In November 2021, Whitney Platt joined Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana at the retail store in Madison, Indiana. As a Team Lead 1, she jumpstarted her career as a leader, ready to contribute to Goodwill’s mission of changing lives every day through education, employment and health.

Previously, Whitney experienced the criminal justice system due to her struggles with addiction. By the time she joined Goodwill, she had achieved several years of sobriety. However, she still had many goals in her professional and personal life she wanted to strive for – which led her to reach out to her Goodwill Mission Coach for support in 2023.

Goodwill Mission Coaches are life and career coaches who help Goodwill employees, graduates and program participants identify and set goals, increase their educational attainment, improve their finances and more. Before stepping into a different role, Whitney’s Mission Coach was her colleague at the Madison store.

Understanding the barriers Whitney had overcome and enthusiasm toward bettering herself, her Mission Coach was confident in her ability to accomplish her goals. Together, they worked toward several long-term achievements.

Passionate about Goodwill’s mission, Whitney wanted to continue to grow and thrive within the organization. By collaborating with her Mission Coach and store leadership, they developed a plan that would lead to promotion. Within six months, Whitney was promoted to Team Lead 2, gaining more responsibility and a bump in income.

Whitney also aspired to move her family into a safe neighborhood and wanted to focus on increasing her financial independence to do so. When she first met with her Mission Coach, she had no savings and a low credit score. With her coach’s assistance, Whitney set several savings goals over the next year that she would eventually meet. Her coach also gave advice on making financial decisions that would positively impact her credit score.

Within a year, Whitney had saved enough money for a down payment on a home and purchased her first house, achieving her goal of moving to a safer neighborhood. 

In addition to her professional and financial successes, Whitney also strived to give back to the addiction recovery community. She enrolled in a Peer Support Professional program, obtaining a state-recognized certification and taking up a second job as a manager at a local substance recovery center.

“I really believe in Goodwill’s mission,” Whitney said. “They gave me the opportunity to grow as a person, overcome my barriers and accomplish my goals.”

To find out how Goodwill supports our employees and helps them reach their independence, check out our open positions here.