Latest News: Advocacy Award Winner – 2016 (Sanjuana Ledesma)

She started out working part-time in the Good Assist Office.  When the concept of Good Assist took off and customers found out that there was an office in the Goodwill Store that provided a lot of answers to questions about Employment, Job Applications, State Assistance,  to name a few.

As a Good Assist Community Outreach worker, she had visitors on a daily basis, many from the Hispanic Community and she built trust in the community very quickly.  In fact, the Hispanic Community depends on her for assistance from reading a letter to finding a job or basic needs.

She loved her position but needed more hours to support her family and did not want to leave Goodwill so when a position came open as a Work Adjustment Trainer she applied and got it.

Sanjuana Ledesma began her new duties on April 10, 2016, but she continues to help others in the community the same as she did as a Good Assist Community Outreach Worker. When she completes her task as a trainer each day, she helps the community that she’s built a relationship with.   She presents the Goodness of Goodwill in the Palestine area in Anderson County.  She visits the following organizations and facilities in the area, sharing information and resources:

Palestine Resource Center for Independent Living,  serving the disabled and elderly.

Elkhart Head Start – helping with translation and State Programs

Westwood District Head start – helping with translation and State Programs

WIC –enrolling parents

Help Station – assisting the homeless

Multicultural Center,  Story – PACE Program First Resource Center Living Alternatives Housing – Support Center St. Philips Church; First United Methodist Church; providing community resource information

And the list continues on and on.  Sanjuana has continued to make connections in the Community even while being in her new role as a WAT Trainer. The love she has for Community and helping anyone with a disability or barrier is beyond the word “Great”

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