Asantewa Rogers was unemployed and homeless when she came to Goodwill NYNJ in 2022. Asantewa, a Brooklyn resident in her twenties, came to Goodwill seeking help in career planning. She had depleted her bank account so she needed guidance and support to get a job immediately.

The Goodwill team assessed her skills and interests to provide her appropriate job leads, clothing vouchers to get professional outfits and Metrocards to travel to interviews. First, Asantewa considered a Security guard position earning $16/hr. But when her Job Developer suggested a clerical job at a law firm and the Retention Specialist helped her prepare for the interview, Asantewa set her interest in this job. Soon, she secured a job at Pasternack, Tilker, Ziegler, Walsh, Stanton, & Romano LLC. with a starting salary of $40,000 in April 2023.

After Asantewa secured her job, Goodwill has provided her free on-site Financial Counseling sessions to help her to manage her income and create a path toward financial independence. “Peter, Goodwill’s Financial Advisor, has helped me work on restoring my credit and pay my debts. He has taught me how to take calls from collectors, what letters to send out and even how to budget. Thanks to this support, I will become financially stable and build my credit,” said Asantewa.

Success Story submitted by Goodwill’s Youth Pathways team:
Lourdes Correa, Retention Specialist.
Francis Mikulka, Job Developer.
J. Holbert, Program Manager.
Natalie Bryan, Assistant Vice President, Career Compass and Youth Pathways.