Goodwill and Janie Gullickson Are Helping Women Rebuild Their Lives After Jail
Janie Gullickson is a recovering meth addict using her past to help others find sobriety.
“My addition spanned a couple of decades as well as my mental health,” she explained. “I was the mother of five children, teenage mom. And tried to function and then eventually became more of that stereotypical image that folks may have of a IV user on the streets.”
Gullickson was arrested and faced five felony charges. She served two years in prison. During her sentence she attended a job readiness program hosted by Goodwill.
“It was all about what’s my game when I get back out,” she explained. “How do we dress for an interview? How do we talk about our gap in employment?”
In 2017, Goodwill helped at least 745,000 women with career services. 87 cents of every dollar spent at Goodwill goes toward job training programs.
“They were inspiring to me and in their support and their non-judgement of me,” Gullickson said. “And just by their presence, changed my life.”
Now Gullickson is an executive director at the Mental Health Association of Oregon. She’s using what she learned in recovery to help other addicts heal.