Updates
Success Stories
Patrick lives in a Goodwill group home and proved he’s a true hero
November 23, 2021 Patrick lives in a Goodwill staffed group home in Southern Maine. He’s is a fun guy who loves the Patriots and Pink Floyd and riding bikes. This year he has come a long way in developing friendships and positive relationships with his housemates. He is friendly with staff and is always a good sport. This year Patrick also showed that…
Success Stories
David in Vermont found meaningful work at Goodwill after a heart transplant
October 22, 2021 David was working at the local grocery store when he got sick with a cold. That cold found its way into his heart, which eventually caused him to go into heart failure. He went through surgeries, survived a three-week coma, and was put on a heart transplant waiting list. On July 22, 2008 he got a new heart. “The whole…
Success Stories
15 years of helping teenagers with disabilities find jobs, with Essex High School in Vermont
October 19, 2021 For some teenagers with disabilities, it can be hard to stay motivated throughout high school, especially if they’re unsure what comes next. Essex High School in Vermont’s Employment Program gives students who have a disability a chance to be a part of the workforce while still in school. Goodwill stores are one of the places these students try out different…
Success Stories
When online college didn’t work, Neo became a phlebotomist with some help
September 29, 2021 When high school ends, it can be challenging deciding what to do next. The past two years have been especially difficult for many recent graduates who started college online due to COVID-19. Neo realized quickly that online college was not for her, but she wasn’t sure what to do. Fortunately, she was enrolled in the Workforce Solutions COVID-19 Youth Cohort grant….
Success Stories
Birindwa escapes conflict in Congo, finds work and stability with some support
September 20, 2021 Birindwa has faced many challenges in his life. He survived polio as a child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As an adult, he worked at a non-profit to help polio survivors with prosthetics. Birindwa put his life in danger helping people with disabilities in the DRC, he said. Ultimately, he escaped the DRC to the US. He…
News
$10 million to help Goodwill NNE better serve the community, thanks to MacKenzie Scott
September 7, 2021 Earlier this year, Goodwill Northern New England was one of three nonprofits in Maine to receive a generous gift from author and philanthropist, MacKenzie Scott. We are humbled by this investment and belief in our work. Ms. Scott’s gift of $10 million will enable us to invest in our work long-term. We’ve intentionally taken these past several months to consider…
News
Watch: Edgar “Ned” Helms, Grandson of Goodwill founder, talks about family legacy and new international Board position
August 3, 2021 Congratulations Ned! Ned Helms, of Concord, NH, was just elected to become the Board Chair on the Goodwill Industries International volunteer Board of Directors. In this video he talks about his family’s legacy — he’s the grandchild of Goodwill’s founder, after all. “It’s like a capstone in my life,” he said. Ned has long served on our local Goodwill’s volunteer…
Success Stories
Career Adviser Tangie started as a Goodwill client, now helps others reach personal stability
August 3, 2021 Tangie Ripley is easy to talk to. It’s one of the qualities that makes her a great career advisor at Goodwill Northern New England in Belfast, Maine. She’s welcoming and funny, but her relatability comes from more than just her lively and good-humored personality — it comes from personal experience. She has walked in the same shoes as many of…
News
Goodwill invests $50,000 into other local nonprofits, moving neighbors toward personal stability
August 2, 2021 This month Goodwill Northern New England launched a $50,000 program to help move more people in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont into personal stability. The Partner Stability Fund gives vouchers to nonprofits, who in turn gift them to their clients who need clothing and household items most. Bangor Housing Authority, PENQUIS, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Joint Urban Ministry Project (JUMP),…
Success Stories
Bipolar left Keeley feeling unemployable, now she’s PhD-bound and helping manage a store
July 1, 2021 In 2014, Keeley had a psychotic break that left her hospitalized for two years. In that time she gained tools to help her live with bipolar disorder. After two years in a psychiatric hospital, Keeley was ready to work … but no one would hire her. “It was nearly impossible to find a job,” she said. “No one wants to…
Success Stories
Irene found personal stability — and her wife — through working for Goodwill
June 2, 2021 Irene watched her parents struggle in Greece, where she’s from. She dreamed of coming to the United States and making her own way. When she found a job at Goodwill in New Hampshire, her English began to improve and so did her confidence … those things led her to asking her wife on a first date. Irene worked her way…
Success Stories
Rutland Job Connection helps Melissa keep her business open, and her family healthy
April 23, 2021 We received this letter from a Rutland, Vermont workforce participant and we had to share her success: My name is Melissa Van Guilder (formerly Shanholtzer), and I am writing to share my experiences with Goodwill Northern New England. I literally had zero idea what Goodwill did, I just happen to know Sherri Prouty, and she said that sometimes Goodwill helps people…
Success Stories
Ben gets his dream job in healthcare after 8 years of sobriety, with help from Goodwill Workforce staff
April 23, 2021 When Ben Sawyer saw a flyer offering help to anyone affected by opioids, he jumped at the chance. By that point he’d been unemployed for eight months, and his unemployment benefits weren’t enough for his family of four. He needed work — and like many people who have battled addiction, he needed a second chance. Now, with some help from…
Success Stories
Homeless teen finds job training, work and stability with a little help from a Goodwill career advisor
April 8, 2021 Vanessa MacDougal isn’t the type to hem and haw. When the 19-year-old meets an unexpected challenge or opportunity, she chooses her path and pursues it at full speed. But the last couple of years have presented the teenager with some tough situations, and she wasn’t always sure where to turn. With a bit of help from Goodwill Workforce Services staff, Vanessa…
News, Success Stories
Peer Navigator Zachary helps Mainers affected by addiction connect to jobs, recovery resources
March 22, 2021 At 29 years old, Zachary Walker knows his life’s purpose: Help people who struggle(d) with addiction, like he did. In his job as a Peer Navigator at Goodwill, he stands beside people who want to get back to work and achieve personal stability – people who have been affected by Maine’s opioid epidemic in one way or another. “This is…