“I felt like I mattered. The Goodwill staff took an interest in me and saw something I couldn’t see in myself regardless of my background, what I had been through, and where I came from."
The best word that can be used to describe Cheryl Glover is “determined”.
Cheryl is a Gulf War Veteran who served in the US Army for eight years. When she returned home, she struggled to maintain sobriety and traveled down a “rocky path” losing job after job, encountering legal issues and was eventually arrested and incarcerated. Not until then did Cheryl realize that she wanted a better life for herself. She “set goals in her head” and was going to do whatever it took to make that happen.
Cheryl was familiar with the Veterans One-stop Center and walked through their doors in October 2017 to get the help she knew she needed. At that time, she was living in a halfway house with no income and surviving on $194 per month in food stamps. Cheryl was linked to Goodwill’s Veterans Employment Services team to begin her journey to employment. She worked with her Goodwill job developer to build a resume and learn the job search and interviewing skills she lacked. Cheryl immediately began applying for potential job opportunities and continued to apply every single day. When she landed an interview with Diversified Recovery Bureau for a collections associate position, she told them she would do “whatever it takes” to prove herself to them if they would just give her a chance. And they did. Cheryl will proudly tell you that she has “never missed a day of work for any reason” despite having had to take three buses to get to work while she completed her substance abuse counseling.
Within three short months, Cheryl had received her first raise based on her performance, got an apartment and began to furnish it. Within six months, she saved enough to buy a vehicle. Cheryl has recently been promoted for the second time in nine months and has seen a significant increase in her salary. Her manager describes her as a “superstar” who wins prizes and incentives as a reward for her outstanding work. She will tell you, “If I can do it, anyone can.” Cheryl’s positive attitude, drive to remain sober, desire to be an example for her son - and make her mom proud – have allowed her to create a new chapter in her life with endless opportunities ahead. Her goals are to own a home, buy a nicer vehicle and open her own restaurant some day. Even though she has to get to “an even better place” to make that happen, Cheryl is prepared. Her menu is ready, and she has even picked out a name. We can’t wait for the grand opening of “Glover’s Soul”!