Angela came to Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont at a time in her life when she didn’t know where she was going to sleep each night. Angela was transitioning out of a local homeless shelter and needed help finding a job so that she could secure permanent housing.
When Charlene Hendricks, Goodwill’s Manager of DSS Initiatives, met Angela for the first time, she saw the abundance of potential in Angela and knew she could help. That’s when Charlene connected Angela with Mike Foster, Goodwill’s Transitional Jobs Supervisor. Angela worked with Mike to secure immediate employment at the Freedom Drive Outlet, where she proved to be a top-performer.
Angela used this time as a transitional worker at the Freedom Drive Outlet to learn her role, build relationships with other team members, and gain an understanding of Goodwill’s organization. As a result of her hard work and dedication, she was able to move into a permanent, full-time hanger position at the Sardis Road Store, with the encouragement and support of her Freedom teammates and managers.
“The Sardis store is full of friendly people that want the best for everyone,” said Angela about her Goodwill family.
Working in the transitional job at the Freedom Outlet Store and now in her full-time position at the Sardis Road Store has allowed Angela to secure permanent housing. Furthermore, after riding public transportation for over 20 years, Angela is now the proud owner of her very own car. Today, Angela is excited to go to work each day and can rest easy knowing she has a place to sleep and call home each night as well as reliable, personal transportation.
Angela’s advice for others seeking help from Goodwill is to “Keep moving forward. Stay focused and maintain a positive attitude. The Goodwill team members are excellent people and really help others get back on the right path.”
Unfortunately, Angela lost her battle to cancer in 2016. To respect the wishes of her family, we are leaving her success story on our website in hopes that she can be an inspiration to others.
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