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Are you looking for a management career with purpose? Would you like to be in the business of creating a brighter future for people in our community? Then Goodwill is the place for you! We’re hosting an upcoming hiring event for management positions – store managers, store managers in training, assistant store managers and retail shift managers – available at stores across our region in North and South Carolina.

HOW OUR STORES SUPPORT OUR MISSION

The money we make from selling donated goods in our retail stores helps fuel our job training courses, job search support and more – all of which we offer free of charge to thousands of people in our community each year. In fact, you may know someone who is well on their way to a brighter future after accessing our programs and services. Simply put, our retail stores help fund our mission.

PAY & BENEFITS

As a Goodwill team member, you not only get to do meaningful work, but you also receive great benefits and competitive pay. In addition to great benefits (like comprehensive health insurance, vacation and sick pay), team members also receive access to free job training programs and one-on-one career coaching, opportunities for career advancement and more.

Graham is thriving in his role as an E-commerce Shift Leader, but just a few years ago, life looked different for the Goodwill team member.

“I was moving back from Greensboro to where I was raised, here in Charlotte, and I needed to find a job and quick because I didn’t have a place to stay. So, I was couch surfing at the time,” Graham explained of his life before Goodwill.

Referred by friend and Apparel Quality Specialist Paige, who works at our Ballantyne-East store, Graham was hired at Goodwill, starting as a Donation Material Handler.

“I didn’t really know where I was going to go with this organization or anything, but I just came in open-minded,” Graham said.

Goodwill provides its team members developmental resources like Pathways, an internal coaching program designed to help team members achieve personal and professional goals.

“I believe you get out of it what you put into it. So, I was like, I’m going to just put in my all and see what I get out of it,” he said.

Graham was assigned to Pathways coach Ayme, who helped him grow with Goodwill and achieve personal goals he set for himself.

“From our very first session, I could tell that this is someone that heard me and was not just doing their job, but someone that genuinely cared,” Graham shared. “She really puts the person first, and that goes a long way when building relationships.”

Today, Graham is in a leadership role thanks in part to Ayme and her continued coaching.

“I did my work, and I continued to meet with Ayme, and she continued to pour into me, and I continued to take those lessons with me and work on those goals I wanted to do. And one of the big goals was to find a place because I didn’t want to be on the couch for much longer.”

Today, Graham has his own apartment. He was able to achieve this goal by climbing the ranks within the organization. When he accepted the position as Retail Shift Manager at our Steele Creek store, he was making enough money to get his own place.

“It was really exciting for me to feel more stable and to really start thinking about the future and starting to move away from just survival mode,” he said.

From there, he continued to grow, applying to positions internally, landing in his current role as an E-commerce Shift Leader, where he’s been for nearly a year.

Graham isn’t done yet; he is now in the process of accomplishing a new goal. With help from Goodwill’s tuition reimbursement program, he’s in college at Central Piedmont Community College studying business administration.

“I never thought that college was for me, but in the back of my mind, it was something I always aspired to do. Both my sisters went to college, and I always knew it was something that I could be able to do, but I just had to have the oomph to go out and do it,” he explained.

Ayme is also making sure Graham is financially literate, helping him set a monthly budget and properly invest for retirement.

Through the Pathways program and Goodwill’s investment in its team members, Graham and 210 other Goodwill team members have been able to successfully achieve their goals and advance their lives.

“Honestly, it gives purpose to what I do every day because I know how the work we do actually impacts people, and I’ve seen it, not only for myself but in my peers as well, and it inspires me to get up and come into work.”

Graham wants to continue growing in leadership, and he has a great mentor, his current manager Doug, to help him achieve his goals.

“From the very first day, I could tell Doug was a different type of leader, and he was definitely one that I appreciated,” Graham said. “I think Doug is great because he cares about the people, and he cares about building them up, and he’s not afraid to let you go and keep growing. And I want to be that kind of leader in the future within the organization so that I can pour into the next person, and we can have an environment of people that want to help people achieve their goals.”

Learn more about working with purpose at Goodwill here.

Odile is thriving in life thanks to the help of Goodwill’s Pathways program, offered free of charge to Goodwill team members thanks to the community’s donations and purchases at our retail stores. The Pathways program is designed to support our team members in achieving their professional development and personal goals. Goodwill team members have the opportunity to work with a Career Navigator, who acts as a personal coach, to assess current needs and skills, explore options for educational and career advancement, and work on an action plan to achieve goals.

“I always wanted to go to school,” Odile said. “When I joined Pathways, those were my goals: to go to school and become an American citizen.”

With the guidance of Pathways coach Ayme, Odile began turning her aspirations into achievements. Since joining Goodwill in July 2020, she has earned her associate degree from Central Piedmont Community College and proudly became a U.S. citizen in August 2023. 

“When I came to America, I made a list of all the things that I want to accomplish in America. After I became legal, it was like a snowball effect; everything just started to happen,” she said.

But she’s not done — she’s currently working on her bachelor’s degree and hopes to one day obtain her master’s degree.

“Pathways has opened up a new world for me,” Odile said. “Right now, I’m working on my bachelor’s degree at Johnson C. Smith University. I want to become a licensed clinical social worker. I need to finish my bachelor’s, and then I’m going to go for my master’s and do what I need in order to become a mental health therapist.”

The transition has not been easy for Odile, who once owned her own business, but it has put her on the trajectory to prosper.

“The reason why I came to Goodwill was because I became very sick. I used to have an eBay store, and I did that for 12 years from home, but then I could no longer sit in front of the computer,” she said.

Today, Odile enjoys working at Goodwill and jokes she may never want to leave. Thanks to the resources provided, she has been able to advance her life and accomplish both personal and professional goals.

“Pathways has helped me beyond my imagination. The support I have received through Pathways has helped me grow not only academically and professionally but also personally. Beyond achieving my college degree and becoming an American citizen, it has helped me become more self-aware and work on areas of personal growth. Today, I feel like a completely different person because of that.”

At Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, Second Chance Month serves as a powerful reminder of the barriers faced by individuals impacted by the justice system—and the incredible opportunities that second chances can provide. Each April, we recognize the challenges of reentry and reaffirm our commitment to fostering equitable opportunities for success, like we did for Mark.

Before Mark began working at Goodwill in 2016, he was looking for a chance to start a career, but his road to stability was far from easy.

“I moved from California in 2008. But before that, I had been in prison for 12 years,” Mark shared. “Coming here was a fresh start. But when [companies] saw my record, nobody wanted to give me a fresh start.”

The overwhelming majority of incarcerated individuals face similar obstacles upon their return to society. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 650,000 people are released from federal and state prisons annually, confronting significant challenges to employment, housing, education and community reintegration.

Mark owned a cleaning company, but inconsistent income led him to Goodwill for help with his job search. What started as a visit for resume assistance quickly turned into a career journey.

“I went to Goodwill for resume help, but then I started working in the stores,” he said. “The store manager told me the first day, ‘You should be in management.’ Six months to a year later, she promoted me to Shift Manager and then Assistant Manager.”

For Mark, Goodwill provided much-needed stability after years of setbacks.

“It helped me mentally and financially, because mentally, I was beaten up. Everybody was telling me no. In the eight years that I’ve been here, I’ve barely missed a day. Goodwill saw my record, and they still gave me a chance. So, I’m going to make good on the chance they took with me.”

Goodwill actively seeks to advance policy solutions that support justice-impacted individuals. Through fair-chance hiring practices, community-based support, and partnerships with organizations focused on holistic reentry programs proven to reduce recidivism, strengthen families, and create safer communities, we strive to provide people like Mark with a pathway toward success.

“Each year we partner with area reentry experts to determine best practices,” said Chip Bryan, Director of Talent Acquisition for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “As a result, we are able to offer more second chances to justice-involved individuals, helping them get a new lease on life and prevent recidivism, thus continuing to strengthen our community.”

Goodwill’s mission is to build pathways that help individuals pursue the lives they want to achieve. As a proud second-chance employer, we remain steadfast in creating equitable access to career opportunities for all.

Mark’s journey through Goodwill exemplifies this mission—and he takes pride in sharing his story with others.

“[Goodwill] can help you get where you want to be, or at least take that first step,” he stated. “When I’m cashiering and a customer asks what rounding up at the register goes to, I get the opportunity to explain to them that I came through the program that you’re donating to. So, it makes an impact.”

Throughout his journey, Mark has formed meaningful connections that have inspired him along the way.

“I’ve met a lot of good people through Goodwill,” he said. “I enjoy the people I work with; we’re like a big family. Most of us have been working together since I started, and some of them [worked here] before me. I was their peer and now I’m their manager, but they respect that, and I appreciate it. Everybody here has been so helpful. It made me believe in the Goodwill experience.”

Mark’s story is a testament to the transformative power of second chances. As we celebrate Second Chances Month, we honor his perseverance and the important work being done to support justice-impacted individuals across our community.

The Charlotte region is home to more than 100,000 financial services jobs, and it is the second-largest banking center in the nation. With no other workforce development programs dedicated to the finance industry in the greater Charlotte region, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, in partnership with The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and CareerWork$, expanded its training division to offer the BankWork$® program in Fall 2023.

Since its launch, the nonprofit has helped 42 participants from four cohorts achieve employment, 30 of those jobs in the banking industry. Financial institutions such as Bank OZK are helping the nonprofit work toward its bold vision of providing meaningful employment to 15,000 individuals by 2029, and together the organizations are creating a new talent pipeline to address the critical issue of economic mobility in the Charlotte region.

“In today’s employment landscape, staffing continues to pose challenges for employers. Our partnership with Goodwill has been very beneficial to Bank OZK as Goodwill trains participants on essential skills like relationship building, problem solving, identifying customer needs, developing the ability to engage customers effectively, as well as promoting and selling bank products and services,” said Cathy Bonner, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Outreach Programs at Bank OZK.

BankWork$ is an eight-week intensive workforce services program delivered by Goodwill that gives people the skills, access and coaching needed to succeed and grow in banking careers—from understanding the financial services workplace to bank regulations, bank products, cash handling, and processing customer transactions. Graduates are prepared for roles such as: Associate Banker, Branch Banker, Client Services Representative, Lead Teller, Member Service Consultant, Personal Banker, Relationship Banker, Teller, and Call Center Representative.

“BankWork$ and our great relationship with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont has played an instrumental role in helping us identify diverse, qualified talent in our North Carolina Retail Division led by Division President Shirley Edmond. BankWork$ prepares students well, making them immediately ready for a career in banking,” Bonner explained.

To date, four BankWork$ graduates have been hired by Bank OZK and work at their Belmont, Bessemer City, Cornelius and Landis banking centers. The bank anticipates hiring more graduates and is already eyeing participants from the fifth cohort, which ended in early November.

While the priority is to help community members access meaningful jobs, the partnership goes far beyond employment. Bank OZK has become an intricate part of the curriculum in the classroom and lends their industry insight to participants as needed.

“Bank OZK provides our expertise by facilitating classroom instruction and participating in mock interviews for each cohort class,” Bonner said. “Each completed cohort produces participants that are ready and prepared for careers in banking. Bank OZK prides itself on delivering exceptional customer service, and the talent we have sourced through Goodwill has certainly strengthened our team.”

Kenya Cunningham works as a Customer Banking Relationship Specialist for Bank OZK, a job she was able to land less than two months after graduating from the inaugural BankWork$ program.

“Goodwill is the place where you can turn your life around in a few weeks. You can go from, like myself, below poverty level to now middle-class income,” Cunningham stated during her graduation speech in January 2024 after starting with Bank OZK.

Tuition-free training programs like BankWork$ are available to the community, thanks to shopping and donating at Goodwill’s 36 retail locations and more than 40 donation sites, in addition to critical philanthropic contributions from corporations and community members. Success isn’t achieved alone, which is why Goodwill encourages partnership and collaboration to help community members advance their careers, and improve their lives.  

“We envision a community where equitable access to career opportunities is available for all,” said Chris Jackson, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “We recognize that skilled training is an essential part of helping to build our growing city, and we cannot achieve this work alone. Bank OZK’s partnership is critical in supporting our mission and providing economic stability to individuals in the Charlotte region.”

Bonner echoes that sentiment and encourages other financial institutions to learn about the BankWork$ program and find a way to get involved.

“Banks can support Goodwill’s mission by participating in Goodwill programs, offering job training and placement services for Goodwill participants through partnerships, promoting Goodwill’s programs to their customers, and hiring Goodwill graduates. This ultimately contributes to a more inclusive and thriving local economy by helping individuals overcome barriers to employment and achieve financial stability,” she said.

If you would like to support the BankWork$ program, or other career services and programs offered by Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, you can email Clarence Scott, director of GoodWork Staffing & Employer Engagement at Clarence.Scott@goodwillsp.org.

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont has relocated its Gastonia Career and Employment Center. The new location, in downtown Gastonia at 359 W Main Ave., is a one-stop opportunity for job seekers to access stability services, resume writing and job search support; engage in tuition-free job training programs; and access local employment opportunities through the organization’s nonprofit staffing company, GoodWork Staffing. Moving downtown from its previous location on Armstrong Street will provide Gaston County residents easier access to Goodwill’s impactful services. 

“Through everything we do at Goodwill, we aim to help people see possibilities, seize opportunities and prosper,” said Chris Jackson, President & CEO, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “In 2023, we helped more than 950 people advance their lives in Gaston County through our career center services and GoodWork Staffing. That’s why we’re happy to invest in this community by providing a larger and more accessible space, with more resources and services for people to advance their careers and improve their lives.”  

The nonprofit will formally announce the relocation of its Gastonia Career and Employment Center during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, November 15, 2024, at 9 a.m. Attendees of the grand opening event will have the option to tour the new facility, take advantage of resume building and job search services, learn about upcoming workshops, watch a live demonstration of virtual reality software used in construction career training, and enter a raffle to win a laptop.  

Many people know Goodwill for its stores, but it’s the nonprofit’s mission to help people build pathways to pursue the life they want to achieve. Services offered at Career and Employment Centers (in Gastonia and Charlotte) are provided free of charge, thanks to donations and shopping at its 36 retail stores and more than 40 donation sites in the region. 

The new and larger space allows the nonprofit to expand its course offerings and services to the Gaston County community. The Gastonia Career and Employment Center also allows more space and convenient access for Goodwill to bring together nonprofits, government agencies, hiring businesses and the community to support workforce development and continue to work together to increase access to opportunity in Gaston County. 

“Expanding our training courses in Gaston County will not only allow us to serve more people but provide new career opportunities to the people in the Gaston community,” said Liz Romero, Director of Regional Services, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “This larger space provides a place for partners to be on site, host hiring events, enroll more people in classes and meet the needs of our participants in this community by providing more resources to them through our Goodwill offerings and partnering with established and trusted organizations within the county.” 

The new Career and Employment Center will create a more open and flexible environment, where innovation and learning can thrive, and participants can experience a modern and welcoming workspace, reminiscent of today’s work environment. Features include: 

Starting 2025, the Gastonia Career and Employment Center will begin offering:  

Additionally, every Tuesday from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., DSS will be on-site at the Gastonia Career and Employment Center to help with applications for assistance with food, childcare, Medicaid, utilities, and unemployment.

ABOUT THE CENTER

We’re opening a new Career & Employment Center in Gastonia! The new center, which is located at 359 W. Main Avenue, will open to the public on Monday, November 4.

Goodwill’s new Gastonia Career & Employment Center not only supports economic growth detailed in Gaston County’s 2040 vision, but the new and larger space will allow us to expand our program and service offerings. Here are just a few things job seekers can expect when visiting the new center:

If you need help finding a job, learning new skills or figuring out your next career move, we hope you’ll stop by our new location! Our former Gastonia Career & Employment Center, located at 116 Armstrong Street, closed permanently on Thursday, October 31.

SNEAK PEEK