A Second Chance and Inner Strength the Keys to a Better Life

A store associate at Goodwill’s Northeast Plaza store, Richard Soro has been with the nonprofit for more than 10 years. He works in the production area of his store, processing donated shoes for placement on the sales floor. What gets him out of bed every morning is the knowledge that his work in the back of the store supports an impactful mission. “I like helping people,” he says. “For Goodwill I feel like I’m helping people get what they need and also I feel like I train people, like the participants who come through the program. I train them so they can also get job opportunities somewhere.”

One reason Goodwill’s mission means so much to Soro is he knows firsthand how it feels to need a job. “Before Goodwill I was unemployed, I was homeless, and I didn’t have anything to do,” he says. “Then I came through the Goodwill [Workforce Development] training program and was hired right away.” Since joining the store team at Northeast Plaza, Soro passed an evaluation for drivers with disabilities, a test Goodwill supported him in pursuing. He greatly enjoys the independence his job affords him. With a personal understanding of the opportunities available to him at Goodwill, Soro is one of the organization’s biggest advocates.