Dunstan Wallace – Bridge to Tech Program

A man with a beard and glasses smiling

Dunstan Wallace, a single Black Bronx resident in his forties, had tried many jobs, but had not found the right career fit. He had worked as Maintenance and Operation Specialist with the City, but lost his job in 2022 during the pandemic. Then he ventured into the hospitality industry. He worked as customer service representative […]

Asantewa Rogers – Youth Pathways: Workforce Development

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 […]

Crain’s article spotlights our Bridge to Tech program

Crain’s New York Business, a publication that provides analysis and opinion on how to navigate New York’s business and political landscape, featured our Bridge to Tech program in its  August 2 “Employers bet hiring for skills, not degrees, could level the playing field” article. Crain’s reporter Cara Eisenpress interview Dominique Hamilton, a recent Bridge to […]

Tamika Wilson Supported Employment Program (SEMP)

Tamika Wilson came to Goodwill after losing her job in February 2022. The Brooklyn woman in her thirties had an intellectual disability diagnosis and her only work experience included the janitorial work she had done in her previous job for five years. Needless to say, this was a difficult time full of uncertainty for Tamika. […]

Andrew Isaacs – Bridge to Technology program

Andrew Isaacs grew up in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Andrew was approaching age forty when he joined Goodwill in 2021, but he had not yet found a career fit. He had done clerical work and had worked as a personal shopper for Amazon. He had obtained his GED and in 2001, he had […]

Edwin Ayuso – Bridge to Technology program

Edwin Ayuso, a Brooklyn resident in his forties, joined our Bridge to Technology program in January 2022 seeking a career change. He had worked in the health services sector as certified nursing assistant and later as on-call coordinator. Previous legal issues caused him anxiety and he felt trapped thinking he would never be able to […]

Anthony Barber – Supported Employment Program (SEMP)

Anthony Barber is a single black man in his thirties with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a mild intellectual disability who lives in Roosevelt Island. He came to Goodwill NYNJ in May 2014 seeking help in finding a job in retail. He enjoys gaming and listening to music, so he wanted to work in a […]

David Brown, Bridge To Technology Program

Despite working since age 15, David Brown, a Black Brooklyn resident in his fifties, found himself unemployed in Feb. 2022. As a result, he became homeless and had to move into a shelter. David had worked as “311” customer service representative since 2019, and prior to that, he had a stable 13-year job as operations […]

Lloyd Eddie Rowe, Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program

Lloyd Eddie Rowe, a US Marine Corps veteran, was living out of his truck in Morris County after separating from his wife. When Lloyd was referred to our Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) in April 2023, he had come to Morris County to attend his mother’s funeral and to visit his children. Lloyd had experience […]

Julius Latimer, Northern NJ Services

Julius Latimer, a 34-year-old Black man residing in Hoboken, NJ, came to Goodwill in April 2022 for assistance with securing a job. Despite having previous experience in retail and grocery stores, he was currently unemployed and struggling to find work. In addition, Julius had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia. To support him in his job search […]