My Nonprofit Reviews

I am a mother of three children living in Colorado Springs, CO. Grew up on welfare and as an adult continued with welfare as that was the lifestyle we grew up in. I came to know Goodwill because I had to work in exchange for my food stamps for my family at age 39 or 40. The work atmosphere took some time to get used to, and it was nice to get UP in the morning and have some place to go to with a purpose in life and that occurred at Goodwill located at 17 N. Spruce Street. Soon I was offered a job at Goodwill and I was sooooo afraid; afraid of leaving the dependability of a welfare check, etc and afraid that my kids would now be depending upon me to support them and if I lost my job, I would be out in the streets again as in childhood. But my Case Manager Vicki Prohaska with the Goodwill Employment First Program helped me take steps to transition into the workforce by teaching me to teach my kids to ride the city bus to school which was a big deal moreso for me letting go and Bryan Walker who took out the time to teach me about the steps to keeping a job, taking pride in my work and Bryan guided me into slowly but surely in becoming a good employee and he also taught me that I have to learn to love myself first and I had No clue what he was talking about and soon I realized that when one loves themselves, they respect themselves, their life and their work and soon my kids were looking UP to me and realizing that well if mommy can do it, so can we. I had NO idea my kids were looking at me to see how life really was and the potental that it could be. They were proud of me working and when they became of working age, they found jobs and careers of independence and self-sufficiency which broke the cycle of dependency on welfare in our family for the first time ever in my life. I may have been a late blossomer, but because Goodwill believed in ME when I couldnt believe in myself and took out the time to teach me how to be a responsible person and that life could actually be GOOD.... we now thrive as a family. We even own our own homes and how can you thank someone enough for saving your life and the life of your children to not repeat the lifestyle that you, yourself went thru thinking there were no other options? How can I thank Goodwill enough when they literally and I mean literally saved our lives and the lives of thousands and thousands of people before me and after me just by planting a seed and acting upon that seed and helping that seed to grow in to a wonderful plant who is happy to thrive in the sun as it embraces life now. Goodwill is like the family we never had because not only are all of us self-sufficient, independent, working responsible citizens, and homeowners for the first time in our lives that we live in a place that no one can take away from us and out of the cold streets or living from house to house, etc.... Goodwill NEVER gave up on us and now we "play it forward" and realize that everything we do and say touches and affects someone elses life. How can you thank a nonprofit organization called: Goodwill Industries, for literally saving your life and the lives of your children and their offspring.. ya can't but you can give that gift to others that was bestowed upon you and thats exactly what I do now. I had NO idea life could be this good and thanks to Goodwill it is. Okay before I start crying let me end by sharing this...... I genuinely owe my life to Goodwill and there are noooooooooooo words to thank them enough and now my kids and I are FREE. Free from homelessness, abuse, begging for food, codependence, entrapment, hopelessness, the list goes on... FREEDOM never tasted so good and we never knew FREEDOM was possible until the seed was planted and nurtured in us as an entire family, not just me, and that seed was planted and nurtured by Goodwill Industries in Colorado Springs, CO. I remember EVERY day from whence I came and who set me FREE, it is and will always be "Goodwill" my life source. Thanks to Goodwill of Colorado Springs, Colorado... we are FREE! God bless Goodwill. Thank you, Sharon McGee 01/28/10

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