Guadalupe was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth, and later Mild Intellectual Disability Disorder. After graduating high school, Guadalupe joined the Goodwill S.T.A.R.S. program to learn life skills to achieve her maximum independence.
Category: My Story
My Story: Randie Vines
Plenty of people have had to fight their way to independence when they have a disability that prevents them from gaining meaningful employment. But, it takes a special kind of person to have to move forward with both a disability and a barrier. This was the experience of Randie Vines.
MY STORY: Dylan Snell
Dylan Snell was a high school dropout with a criminal background by age 19. With support from Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, he earned a high school diploma and is now a project manager at an electrical supply company.
My Story: Angel Beyersdorfer
Angel struggled with drug addiction for nearly a decade, but it intensified after she lost several close family members. She couldn’t keep a job and lost her home as well as her children. She also ended up incarcerated. When Angel was first hired as a donation attendant at Goodwill in mid-2016, she was five months sober.
MY STORY: ROBERT FRANK
Meet Robert Frank, a donation attendant and utility worker at a Goodwill store in suburban Chicago. Robert suffered physical abuse as a child, including blows to the head that left him with a cognitive disability. With support from Goodwill, he learned to read and write. At age 65, he read a book for the first time, giving him new confidence and a more positive outlook on life.
My Story: Thomas Murray
Thomas makes a difference in the lives of the elderly through his current job, but when he first reached out to Goodwill of Central Iowa, he was looking for a position to simply get him off the couch and be productive.
My Story: Chelsea Rucker
In 2018, Chelsea found herself with no steady job and no place to go. She and her two young daughters had to stay in a homeless shelter for three months.
My Story: Dale Garcia
For most of his career, Dale Garcia proudly worked in the transportation industry until a severe injury left him out of work for more than two years. And the long gap in employment made finding another job difficult.
My Story: John Dziewa
John Dziewa was 17 years old when a diving accident changed his life forever. A quadriplegic he underwent months of rehabilitation; and after graduating from high school he was unsure what was next for him. He envisioned a future of dependence on others but his family was persistent, he could do so much more.
My Story: Adelis Mendoza
My name is Adelis Mendoza. I am 33 years old and I have an intellectual disability. I live in a Caracas neighborhood called José Félix Rivas. I came to Goodwill Venezuela with the intention of finding a job, because it is very difficult for people like me to find a job. At Goodwill I found much more than a job!
My Story: Charlene
Even with a 29-year Army career and a master's degree, Charlene had trouble finding employment until she learned about Goodwill's job training and placement program for veterans.
My Story: Helen Lopez
Helen Lopez has always had a passion for helping others and it has shown in everything she does over the past 27 years. Helen began her career with Goodwill Fort Worth in 1990 as a contracted Janitor at the Federal Center. During her time at the Federal Center, Helen was promoted to supervisor and finally
