“We definitely didn’t have any savings. It just felt very unstable, and we knew it wasn’t going to get us anywhere long term. So, we were very grateful when we found out about these programs that Goodwill offered,” Goodwill graduate Jessica Fongemie said. 

Jessica Fongemie and her husband found themselves in a challenging situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both had lost their jobs and were struggling to make ends meet through various side gigs. Jessica, who has a background in hospitality and a bachelor’s degree from Johnson & Wales University, still found it difficult to secure stable employment in her field after being laid off. 

“Before I was in the program, during and after, until I was able to secure the position with Bank OZK, I was doing side gig stuff for work. So, I was doing like DoorDash and GoPuff full time,” Jessica said. “With that, you’re going out and you’re working, but you don’t know how much money you’re going to make. You don’t have benefits. It’s not stable.” 

The mom and wife decided it was time for a change. Jessica learned of the tuition-free job training programs at Goodwill through her husband, Austin Fongemie, who enrolled in the Construction & Trade Skills training program. 

Inspired by his initiative, Jessica decided to explore the options available at Goodwill. She was particularly drawn to the BankWork$ program, which aligned with her interest in the financial industry. “I saw BankWork$, and I thought, well, financial is something I’ve always been interested in, so why not give it a shot? It can’t hurt.” 

In Goodwill’s tuition-free BankWork$ training program, participants learn about the financial services workplace, bank regulations, bank products, cash handling, processing customer transactions and more. 

In class, Jessica gained a deeper understanding of the financial sector, learning about security measures, customer service and the various roles within a bank. “The class gave me more specific information and stuff that I didn’t know, like security and things that are in place to keep people safe, keep our employees safe, as well as keep money safe for customers,” Jessica said. 

When taking one of Goodwill’s tuition-free training programs, participants have the opportunity to work with an Employer Engagement Specialist and Career Navigator who help them with resumes, interviews and more. Thanks to the help of Jessica’s Employer Engagement Specialist, she successfully landed a job with Bank OZK just three months after graduation. 

“After talking about my previous work experience with Julie, she actually recommended Bank OZK to me, because they have this mission about them, that they don’t treat their customers as just another number. Their customers are very important to them. And I feel that when I’m in here every day, like the way that we handle our customers, the way we handle our clients, it reminds me a lot of the hospitality industry,” Jessica said. 

Today, Jessica is working as a client service specialist at Bank OZK. Jessica’s experience in the hospitality industry proved to be an asset, as she excelled in providing exceptional customer service. “We do work as tellers in our roles, but we also do more than that. It’s also a customer service position. I can perform transactions for customers. I can also help them with debit card concerns, order them checks. I can help navigate them to online services, mobile services, if they need it,” Jessica said. 

The stability of her new job brought a sense of relief and security to Jessica’s life. No longer reliant on unpredictable work, she could focus on her career and family. “It definitely takes a lot off my shoulders of not having to worry about whether bills are going to get paid or not,” Jessica said. 

Training programs like the one Jessica took are available free of charge to the community thanks to shopping and donating at Goodwill’s 36 retail locations and more than 40 donation sites, in addition to corporate, community and financial contributions. 

“I feel like over the years, I’ve donated so much stuff to Goodwill, and you don’t really know what happens after that. You know you’re bringing that to Goodwill, you know they’re going to resell it or whatever, but you don’t know the full impact of what doing that can do for somebody else. And now we are on the other side of it. So, we’ve seen the full circle process of what it can do for us.” 

Jessica’s story is a testament to the impact of Goodwill’s training programs and the support they provide to individuals seeking to improve their lives. 

If you would like to help fund tuition-free courses that help people like Jessica on their pathway to prosperity, drop off your gently used donations at one of our 36 retail stores or donation locations, or make a financial contribution.