Goodwill Mission Stories

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

Assistant Store Manager Tyneisha Stroud, or TY, as she’s known, served in the Air Force from 2001 to 2006, enlisting just after high school. Ty joined the military hoping to gain some direction in life. “I didn’t have the maturity or the focus for college right then and I thought the military would help me gain some discipline,” she remarked.

Assistant Store Manager Stephanie DeSimone’s husband Neil is someone to whom we owe our deepest gratitude for his service and sacrifice to our country. Neil enlisted in the Marines at 18, just after high school, embarking on nearly a decade long military career.  His military service would take him aboard USS Anchorage in Hawaii, as well as Camp Pendleton, CA and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, CA.

November 10th marked the 242nd birthday of the Marine Corps and we have people like Chuck Rickenbaugh to thank for their service. He was just 17 when he enlisted in the Marines. “School wasn’t the place for me. My home life was chaotic. I thought the military could provide some stability, and it did. You got with the program quickly,” he remarked.

For Kersten Weber the military hasn’t always played a big part in her life. “I didn’t grow up in a military family. I recall one of my uncles served at some point. To be honest, we were not big proponents of the military because of concerns over war,” she admits. Kersten was completely surprised when Austin, the eldest of her seven children, decided to join the Army’s National Guard his freshman year at the University of Arizona. “Off he went to boot camp. I thought, oh my straight arrow. He will never survive the drill sergeants,” she recalled.

While some reserve Military Family Appreciation for the month of November, it is truly a way of life for Goodwill Director of Community Relations, Angela Adams, and her family.

Katya

Staying busy at her job is what motivates Katya. As a dining room attendant at Culver’s, Katya’s work-first attitude does not go unnoticed by the staff and customers.

“Everybody here has been happy with Katya,” says Supervisor Kim in describing her work ethic. Katya also receives warm compliments from appreciative customers.

The name’s Fun…Mr. Fun

Whether it’s sharing laughs with his coworkers at Serb Hall, riding his bike around Milwaukee, or playing basketball, Joey has a good time in any situation- even cleaning his house!

Customers visiting Cici’s Pizza for lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will find Aaron, a participant of Goodwill’s Supported Employment Program, hard at work.

Aaron is an usher, lobby attendant, and ticket taker during the lunchtime hours at Cici’s. His job duties include clearing tables of dirty dishes, wiping tables and chairs, and assisting with dishwashing tasks.

Following an earlier suicide attempt, David had just been released from a court-ordered detox plan and was overwhelmed with depression and anxiety. Not wanting to fear for his life any longer, David was clean and sober for the first time in years and wondered what life had in store for him.