Meet Dawn: "Goodwill Loves You"

Dawn, a Goodwill Acadiana team member

💙 Meet Dawn - a woman who found a meaningful career with Goodwill!

Before Goodwill, Dawn worked at a daycare for 24 years, but when her daycare let her go, Goodwill came to the rescue. She applied, got the job two weeks later, and has been with the Goodwill family for the past 21 years 🎉

She mentioned that going from childcare to assisting adults in a retail setting has been a fun learning experience for her, and over time she's moved up from the warehouse to retail lead!

When asked about her favorite thing about Goodwill, she didn't hesitate: "the people!"

She loves seeing her frequent customers and building relationships with them, even watching the kids go from little bitty to heading off to college 💙

She's even benefitted from our services (most recently a Medicare info workshop), allowing Goodwill to support her in more ways than just a job.

Her message to others: "Goodwill loves you. We want to help you, and we're here to help you."

When you donate and shop at Goodwill Acadiana, you support local people like Dawn 🫶

Meet Heather: "I Never Thought I'd Be Sober"

Heather, a Goodwill Acadiana team member

💙 Meet Heather - a woman taking back her life!

Heather had her children young, and she struggled with drug use most of her life. Sadly, her husband passed away from an offshore vehicle accident shortly after her fourth child was born, adding further pain and pressure to her life.

After her first grandchild was born, her daughter told her she needed to get sober to be around her granddaughter, and Heather took that as the final motivation to get clean. With the guidance of a local judge, she went to rehab to start her sobriety journey (and celebrates one year in June 🎉)

Once getting sober, she still needed a job to support herself and her family, and a friend recommended Goodwill, so she attended our Spring Hiring Event. Now she has a stable income, a strong relationship with her children, and is even babysitting her granddaughter 💙

"I never thought I'd be sober... I'm living my best life right now, and I love it. I really do."

Her message to others struggling: "It has to be taken one day at a time. You just have to live today."

"If you could tell your story and hit one person, and maybe save their life, [it's all worth it]."

When you donate and shop at Goodwill Acadiana, you support local people like Heather 🫶

Meet Carmen: "It's Okay to Be Different"

Carmen, a GoodPrints team member

💙 Meet Carmen - a woman who's proud of who she is!

Before Goodwill, Carmen was involved at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Campus Ministries before heading off to college at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. At UL, she's the Monday sacristan and Parish Life Intern at Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Church and is a member of the UL LIFE Program, which is dedicated to inclusive education for all students!

At Goodwill, she's found purposeful work as a Print Shop Apprentice at GoodPrints, our mission-integrated print shop providing meaningful employment to individuals with disabilities! She loves working with the machinery, solving problems, and helping her team members however she can.

"Now I get to be with amazing people. I understand them, and they understand me!" 💙

She's a really happy-go-lucky person who always puts her best foot forward in every task. She's excited to graduate from UL in May and continue growing with Goodwill!

"It's okay to be different, to learn your own pace, and how to be your unique self, from top to bottom. I can't sit down and not be myself"

When you donate and shop at Goodwill Acadiana, you support local people like Carmen 🫶