Chanelle is one of those young people you meet and just know she’s going places, even though there were times she didn’t believe it for herself. Chanelle was raised by a single mom alongside two siblings. From the start, she believed that doing well in school was her way of helping at home and contributing to her family. But with the bullying that came with middle school, and then the pandemic, Chanelle lost her motivation and fell behind.

When she finally returned to in-person high school classes, she was placed in lower-level grades. Even though she was earning excellent marks, she felt invisible and discouraged. “I admit, I had to swallow my pride, continue to do the necessary work, and believe I deserved better for myself,” Chanelle said.

That’s when her aunt told her about The Goodwill Excel Center (GEC), and everything began to change. At the GEC, Chanelle was paired with coaches who didn’t just teach her; they encouraged her, cheered her on, and built up her self-esteem. With their support, she didn’t just keep up, she excelled. This past summer, Chanelle proudly graduated as the Salutatorian of The Goodwill Excel Center Class of 2025.

This fall, Chanelle is headed to San Antonio to begin basic training with the United States Air Force. And here’s the ripple effect your generosity creates: inspired by Chanelle’s success, her mom has now enrolled at the Excel Center. One daughter’s second chance became an entire family’s new beginning.

Through the support of donors like you, we now have plans to expand this successful high school model into Maryland. Your support today will help Goodwill create more moments, more caps and gowns, more proud families, and more futures filled with promise.

Will you make your year-end gift today to ensure more students like Chanelle—and her mother—have this chance?

Your gift today changes more than one life. It transforms entire families. Like Chanelle, who inspired her mother to pursue her diploma, your generosity creates ripples that extend far beyond graduation day. Every donated item, every dollar donated, opens a door for someone like Chanelle. Thank you.

For more than seven years, your generosity has shaped Brandon’s journey.

When he first came to Goodwill of Greater Washington, Brandon struggled to find meaningful work because of his disability. Through Goodwill’s contracts program, he found training, encouragement, and a pathway to stability. Promotion by promotion, he grew from a Grounds Maintenance Technician into the Project Manager, leading the team that cares for the National Gallery of Art, a crew he proudly calls his family.

Your gifts made that transformation possible. You power the Goodwill RISE Academy, where team members build leadership and job skills. You sustain the Caring Fund, which provides emergency support when life gets overwhelming.

Brandon’s success is a testament to what happens when our community believes in people.

As 2025 ends, many more neighbors are still waiting for their chance to rise. Your year-end gift opens the door for job training, career coaching, and second-chance education.

If you’ve already given, thank you. If not, let Brandon’s story be your reminder of the change you can create.

Make your year-end gift today and help someone rise.

After incarceration, Alicia walked through Goodwill’s doors carrying doubts about her future, but also a deep desire to show her family she could create something better.

Because of caring neighbors like you, Alicia found exactly what she needed: job coaches who saw her potential before she could see it herself, training programs that rebuilt her confidence piece by piece, and access to the Goodwill Excel Center, where adults earn their diplomas free of charge.

Today, Alicia has been proudly employed with Goodwill for over a year. She was recently named our Rockstar Employee of the Quarter, and her joyful spirit at the register inspires customers to donate to the RoundUp program, fueling the very programs that helped her succeed.

“I want others to have the same chance I was given,” Alicia says. “Having my coach by my side and believing in me changed my life.”

Alicia’s story reminds us what hope looks like in real time—how a neighbor’s resilience, combined with a community’s generosity, can turn uncertainty into a new beginning.

After incarceration, Destiny walked through Goodwill of Greater Washington’s doors carrying the weight of rejection and the fear that no one would give her a chance.

Because of caring neighbors, Destiny found exactly what she needed: job coaches who believed in her when countless employers turned her away, training programs that helped her rebuild her life and her confidence, and a supportive workplace where she was finally met with acceptance instead of judgment.

Today, Destiny has been proudly employed with Goodwill for over a year. Through the support of her RISE Coach, she has secured stable housing and built the foundation for long-term success. At work, her determination and resilience shine through, reminding everyone around her what’s possible when someone finally says “yes.”

“I’m not just working a job,” Destiny says. “Goodwill gave me an opportunity to improve myself when I had to start from scratch. And for once, I don’t feel like I’m doing it alone.”

As we approach the holidays, Destiny’s story reminds us what hope looks like in real time—how a neighbor’s resilience, combined with a community’s generosity, can turn uncertainty into a new beginning.

Will you make your year-end gift today? Your support ensures more neighbors like Destiny can rise, thrive, and rebuild their lives with dignity.