Larry Thompson, an African American single Newark resident in his early sixties, had served our country proudly as an Army Cannon Crewman. The US veteran was referred to Goodwill NYNJ’s Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program(HVRP) in August 2021. He was homeless and had been sleeping by a Stop and Shop store.
Sharon Cooper is a 33-year-old Richmond Hill, Queens, resident with an intellectual disability and speech impediment. She lives on her own in an Individual Residential Alternative (IRA) in Queens. Sharon enrolled in Project Discovery (Jamaica location) with no work experience to explore possible work opportunities in the retail, food preparation,
Timothy Santiago, a 29-year-old Bronx resident with Autism Syndrome Disorder (ASD), joined our Advance program because he wanted to get a job as a Math tutor and work near home. Math was his favorite subject in school, was fascinated with problem solving and works on math problems everyday even today,
When Daris Glisson, a 45-year-old African-American Clason Point resident, joined our Jobs Plus program in 2016, he was unemployed and had no clear career direction. At Jobs Plus, Daris obtained his OSHA Certification, received job readiness training, interview and resume preparation assistance, and job and career advancement referrals. The Jobs
Parris Caesar joined our Supported Employment program back in 2006. Although Parris had little work experience at the time, he was motivated and enthusiastic to learn. But the journey was long. In 2009, Paris was placed at the Goodwill Outlet store as a part-time Production Worker. He quickly stood out
“I like working at Goodwill because I can bring extra income to my household and I get to meet new people. Plus, I enjoy going around the building to deliver the mail and saying hello to all staff” Larry was quiet, reserved, and smiled little when he came to Goodwill
“The stigma of mental illness is a barrier for us to achieve our social, financial, educational, or vocational goals.” Succeeding in life can mean different things to individuals with mental illness. Some want to avoid isolation and connect with family members, friends and their community. Others need to stick to
“I have learned many jobs here at Goodwill and I can earn money to pay my bills and buy the things I want, like a new cell phone. Now I can talk with my friends!” Alex In late 2007, Alex felt his life was in turmoil. He had lost his
Josue Paguada is a 34-year-old visually impaired man originally from Honduras. Jose and his wife, who is also visually impaired, live with their two children across from the Goodwill NYNJ Astoria campus. In January 2017, Josue was referred to Goodwill NYNJ while still working full-time assembling mops in a company
“My life has changed for the better since I’ve started coming to Goodwill! Meeting other people who are dealing with mental health issues at Lantern House clubhouse has improved my attitude, my living situation, and my job status. My viewpoint on why I need to take my medication and how