Goodwill Mission Stories

After being released from incarceration, Shaylah transitioned into an outpatient substance use treatment program. Shaylah admits that while the program was okay, it was not a good fit for what she needed, which was to find employment, a top priority for her recovery and re-entry. Because of her record, Shaylah remembers struggling to find work. "Life was hectic when I first came to Goodwill's Individual Placement and Support (IPS) program. My background caused struggles with finding a job. Working with Goodwill provided me with a better opportunity. IPS provided the extra help that I needed.”

The start of Nick’s EmpowerOne journey began in the fall of 2018. He first came to Goodwill with no work experience but had a goal of community employment. When asked what types of jobs he would be interested in, Nick talked about coding, nature photography, and being a Brewmaster for MillerCoors. Nick needed some guidance to determine what job would be a good fit for him and what skills he would need to acquire to be qualified for these roles. To gain experience Nick, toured various work sites, such as the Milwaukee School of Engineering Printing Department, the Goodwill Laundry and Linen Services facilities, and even Miller Brewing Company. He learned to consider his work environment, such as the noise and temperature when deciding if a job would be a good fit for him.  

After serving time in the criminal justice system, Larry struggled to figure out his next steps towards leading a happy and productive life. He knew that finding a stable job with insurance benefits would be key to moving forward and supporting himself. By working with his care coordinator at Wisconsin Community Services, Larry was introduced to Goodwill’s Individual Placement and Support program which helps people with mental illness and/or substance use disorders find and keep jobs.

Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, several members of Goodwill’s Individual Placement and Support (IPS) team and one of Goodwill’s employer partners have been recognized for their achievements in helping people with mental health concerns better their lives through employment.

IPS is an international evidence-based program that helps people with mental illness and/or substance use disorders find and keep jobs. The program can also assist with educational goals that will lead to employment. Goodwill operates IPS services throughout Milwaukee County.

The IPS Awards are given out each year at the annual Wisconsin IPS Learning Collaborative Conference. Winners are nominated by their peers, supervisors and community partners.

Goodwill was recognized in the following categories:

Jennifer started working with the Goodwill Workforce Connection Center (WCC) during her recovery from a severe and life-changing motorcycle accident.

At the WCC, staff members worked with Jennifer on her resume and interview skills and were impressed by her motivation in her job search.

After earning his degree in CNC Operation and Programing from Milwaukee Area Technical College in 2019, Daniel Y. began his job search journey with the hopes of finding employment within his career focus.

After coming out of retirement feeling depressed and, in a rut, Jerry came to Goodwill to connect with others and find meaningful work. Originally, he planned to work for a year or two but has enjoyed his job as a production associate so much that he has stayed on board and recently celebrated his 9th anniversary!  

In celebration of Native American Heritage Day, we are featuring our Vice President General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Basil Buchko, who is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

Shawn lives by himself and enjoys the connections he has with his church, watching TV (Knight Rider is his favorite) and daydreaming.  

I was born in Chicago and as a young child was adopted into a Puerto Rican family. Growing up, I lived in the Humboldt Park neighborhood – a prominent area for Latinos. There are restaurants and bakeries that cater to our culture, and we celebrated who we are on a regular basis by getting together with family for traditional Puerto Rican meals.