Jimmy’s Success Story
Most customers at Jimmy’s store don’t know him by his given name. Around here, he’s just Jimmy — or, if you’re a regular, you might know him as Pop-Tart.
Why? “Because I love Pop-Tarts,” he says, laughing. “Tabitha calls me that. So now customers come in asking, ‘Is Pop-Tart here today?’”
Jimmy is a Donation Attendant at his Goodwill store, but he’s always lending a hand wherever it’s needed. He’s dependable, friendly, and always ready to crack jokes and over the course of just a few months, he’s become a customer favorite. “They’ll come in and say, ‘If Jimmy’s not here, I’ll come back tomorrow,’” he says with a grin.
But Jimmy’s story didn’t start here. And his road to this moment hasn’t been easy.
A Past Full of Pain
Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Jimmy never really knew his biological father. “His name is James too,” Jimmy says, “but I don’t use that name. He left my mom when she was six months pregnant.”
Fortunately, his stepdad — a fire chief— stepped in. Jimmy would eventually go on to join him at the firehouse as a volunteer fireman, and his mother, an EMT. He’s the eldest of three boys, and despite the presence of a loving family, his life has had many challenges.
Jimmy was in and out of trouble growing up. He served time in juvenile detention, county jail, and eventually federal prison for eight and a half years.
After serving his sentence, Jimmy moved to North Carolina with his family and his world would change again after a series of unfortunate events.
“I lost my grandma. That broke me. She was the one I talked to about everything,” he says. “After that, I tore my ACL and got prescribed oxy,” he says. “When it stopped working, the doctor told me to live with the pain. But I didn’t want to. The girl I was with shot me up, and it took the pain away for 20 minutes. After that, I couldn’t stop.”
A Second Chance
Eventually, Jimmy’s mother – with a little help from his grandmother – made a choice that helped save Jimmy’s life. “I overdosed. I was dead for 10 minutes. They said I shouldn’t be alive. But I saw my grandma. She hugged me and said, ‘It’s not your time.’ And I woke up.”
Jimmy’s mother turned him in, and he entered the year-long Drug Treatment Court, and through that program, he learned about Triad Goodwill’s Careers On The Outside Program (COTO). He completed the 3-day program, graduated — and soon after, found a new home at Triad Goodwill.
“I told Sarah (shift supervisor at Triad Goodwill) my story in the interview,” he says. “And she gave me a chance. Nobody else would. I had the experience — I worked in a prison garage fixing cars, working in the kitchen, transporting people to different areas of the prison — but no one wanted to hire someone with a record.”
Finding Purpose at Goodwill
Since joining Triad Goodwill in December of 2024, Jimmy has found more than a job. If you ask him what Goodwill means to him, he’ll quickly answer with, “It’s family.”
“If I’m having a bad day, we’ll sit in the office just to talk. Even if it’s not about work. I’ve got real friends here. Sober friends who care.”
Thanks to the support of Emily and Kelly from the Careers On The Outside (COTO) team, Jimmy got his driver’s license, secured food assistance, found housing, and most importantly — he got his daughter back.
“She’s six now. She skipped first grade because she’s so smart. She’s my world. Everything is ‘Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.’”
Jimmy runs a nightly Narcotics Anonymous group at 7:30 PM. He’s been sober for a year and two months — and counting.
“I’m always gonna be an addict,” he says honestly. “It doesn’t just go away. But I don’t blame people anymore. I’ve changed my lifestyle. I don’t hang around the same people. I’ve got a daughter to raise.”
Giving Back
Jimmy doesn’t just work. He uplifts others. One day, he spotted someone experiencing homelessness outside Walmart. “I didn’t give him money — I knew what he’d use it for. I’ve been there. But I offered him food. And we talked.”
Jimmy learned that the man was just 17-years old and struggling with addiction. He reminded Jimmy of himself. So Jimmy gave him a warm sweater, his phone number, and a lifeline. “Two days later, he called me and said he wanted to go to rehab. And he’s still there. He calls me every day.”
Looking Ahead
Jimmy wants to move into management one day — and leadership is taking note. His reliability, work ethic, and charisma haven’t gone unnoticed. He visits the COTO team often to check in, and shares his story with new graduates. “If I can do it, you can do it.”
His mom recently told him, “I got my boy back.” And he’s not letting go of this second chance.
“If I can help one person — just one — then it’s all worth it,” he says.
Want to learn more about the programs that helped Jimmy turn his life around? Visit triadgoodwill.org/train/careers-on-the-outside/ to see how we’re supporting people in building brighter futures.
