"Without the help of Goodskills I would not be where I am today."
Deonna is a single mom who relocated to Buffalo from South Carolina. She originally came to Goodwill through the Erie County Department of Social Services welfare to work program. Deonna had several obstacles that she needed to overcome including successfully finding housing for herself and her three children after having to move out of their home abruptly. It was evident that Deonna was determined to change her life, and the Goodwill program manager she was working with thought that Goodskills Career Builder would be a great option for her to find employment and the security for her family that she needed.
While enrolled in the Buffalo Goodskills cohort, Deonna received workforce readiness and skills training, obtained her Microsoft certification, and improved her interviewing skills. Her Goodskills Career Coach described her as a stellar student who was always trying to do more and see what was possible for herself in choosing a career path. With her new skills and an updated resume, Deonna landed a job as a Customer Service Representative for the Internal Revenue Service while also working a part-time job to provide for her family.
While working at her new position at the IRS, Deonna accomplished her goals of finding a new home and purchasing a vehicle.
Deonna is resilient and continues to thrive, and we recently learned that she has now started working for the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities as a Direct Support Assistant.
From the minute we met her we knew Deonna's future would be bright and she has proven that to be true.
