Sarah Ford | May 12, 2015

Goodwill Industries Success Story: Archie Gibbs

My life journey is as long as the yellow brick road. I left home at the age of 12 to go to foster care when my mother’s boyfriend abused me and my seven brothers and sisters. I lost hearing in my left ear and I am partially deaf in my right ear. Living in and out of foster care taught me a lot and showed me a lot of responsibility.

My first job was at Krystal’s restaurant from October 1992 through January 1993 as a cook and custodian. Then in June of 1993 to September of 1996, I worked at Central Park restaurant where I cooked hamburgers, prepared sandwiches, maintained and documented inventory, shut everything down and locked up.

I took a year off of work to focus on school in 1997. The foster care system was crazy and without the support of parents, I started college, but had to withdraw due to a lack of money for personal items and transportation. I walked just about everywhere in Macon trying to find another job, and that’s when I came to Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA (Macon) in March 1998.

I met with the Goodwill’s staff and started out at the career center in downtown Macon as a materials handler and sorter.

>> Continue Reading

>> Support Goodwill Industries

Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Explore More Articles

Open Position – Application Specialist, Employee Assistance Funds 

August 4, 2026

Position: Application Specialist, Employee Assistance Funds  Department: Charitable Grants  Reporting Structure: Director, Charitable Grants  Employment Type: Part-time, temporary  Exemption Status: Non-exempt  Location: Remote  Overview of…

Open Position – Director of Business Development 

August 4, 2026

Position: Director of Business Development  Department: Business Development  Reporting Structure: VP, Business Development   Employment Type: Full-time  Exemption Status: Exempt  Location: Remote  Overview of the Role: …

Micro-Influencers and Nonprofits: Local Partnerships

July 27, 2026

What does your nonprofit’s digital presence look like these days? Having a website and social media accounts almost goes without saying, and your team likely…

Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Receive our monthly/bi-monthly newsletter filled with information about causes, nonprofit impact, and topics important for corporate social responsibility and employee engagement professionals, including disaster response, workplace giving, matching gifts, employee assistance funds, volunteering, scholarship award program management, grantmaking, and other philanthropic initiatives.

newsletter-mock