Category: Success Stories

“When I was thinking about my own elementary school experience and the things I remember that stuck with me, it was the special touches that educators around me did,” said Maggie Burgos, a member of Goodwill’s AmeriCorps Multilingual Leadership Corps. For the last two years, Maggie has served with the TREE (Transforming Rural Educational Experiences in Education) Program out of…

Randy served 10 years in Maine State Prison. When he got out he had only the clothes on his back. Life is tough without a car or a place to call home — add in a criminal record and a disability and life gets exceptionally difficult. Randy connected with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), where he received vocational counseling…

When Air Force veteran Naomi found Job Connection this winter, she needed support. She didn’t have a place of her own anymore, which led her to couch surfing in her adult children’s homes around New England. Family time is nice, of course, but she yearned for her own personal stability back. Like every participant in Job Connection, Naomi had several…

Kevin Crowley was snowblowing his driveway when a tree branch above him snapped and fell on his head. He was rushed to the hospital, instantly unable to speak, walk or feed himself due to his brain injury. Once a World Champion-level swimmer, Kevin was suddenly unsure he’d ever be able to get in a pool again or return to his…

Whether she’s helping staff prepare dinner or organizing clothes, books, and DVDs at a Goodwill retail shop, Becky helps get the job done. “I love my job a lot,” she says. “Everything you ask me to do, I’ll do it.” A longtime resident of a Goodwill home, Becky also attends Goodwill Northern New England’s LifeWorks day programs and has a…

Francisca was homeless when she started working at Goodwill. After a fire in her apartment building, she ended up at a shelter. Her manager helped set her up with Goodwill’s Job Connection program, which offered her support and advice. She was promoted to supervisor while still living at the shelter. Now she’s living in her home in Scarborough, and Goodwill…

Seventeen-year-old Kara works full-time at a Goodwill retail store, is enrolled in Driver’s Ed, and she’s saving for her first car. All very typical things for a teenager to do. But Kara’s family faced homelessness as she was growing up, and she lived at Preble Street’s teen shelter. While there, Kara connected with Workforce Solutions, a Goodwill program that helped…

Some days she goes bowling. Some days she helps deliver meals through the Meals on Wheels program. And every day she enjoys hanging out with friends and staff she loves. Amanda attends Goodwill Northern New England’s LifeWorks program. The program provides as safe and engaging place for adults with disabilities and helps participants get into the community through fun activities….

A manager for the Northern New England Employment Services (NNEES) team at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire, Joe helps make sure the shipyard stays in ship shape. His cleaning team, along with all Northern New England Employment Services teams, is largely comprised of people with disabilities. By his estimation, his team is the best in the world, full…