Goodwill Mission Stories

When Grace came to Goodwill, it was clear she was a big animal enthusiast but also struggled interacting with people.

Devonte began his journey with Goodwill’s Empower One program back in August 2018.

Daniel started working with Tina, Employment Specialist with Goodwill Employment Services in June 2019.

Eddie completed Goodwill’s former Work Services program in 2016 and recently completed our former Explore WORK service in June of 2019. While Eddie completed these services, he showed his desire to work and his skills.

“There are two words I think of when I think of freedom – power and wealth. Juneteenth is ours; it belongs to us. You have to know where you’ve been in order to realize where you want to go. Juneteenth is an opportunity for us to come together and celebrate our Black heritage while we continue to fight for our rights.”

For many, the perfect job means loving what you do, enjoying who you work with and still having time for your hobbies. For Steve, the perfect job also means independence and a chance to fit in.  Steve found all of this, and more, at Goodwill.

Starting a new life in an unfamiliar country can be overwhelming and scary. For Fanta, adding several barriers including a lack of job history and being hard of hearing made the task of finding employment feel almost unachievable. Until she found Goodwill.

Overcoming obstacles and focusing on an individual’s future is what Goodwill is all about.

Andy Zakatuan knows what it’s like to face struggles as a child. He was born in a concentration camp in Stuttgart, Germany after World War II.

For years, Goodwill’s Workforce Connection Center in North Riverside, Illinois has helped people in their community find jobs.