Jamie Klinger-Krebs

Dakota

We all go through life hoping to find our dream job, and if we're lucky, we might just find it. Dakota, a young man with autism and a cognitive disability, found his dream job through the Power of Work.

Since Dakota was seven years old, he has wanted to work at a library – to feel connected to the books and stories that take him to another place. Hoping to help her son achieve his dream, Dakota’s mom, Sandy, reached out to Goodwill EmpowerOne and shared his hopes and aspirations with Goodwill job coaches. Through EmpowerOne, individuals with disabilities build the skills and independence needed to be successful both in employment and their community.

Debra's Story - Working at the YMCA

Meet Debra. She's an inspiration to everyone she greets and works with at the YMCA.

For participants in Goodwill’s Day Services programs, success is often measured in developing the confidence and independence needed to lead more productive and active lives in the community. In our Day Services Clubhouse model, our participants progress in these skills by exploring community resources, health and wellness activities, arts and enrichment classes, and community integration. Many of these individuals hold part time jobs in the community on days they do not attend Goodwill programs and appreciate the personalized, engaging approach to building independent living, social and communication, and self-advocacy skills that Clubhouse provides.

If you stop by Wags & Barks in Slinger, WI you can see Beth cleaning the facility and talking and singing to the dogs. According to owner Debbie S., “The place has never looked so clean!”

Beth depends upon her parents and brother Scott for daily living, transportation and communication. She always had the desire to find a job, but she had limited employment experience; the last time Beth had worked was on a farm over 30 years ago.

After Stephen graduated from high school and started college, he wanted to find a job that could fit into his schedule. To get Stephen started, his Division of Vocation Rehabilitation (DVR) counselor referred him to Goodwill’s Workforce Development team through the Alternative Workforce Supplier Program (AWSP), a unique employment partnership with the largest e-commerce sortation facility in Kenosha.

Robert is a donation attendant and utility worker at the Goodwill Store & Donation Center in Downers Grove, whose story epitomizes the courage and determination needed to overcome obstacles and barriers. In this video see how Robert achieved his goal of learning how to read with the help and encouragement of his store manager and Goodwill Way Guide.

When you walk through the doors of Wellspring, an independently operated rehabilitation and skilled nursing center in Milwaukee, it’s apparent that it’s a happy place to work and a happy place to stay. And making sure it remains that way are Nara F. (shown right) and DezRay (shown below).

After serving in the U.S. Navy as a much younger man, Roosevelt had fallen on hard times later in life and was nearing retirement age with no job, no savings and no hope.

Rebekah was not always the exuberant and confident young woman we know today. With the challenges of a developmental disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), along with knowing that the services that she received in high school wouldn’t follow her after graduation, Rebekah was unsure of her path.

When the Goodwill Workforce Connection Center needed to recruit a new employee to help job seekers find employment, they found exactly what they were looking for in Michael. A young man with a developmental disability and speech impairment, Michael was already a part of the Goodwill family, having been involved with Goodwill’s EmpowerOne program.