Read Tracy's Amazing Story:

Mission Moment

The Goodwill “Milestone Award” was created to recognize the hard work of team members who might not be able to participate in the GoodwillWorks program due to a disability or some other significant barrier to self-sufficiency. We know that all employees should be acknowledged for the contribution they make to our organizational outcomes and to our mission. Some team members get a Milestone Award for achieving a difficult goal, such as obtaining independent housing or transportation. The criteria for a Milestone Award were expanded recently to recognize those team members who celebrate major anniversaries at Goodwill.

Tracy has been a Goodwill employee for more than 20 years. She is a phenomenal worker but, due to a serious learning disability, she does not have a high school diploma. Tracy has tried taking GED classes and worked hard to improve her reading but has found it to be slow going. Tracy knew about the Milestone Award but she was unaware of the recent changes. So, when her GoodPartner Coach showed up at her work site to tell her she had been nominated and approved to receive the award, she was more than a little surprised. Then, when her coach presented her with the identification badge with the words “Milestone Award” in gold above her name, she beamed, held it tight and said, “I’ve waited for this for a long time!”

Tracy’s GoodPartner Coach knew she’d be happy but she had no idea she’d have such a positive reaction. Tracy was glad to tell her GoodPartner Coach why. She said she loves her job at Goodwill and, from the start, she knew Goodwill was the place for her. Through the years, the different positions and locations, the feeling of “belonging” grew.

Tracy will tell you one of the things she loves about her job is her customers. People say Tracy treats every one of them as if they are family, greeting each with a smile and a wish that they have a good day. She feels the same about the people she works with and for. She’s also grateful to work for a company that cares about and supports their team members. Tracy remembers the wide range of assistance she received from the housing program, community partners, GoodPartner Coaches, Goodwill leadership and others because of her job at Goodwill.

Tracy says receiving the Milestone Award and the identification badge means something. To Tracy, her gold ID badge represents all the things that are good about working at Goodwill. It also reminds her that the time and effort she’s given Goodwill over the years has not gone unnoticed and is appreciated – and that’s a very good feeling! Tracy is very happy to work for an employer who thanks and acknowledges a team member for a job well done. It’s who we are. 

Changing lives through the power of work!