After immigrating from her native Cuba to the United States, Rosalba, aka Rosie, had been searching for employment for many months with no response due to her limited English communication.
Rosie was a nurse in her native Cuba and was prepared to leave her county with her family to embrace a better life in America.
Rosie loved being a nurse. She enjoys helping people, especially children. She was always the go-to person in her household whenever anyone was not feeling well and at the clinic where she worked, she was a favorite among the patients.
Living in Cuba presented a mix of cultural experiences and economic challenges that caused Rosie and her family chose to seek a new life living in the United States.
Rosie decided to make southwest Florida her new home. She tried to find a job that would support her elderly parents and herself, but because of her minimal English, she found it difficult to communicate. Rosie held odd jobs for a short while but yearned to find a full-time job where she could grow and earn a respectable paycheck.
Rosie has always been a doer. She gets things done. That’s just her personality. She always works hard in anything she does. So, Rosie went about finding a new job. Her local shopping adventure took her one day to the Goodwill retail store, and they were hiring. Rosie loved to shop at Goodwill and frequently found apparel and other household items she loved. She applied and was overjoyed to learn she had a job offer.
Working as a Shoe Pricer, she quickly became proficient and appreciated the supportive environment and management team. The stability of her job allowed her to meet her family’s needs and even save for a future home of her own.
Rosie and her parents were sharing a bedroom in a family member’s house when Hurricane Ian struck. Their house was destroyed. She then moved into another family member’s converted garage with minimal furnishings. Although cramped because space was so tight, it was a roof over her head until she could find more permanent housing.
All this while, Rosie and her Good Partner Coach worked diligently to create a budget to set aside funds for a down payment on a future home. Rosie proudly purchased her first home this year and was filled with gratitude that her Good Partner Coach and Goodwill could help with furnishing her new home.
In just under five years, Rosie made sure to take advantage of the many opportunities Goodwill Manasota provides and has provided.
Rosie has successfully graduated from the SPEEXX program and will celebrate her graduation from the Jobs Plus Language program at the upcoming Recognition Breakfast this November.
Rosie achieved a Milestone Award at Goodwill Manasota after securing her Permanent Resident Green Card and diligently studied and poured her heart into pursuit of American citizenship.
Rosie dutifully received her Certificate of Naturalization and was so overjoyed to finally become an American citizen! Rosie credits her GPC, her store leadership, her fellow team members, and the SPEEXX program with helping her engage in conversations in English to build her confidence to take and pass the American citizenship exam.
Goodwill Manasota helped Rosie grow personally and professionally. She is on track to become a Role Model Worker, which she says is very meaningful to her. She sees this gold badge as a symbol of success and a reflection of someone who is dedicated and hardworking.
It’s what we do.
