Ten steps forward, fifteen back. That’s how Michael describes his life before coming to Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs.

Although a hard worker dedicated to providing for his wife, Christina, and their six children, Michael couldn’t get a break. A series of layoffs and short-term positions meant an uncertain future and dependence on government assistance.

“The stress we felt even showed in our kids,” Christina says. “They were always anxious and worried.”

Things turned around for the family last year. That was when Michael was hired as an employee at Goodwill’s retail store on Powers Boulevard. After only four months, Michael’s enthusiasm and outstanding work ethic earned him a promotion to assistant supervisor of the store’s donation center.

That was only the beginning. Just last fall, he was again promoted to lead supervisor of the donation center.

I am happy to say that now, after years of frustration and uncertainty, Michael and his family are well on the way to achieving their dream of self-sufficiency.

“People know that Goodwill helps people with disabilities.  But I don’t think that they are aware of how much Goodwill helps just regular families like ours,” Michael says.

In addition to steady employment, Goodwill also made it possible for Michael and his family to obtain a much-needed van. “We couldn’t believe it—before, we just had an old, small car, and the kids had to sit on each other’s laps,” Christina says. “Now they all have their own spots in the van and we just walk around all the time saying, ‘Wow—we have a van!’”

Michael’s position at the donation center has also enabled the family to purchase something they’ve never had before—a dining table big enough for the whole family to sit around. “Now we have dinner together every night. We turn the TV off and spend that time together talking. The kids always fight over who gets to say the prayer before we eat,” Christina says.

Michael adds, “When life is hard, and you keep getting knocked down, it’s easy to give up and think nobody really cares. But Goodwill cared about us. We are living proof that Goodwill works—and it works tremendously. It gives a boost to people like us who are trying to move forward.”