never thought I could be anything. Not only did Goodwill give me a chance to work there, but they helped me leave.” Tracy was living in a sober living home when she...

In Joshua’s past, he ran with the wrong people and “got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time,” which led to a drug charge and a two-year sentence in a federal penitentiary in Kansas. When he was released, he was sent to a halfway house in Bowling Green, two...

In 2012, after losing his job at a local pizza joint that closed down, Joseph was introduced to Goodwill through Life Skills, an agency designed to connect people with disabilities to the resources they need. In Joseph’s case, that was employment. For the last two...

While other children were playing at age 11, Erica was selling drugs. “I come from a long line of convicted felons,” she explained. “I was molested at a young age, and I started doing drugs to cover up the pain. In my family, you weren’t allowed to show emotions; it...