Mission Monday: "Without Goodwill, there would be no Martin."


#MissionMonday: Martin attended the University of Louisville before marrying his wife and welcoming three sons. For 18 years, Martin was a successful businessman at a printing company, before he and his wife divorced. “After my divorce, I became severely depressed,” Martin said. “I started to struggle with addiction and had to file for bankruptcy.” The downward spiral following Martin’s divorce led him to Tom Saylor, employment specialist for Goodwill. Martin enrolled in Goodwill’s Get on Track program, which offers job readiness training, job placement, and job coaching and support for Kentuckians who are ex-offenders with a disability. “My life had turned upside down,” explained Martin. “I went from being an esteemed professional to someone who wasn’t capable of shaving my own face.” While enrolled in the Get on Track program for three months, Martin worked on resume building, mock interviewing, self-maintenance, and regaining his confidence. In April 2014, Martin applied for and was offered a full-time position as a marketing account representative for GTS Staffing*, a Goodwill program that helps people with disabilities or other disadvantages find temporary jobs with the ultimate goal of full-time employment. “Working at GTS Staffing has really been a blessing, because I can help people in the same way that Tom helped me,” said Martin. “Tom was patient, kind, educational, and inspiring. He didn’t just help me find employment, he saved my life. Without Goodwill, there would be no Tom, and without Tom, there would be no Martin.”

#employment

our history

Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Louisville since 1923. Goodwill gives people up—not a handout—so they can experience the dignity and independence that comes from earning a paycheck.

 

our mission

We help people with disabilities or other disadvantages achieve and maintain employment to gain a better quality of life.

what we do

Goodwill collects and sells donated items to fund programs for Kentuckians who have disabilities or other challenges in finding and maintaining traditional employment. On-the-job training, job preparation skills, and employment counseling are just a few of Goodwill's services that benefit thousands of adults each year and strengthen families in Kentucky's communities.