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[podcast]http://donate.goodwill.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/DoyleMcGee.mp3[/podcast]

Prior to Goodwill^®, I was an alcoholic in recovery. I had only been clean and sober for approximately two years. I was doing well from the physical perspective, but mentally, I had a long way in which to go. Alcoholism is more than picking up the bottle – it affects the mind, the body and the soul.

I was broke, homeless and suffering from very low self-esteem. The library became my best friend; it was there that I noticed a banner, which bore the name “Senior Community Service Employment Program.” I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but in smaller print below, I noticed the word “employment.”

I mustered up a bus ticket and made my way down to Goodwill Industries^® of Central Indiana and was introduced to Albert Strader. Albert was my first point of contact during the Goodwill experience. Soon after orientation, Albert learned that I had computer skills, a good speaking voice and I was very much a people person.

Doyle McGee works as a community employment specialist for WorkOne East.

In March of 2007, Goodwill sent me to an on-site interview at WorkOne West, and 21 days later, I signed a contract to work as a volunteer in their customer service department. Goodwill offered services such as Dress for Success that helped me obtain the clothes necessary to be functional in an office environment. They also provided transportation.

On December 23, 2007, I was presented an offer of employment by the state of Indiana as an intermittent claims taker. Things went well, and in September of 2008, I was upgraded to a customer service representative.

In 2009, I was named Goodwill’s achiever of the year, and I was promoted and transferred to the WorkOne East office as a community employment specialist. I get the opportunity to set an example that is worthy for others to follow, and to give them a purpose and cause in life.