Di'anne's Story: From COVID Battle to Career Opportunity
Di'anne smiles brightly as she opens a neatly organized binder, filled with certifications and achievements. Each one represents part of her journey with Goodwill Southeast Georgia.
On the surface, the binder is a timeline of growth and career success. But to Diβanne, itβs so much more. The documents and certifications inside provided a lifeline for her in her greatest time of need. To Diβanne, the binder represents the many options she now has for the next steps in her life and career --after it seemed like she had no choices left.
βI say Goodwill gave me the will to do,β quips Diβanne, a self-proclaimed fan of slogans and acronyms. Diβanne says she loves using those strategies to help her learn and retain informationβa skill she thought she lost.
A battle with COVID nearly took her life, leaving her with aΒ long recovery and lasting effects such as brain fog and PTSD.Β β
Diβanne discovered Goodwill at a time when she was looking to regain confidence and re-enter the workforce after her COVID battle.
βI lost everything,β says Diβanne. βI ended up in a hotelβ¦and it took away from me, because anyone who knew of me (knew) I was running three companies, I was the go-getter.β
Previously, she had worked in the medical field. Now, Diβanne felt lost and hopeless, suffering from anxiety and fear. β
βI felt like I was at my end,β she says.
Diβanne decided to try a session of the AARP 50+ Back to Work program at Goodwill Southeast Georgiaβs Savannah Opportunity Center.
Goodwill invested in her education and gave Di'anne motivation to achieve her goals--including a new career in manufacturing and warehousing.β
βWhen I took that class, I got really motivated. I got 7 certifications out of it. And it just stirred up the gears, and now, itβs like Iβm unstoppable.β
Goodwill provided funding for Diβanneβs Fast Track manufacturing course atΒ Savannah Tech, where she graduated top of her class. She was offered andΒ completed jockey truck training as well.β
Through these opportunities,Β Di'anneΒ was able to gain employment with FedExΒ and Coastal Care Partners. Today,Β Di'anneΒ happily shares her GoodwillΒ experience with others, and helps connect community members with GoodwillΒ programs.
βI meet people and tell them all about the Opportunity Center. They didnβt just set you up to get jobs, to put you in these job fairs,β says Diβanne. βThey helped carry you through to make sure you succeed at it.
"(Goodwill) is way more than donating clothes or a way to get inexpensive items. Itβs a real resource for different avenues in your life.β
Ready to learn new skills?
Goodwill Opportunity Centers provide support and training to help people gain confidence and thrive in high-demand careers.
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