A Video Story from the Heart from Ivy
As an employment and training center for almost 100 years, Ohio Valley Goodwill has worked with thousands of individuals and takes great pride in their personal success. Once in awhile, the organization will receive a note of thanks or a past program participant will stop by for a visit and share their story of achievement with our team. Recently, the organization received a heart-felt and compelling letter from a past skill training program graduate which was so poignant that Goodwill Public Officer, Michael Flannery, wanted to meet the writer in person. The author was Ivy Reaves and her letter started with the statement “Your company turned me and my life around. In 1986, BVR [Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation] sent me to your facility to take the course to become a secretary. I was a single parent struggling with raising my only daughter and the jobs I worked paid minimum wage.”
During Flannery’s subsequent visits and interviews with Ms. Reaves, he learned that following completion of the Office Procedures and Clerical Training program at Goodwill, she went on to interview for and be employed by the Internal Revenue Service. The District Director at the time was so impressed by her skills and dedication that Ms. Reaves went on to work there for 23 years, retiring after a noteworthy career. In her letter Ms. Reaves credits her success to Ohio Valley Goodwill. “I just need to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping me make a better life for myself and my daughter and for all your staff members did for me. I know that you are helping others in the same manner.”
Watch Ivy’s heart-warming story of personal success and listen to her thoughts about Goodwill’s impact on people interested in improving their lives at
Our sincere thanks to Ivy Reaves for sharing her story of Goodwill and our congratulations on her story of personal success.
