Here is Cynthia's success story, in her own words:
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| Cynthia, a Goodwill Success Story |
"I had a good childhood; some may even say I was spoiled.As a teenager I started to rebel against my parents and would sneak out to experiment with alcohol. I started to spin downward and at age 15 I was expelled from school due to a chain of events from fighting to skipping school. After having 2 babies very young and years being in an abusive relationship, I found myself addicted to prescription drugs. It got to the point that I didn’t know who I was anymore. I hit rock bottom and was eventually arrested.
I had nowhere to go and had burnt all of my bridges with my family and friends.
On July 7, 2015, I made the first promise that I would keep in years. I told my mother I would get help. I went to a halfway house and was referred to Goodwill. When I started, I didn’t like myself and had no self-respect. I stayed at Goodwill until I had to face my past and was sentenced to prison.
While there, I entered a program called GRIP (Guiding Rage Into Power) and I did everything I could to work on myself with counselors. I was tired of running; and we dealt with issues from my past.
When I was released, I came to Goodwill to start fresh and begin a new journey.
Goodwill gave me opportunities and helped me make the right decisions. Through the Second Chance Program, I learned how to make sure I got to work on time and to manage my personal life so that it didn’t interfere with my job. They also taught me how to budget my money. I came to Goodwill to start fresh and begin a new journey. I was tired of running and needed to deal with the issues of my past.
Today I can stand before everyone and say that I love myself."Cynthia, we are so proud of you and admire your hard work!
Congratulations on your success!