Gary’s Success Story
When you first meet Gary, you’re immediately put at ease. He exudes positivity, grace, optimism and compassion. As he begins telling his story, he pauses for a prayer and shares his purpose –
“There are people, other fragmented souls that are still as I once was in that place, so if there’s something that could be said that could lift them out of that place, that’s all I want to do is serve mankind. Everything I do is in service of others.”
After 20 years of justice involvement, Gary came across a flyer for Triad Goodwill’s Careers On The Outside program (COTO) and hasn’t looked back since. “I had just been released and was navigating my way back into society, and there has been blessings beyond the imagination from the time I entered Goodwill,” he explains. “I was coming from an environment where everything was ‘no, no, no’ – it was harsh. And Goodwill was just a nice soft place to land with people that know kindness is the pathway to everyone.”
While in the 3-day intensive COTO program, Gary connected with several Career Center team members who helped him acclimate to his new life. “It was a place of resources, and it actually allowed me to develop a GPS to navigate because they had the resources and classrooms, and someone showing you kindness – and all of those things were extended to me.” When asked what one of the biggest takeaways from the program was, Gary shares, “Goodwill offers an awful lot, but you have to do the work, you have to do the do. If it’s there and it’s not being done, I have to look first at myself and ask, ‘if the resources are available, what is it that we have to do to take full advantage of it.’”
After graduation Gary obtained his Peer Support certification and is currently employed as a Case Manager for a transitional non-profit organization, where he helps individuals who are reentering their communities. When he’s not working, he regularly volunteers with various organizations, and speaks at COTO graduations where he shares the following advice to graduates:
“You’ve proven by showing up that you can succeed. It’s not going to come in the doses you think, but every step towards the goal gets you closer. And I love that part – the completion, the participation, and it’s recognized that YOU’VE done this.”
Looking ahead, Gary’s goal is simply, to serve. “I want to serve people, I want to help. But it’s not about me – if it’s not serving others then I don’t want to be absorbed in it.”
At the end of our conversation, Gary shared this final piece of wisdom that was shared with him from a friend; “the greatest gifts you can give anyone are the ones you weren’t aware of. That way you’re not attached. If they accept it, that’s fine, if they reject it, that’s fine – just serve from that space.”
To learn more about Triad Goodwill’s COTO program and how your donations help individuals in Central North Carolina overcome barriers to employment visit: https://www.triadgoodwill.org/train/careers-on-the-outside/
