For Gastonia resident Tameika Tate, Goodwill wasn’t just a resource. It became a lifeline during one of the hardest chapters of her life.

In early 2024, Tameika found herself facing eviction. At the time, she had a remote job and ended up losing it due to having unreliable internet connection.

“I’ve used Goodwill’s services many times when I was job searching,” she said. “When I fell on hard times, I remembered Vicki Powe and how helpful she was. I went to Goodwill, and I had all my clothes in the back of my car.” 

She walked into Goodwill’s Gastonia Career & Employment Center looking for help, and she found opportunity. The Goodwill team told her about a job fair happening that same day and helped her obtain interview clothing. From there, Tameika attended the job fair and received a job at Spectrum.

“I love giving back to the community – I guess that’s why I was so drawn to going to Goodwill. Every time something happened, I knew I could go there and get some help,” she said. “I knew that I was going to see a familiar face, and it was a judgement-free zone. It was a safe hub for me.”

From there, Tameika was able to rebuild her life piece by piece: securing housing, regaining stability, and eventually launching Prestige Lab Services, a healthcare and testing company. Her business is now located on Main Street in Gastonia.  

“It’s surreal,” she said. “I feel blessed — and now it’s time to pay it forward.” She hopes that she can be an employer partner with Goodwill to help build her staff.  

Goodwill has Career & Employment Centers in Charlotte and Gastonia. The convenience of visiting our Gastonia location was immensely helpful for Tameika to receive services.  

“I didn’t have to try to find a ride to get assistance. If I had to, I probably would have given up. I pray there’s a Goodwill like this everywhere so people can get the accessible help I did.”

Goodwill’s services are offered free of charge, thanks to shopping and donating at our 36 stores and more than 40 donation drop-off locations. Taking advantage of this opportunity free of charge made all the difference for Tameika.  

“Imagine going through hardships and then having to pay for services,” she said. “Goodwill is one place where money doesn’t matter. I’m so thankful.”

If you’d like to contribute to helping people like Tameika see possibilities, seize opportunities, and prosper, consider shopping, donating, or contributing financially to our mission.