Acey Cotton Jr. is a college graduate who found himself seeking support to build a stable career with long-term opportunities.

While in college, Acey ended up becoming homeless during his junior year due to not having enough financial aid for housing. He got a job, saved money, and found housing for his senior year, then graduated from Benedict College with a degree in Mass Communication.

Now back in Charlotte, he found himself working odd jobs that weren’t in his degree field, without a real destination for moving forward.

“I was working mediocre jobs, like for a storage company. I was a delivery driver for a paint company. I was trying to find jobs just to get by,” he stated.

His grandmother suggested he check out Goodwill’s Construction & Trade Skills training program, which happened to be located across the street from the high school he attended. Acey then enrolled in Goodwill’s tuition-free Construction Basics and Electrical training programs.

“I feel honored to be selected to be a part of the program,” he said. “It was difficult; sparing your days after work, trying to learn things that you’re not familiar with. It was a real sacrifice, but I enjoyed it because it gave me a reason to keep studying.”

One of the benefits that Goodwill training program participants receive is one-on-one coaching with a Career Navigator. Acey’s Career Navigator Verona helped him prepare for interviews and beyond.

“Verona gave me every opportunity to learn about the benefits I could get from the Goodwill program,” he said. “She helped me strengthen my ability to communicate and talk in front of an employer. She gave me vouchers to go to Goodwill if I needed interview clothes. She looked out for me, and I’m forever thankful for her.”

Today Acey works as a Utility Locator at USIC, a job he received before he finished the training program at Goodwill. There, he visits sites to locate utilities underground and marks the area. 

Training programs like the one Acey took are offered free of charge to the community, thanks to shopping and donating at our retail stores and donation locations, along with financial contributions from community and corporate donations. Donations like these helped propel Acey to prosperity.

“This was a blessing. I’m stuck in student debt, so to be a part of a program that was free of charge, and I got good experience and learning tools; that’s a prized opportunity.”

Acey hopes donors understand the impact of their support.

“You should donate to this program because it’s changing people’s lives,” he said. “These are opportunities that would change someone who doesn’t have a direction in life. Most companies need a construction worker; need an electrical person; need HVAC and carpentry to operate. You should invest into the future.”

Acey loves to share his story. “I’ve come a long way. My sacrifice can be a story that I could share with someone else. You can get through whatever you’re facing in life; you just have to persevere through it,” he said.

If you would like to help people like Acey on their journey to a brighter future, consider supporting Goodwill by making a financial contribution or shopping and donating at one of our retail and donation locations.