A Veteran’s Story Shared During Our National Celebration of Freedom!

For almost 100 years, Ohio Valley Goodwill has been serving our nation’s veterans through the organization’s employment and training programs and helping them to find their own way. As we celebrate our national day of independence, it seemed fitting that we share one of the poignant stories of a veteran and his journey- both past and present. This is the story of “Jesse,” a Viet Nam veterans and one of our nation’s unsung heroes.

“In 2003, I found myself homeless and staying at the Drop Inn Center. It was there that I met Susan Ball from the VA and she got me hooked up with Goodwill. I was a Viet Nam veteran and served in the Marine Corps for 4 years. I stayed at Goodwill’s dormitory for two years and began working in the Goodwill dock area right away.
In 2007, I was promoted to Dock Supervisor at Goodwill’s corporate headquarters and managed 22 employees. I think Goodwill helped me to get my confidence back and get my life back together.”

When Jesse later retired from Goodwill in 2013, he still felt something was missing in his life. He missed the camaraderie of his former position as well as the feeling of giving back. As a result, Jesse decided to come back to Goodwill- at least part-time and now is a driver for the individuals with developmental disabilities that the organization serves. “I couldn’t be happier about my decision to do this,” said Jesse. “I love it!”

Jesse’s story is similar to those of the thousands of other homeless military veterans that Ohio Valley Goodwill has helped over the past almost 100 years. Just like Jesse, Ohio Valley Goodwill is committed to helping our nation’s heroes to get their lives back together. Do your part to help veterans like Jesse get back on their feet…your donation can help to change someone’s life. Please donate to Goodwill today! We salute our military veterans and their service to our nation during this holiday celebration as well as throughout the year. To find out more about our services for veterans, visit www.cincinnatigoodwill.org/services or call (513) 631-4500.