Savanna was sentenced to 20 years in prison before she had the chance to grow up. When she was released, she had to start from square one. While bouncing around treatment facilities, she noticed others benefitting from the services provided at Goodwill. But the...

Donna was an addict by age 13. A year later, she dropped out of ninth grade. Without a strong support system, she spiraled and ended up with a Class B felony on her record. After Donna was incarcerated, she relapsed while on probation but was given a second chance by...

Tremayne grew up in poverty, and as a result, he was raised by the streets. According to him, he was taught he could do anything by himself. However, after three stints in prison, he realized he needed help becoming a valued member of society again. After an...

In 2011, Amy was convicted of a felony. Because of her record, she found it hard to find and keep a job. She also lost custody of her children. Four years after her conviction, she began working at a Goodwill store in Ohio and learned about the mission behind...

Earlier this year, Mary served nine months in jail for shoplifting. She was married with three children, but when she was released, she was put out on the street by her husband. “I was at my rock bottom,” Mary said. “Been arrested, got out, no home. I had no place to...

Dorlese, a Louisville native, has spent much of her life searching for a job that was the best fit for her. She said she felt “lost.” “I never had a problem with authority,” she said. “But if you told me to go right, I wanted to go left.” That was until she found out...

Six years ago, Beatrice, her husband and five children relocated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Kentucky. The family decided to relocate because of violence in their native Africa and to better support one of the children, Chance, who has a disability....

“I have been involved with drugs and alcohol my whole life,” Jessie said. “As a baby, there was whiskey in my bottle.” Jessie has served installments in prison – totaling 26 years – for drug-related charges before being released on parole. He transitioned to Second...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]John worked full time at a processing plant before an existing mobility issue became debilitating, and he began to use a wheelchair to remain productive. That did not deter John, and he remained a vibrant worker, but his current...

Goodwill is celebrating Older Americans Month and recognizing the contributions older workers (ages 55 and up) make both inside and outside the workforce. At a time when employers need to build resilience, older workers can play a critical role. They bring experience,...

Jenni was recently diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND), a medical condition that affects how the brain and body send and receive signals. At times, the condition causes her to lose control of basic functions like moving and speaking and could even...

In the mid-2000s, De’Shauna was a certified nurse assistant studying to become a licensed practical nurse when she was arrested for drug trafficking. De’Shauna struggled to find a job when she was released from prison in August of 2008, even though she had plenty of...

Robert is 62 years old and has spent more than two-thirds of his life in prison. He has six prison numbers, five state and one federal. He watched his children grow up through pictures. He was released from his most recent stint, a 10-year sentence, 10 months ago. He...

In Bobby’s early 20s, he was arrested and incarcerated for 10 years for breaking and entering in his hometown in McCreary County. When he was released, the only things he had to his name were his prison jumpsuit and $72 in commissary money. “I missed out on both my...

Chastity abused drugs for 28 years before seeking help at a long-term treatment center in Somerset. At that time, she was 45 years old. “I never thought I would get out of that life,” she said. “At that age, most people don’t even live.” Chastity was introduced to...

When Leon was incarcerated, he lost everything he owned. He was accepted into a sober living home while he was still an inmate, but a requirement was that he had to provide for himself. That led Leon to participating in our Reintegrating Individuals Successfully Every...

As one of our facilitators, Gina has a passion for helping others reach self-sufficiency – and that goes beyond her day job. Gina has been writing poems since she was 10 years old, and she had her first collection of poems, titled, “When Prayer and Poetry Collide,”...