Goodwill Client Wins International Achievement Award: Sheryl Uribe Named 2008 Achiever of the Year after Overcoming Addiction and Succeeding at Work
After leaving behind a decade of cocaine and heroine addiction, Sheryl Uribe was exhausted both physically and emotionally when she approached Goodwill for help. Now successfully employed by Goodwill for more three years and promoted repeatedly, Uribe has proven to herself and others that she deserved a second chance. Her strong work ethic and commitment to excellence on the job have garnered Uribe the 2008 Achiever of the Year Award from Goodwill Industries International.
At one time Uribe refrained from smiling because of how rotten and infected her teeth had become as a result of her addictions. She served time for drug-related crimes and was then met with repeated rejection when applying for work. Uribe entered a program called “Sisters” run by Walden House in the San Francisco Jail where one of her counselors recommended going to Goodwill.
Initially, Sheryl worked for nine months as a Transitional Employee on the Goodwill loading docks, receiving on-the-job training and classroom instruction. Her supervisors were impressed with her work ethic and soon hired her as a cashier at the As-Is Store, where salvaged goods are sold in bulk. It didn’t take long for Uribe to become Assistant Manager; she was named Employee of the Month nine consecutive times.
“In my 13 years at Goodwill Industries I have never seen a harder-working, more dedicated, more dependable, or more honest employee,” says Sheldon Callum, Manager of the As-Is Store. “
In October 2007, Uribe was promoted again, this time to an Employment Specialist position where she can inspire clients who face similar obstacles that she’s already worked tirelessly to overcome. Clean and sober for three years, discharged from probation and reunited with her 14-year-old daughter, Uribe says “Goodwill did more than make me employable. Goodwill saved my life.”
Sheryl was honored in Washington, D.C. on June 29th at a formal banquet during the Goodwill International Delegate Assembly. She also presented remarks at Goodwill International’s Advocacy Day, Goodwill on the Hill, on June 25th.
