Tonya was involved in an emotionally abusive marriage for 23 years. During this time she started using drugs and she eventually went to prison. During her 23 years of marriage she was primarily a housewife. After getting divorced Tonya had a deep desire to turn her life around and live successfully. She wanted to do this for herself, but also for her family especially for her three daughters and her granddaughter. Tonya has also suffered from mental health problems for years and part of her desire to turn her life around included getting treatment for her mental health issues. When she was seeking treatment at Texoma Community Center, Tonya was referred to Goodwill to possibly get a job.
Tonya did go to Goodwill and she met with the Vice President and Human Resource Director. Both the HR Director and the VP saw a great potential for success in Tonya and also the Lamar store manager decided to give Tonya a chance as a retail store clerk. Since working for Goodwill Tonya has done an excellent job and has been promoted to Lead Clerk. Tonya cares about Goodwill and the Mission of the organization. Tonya states that she feels good about herself now and she has been able to support herself, buy a car, pay her bills, and put money in the savings. Tonya is a true example of Goodwill’s mission of giving someone a hand up.