Jeremy credits his time at Goodwill NCW for much of the good in his life today. “Goodwill means, to me, everything,” Jeremy said. “Almost everything that is going on in my life started with Goodwill.” 

 Jeremy’s Goodwill NCW story began when he was placed by a community partner at the Tomah Goodwill store to train and build job skills through a temporary work experience. “When I first came here, I didn’t think I was good enough,” he said. 

At the time, he had limited work experience, but he told Goodwill NCW leaders that his goal was to get a job. The team recognized his potential, even before he did. “They quickly found out that he had a lot of skills that could apply in positions that we have here at Goodwill,” Kira Sullivan, Mission Team Leader at Goodwill NCW said. Just two weeks into the work experience, he was hired as a Donor Greeter, the position that accepts boxes of donations at the door from the public. 

Just two weeks into the work experience he was hired

Matt Chamberlain, an Employment Placement Specialist at Goodwill NCW, and Deb Cota-Farmer, Store Team Leader at the Tomah Goodwill store, came alongside Jeremy to further promote his growth. Together, Matt, Deb and Jeremy worked to improve his social skills, soft skills and life skills. He was eventually elevated to a Shift Leader, leading a team in the store’s production area. 

 His career achievements were made possible by his personal growth and his personal growth was made possible by hard work and a strong support system. 

“With hard work…and a good team you can do anything”

“I just love it that I made it,” Jeremy said. “With hard work, and as long as you surround yourself with a good team, you can do anything. Goodwill always surrounds you with a good team.” 

Jeremy’s story does not end there. He met his fiancé at Goodwill NCW, and they have wedding plans in the works. In addition, Jeremy is now utilizing the job skills he gained at the Tomah Goodwill store to continue to advance in his career path. Recently, he accepted a logistics position outside of Goodwill NCW. Goodwill NCW’s Employment Services empower team members like Jeremy to reach their personal career goals, whether they work at Goodwill or another employer. 

“We are very proud of Jeremy’s accomplishments both at Goodwill and now as he moves to a position in our community,” Deb said. “Every part of Jeremy’s story is part of Goodwill’s mission to elevate people and transform lives through the power of work.”