Following a brain aneurysm, two strokes and an epilepsy diagnosis, Emmetri Beane found employment and a supportive team at Rappahannock Goodwill Industries (Fredericksburg, VA).
Category: My Story
My Story: Carl Alexander
Carl Alexander was an NCAA football star and military veteran, but he found himself homeless and in need of a hand up. Goodwill helped him gain the skills he needed to launch a construction career and business.
My Story: Brianne Hoagland
Placed by Ohio Valley Goodwill’s Employment Services team in August 2016, Brianne has certainly made a positive impression on her new employer- being promoted within months of being hired. “I love my new job! Its been 8 years since I have been employed and I am very excited, It’s a dream come true!!
My Story: Alain Carrera
Before Alain Carrera received job training from Goodwill, he was supporting his wife and three children by working in a warehouse where he earned a nominal hourly wage. The wages barely covered the family's modest expenses. Eventually, he and his wife decided that it was time to make a change.
My Story: Derrick Glass
More than 20 years ago, Derrick Glass's vocational rehabilitation counselor referred him to Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont for a vocational evaluation to assess his work skills, seek services and programs that could help him become more independent, and learn the skills necessary to become a successful employee. Derrick has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism, but he thrives in his work environment by offering outstanding customer service and valuing the contributions of the individuals he encounters.
My Story: Sarah Pine
My name is Sarah Pine. I am a single mother of three children, a grateful recovering addict with six years clean, and I have a learning disability. I grew up in an alcoholic home and started using drugs with my mother when I was nine years old.
My Story: Lavar Edwards
"In 1995, at the age of 15, I was shot in the back and have been paralyzed from the waist down ever since, confining me to a wheelchair. Imagine being told you would never walk again and the impact that has to a 15 year old."
My Story: Thomas Hannan
"I was having a rough time. I didn’t live with my parents, I was “couch-surfing” and I didn’t have a home of my own or a parent providing for me. I would just go from house to house of friends I lived with, sleeping on their couches."
My Story: Gina Moore
"I relocated to Clarksville, TN a little over a year ago and needed to find work immediately. I had no resume, no high school diploma or GED, no transportation, needed updated computer skills and was unsure what to do or where to turn."
My Story: Jody Mooney
Within 90 days, I lost everything but my life. I lost my career as an executive with the Jacksonville (FL) Chamber of Commerce, my car and my apartment. I now see how mental issues plus my hedonistic, promiscuous lifestyle led me to this point. I struggled with addiction for a decade.
My Story: Amber Thompson
I am Amber Thompson, a lead worker at the Rappahannock Goodwill Laundry, and I am dedicated to my career here! I began training more than 10 years ago as a transitional employment student right out of high school. I was very shy and didn’t talk much at first but with the help of my job coach I started talking to my coworkers.
My Story: Jose Luis Robledo
I found myself at my lowest point when I lost my father while still in high school. As a result, I felt the burden of needing to step up and fill my father’s shoes by taking care of my mom. Unfortunately, medical issues made this difficult for me to do. Eventually, I was told I was disabled and unable to work so I attempted to get on disability income with no success.
