Success Story: Cheryl Allen

Meet Cheryl Allen

At age 67, Cheryl Allen thought she had found the employer with which she would finish her career. When her company closed its doors after many years of operation, she found herself out of work and out of practice in applying for jobs. “I looked for a job for over a year,” she says. “No matter how qualified a person is, it seems that 67 is a very difficult time in a person’s life to become gainfully employed.” Further complicating the situation, Cheryl’s husband has a disability and their family was struggling to pay all the bills.

One day Cheryl heard Goodwill’s mission is to put people to work. She decided to visit the Woodstock Career Center – the site closest to her home – to see what services it had to offer. “I spoke with Lisa Brown,” she says. “She constantly emailed me about opportunities. My third visit I met with [a hiring manager] and she hired me immediately.” Before day 90 of her newfound employment Cheryl wrote the career center to express her gratitude.

“My entire family has noticed and appreciated the stress that has been removed from our life,” she wrote in the letter. “Goodwill has given me that blessing.”