Rebel with a Collage: Fighting Back Against Addiction
A photo collage hangs in the backroom of the Goodwill store in Smyrna, Tennessee. Its images reveal an overwhelming display of support, a strong sense of pride, touches of humor. They reflect what's going on among the Goodwill team in this middle Tennessee town.
Among photos of Goodwill employees is a shot of a team member being recognized at a graduation ceremony for a career assessment program exclusive to Goodwill employees. Group photos show the cohesiveness of the team, and the photos of employees in costume and mismatched garments are reminders of the camaraderie of Spirit Week. Words of encouragement are posted below an uncredited quote, “You’re allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously.” That could apply to anyone who wears a Goodwill badge to work.
Assistant store manager Karen Schaap is included in a few photos, including a shot where she sticks her tongue at the camera. "I love my employees so much," she says. "They're what keeps me sober.”
Karen’s battle with substance abuse hit a breaking point during the global COVID pandemic.
In the early years of her career, Karen held a corporate position with a big box retail company. When the pandemic forced employees to begin working from home, Karen felt isolated in her corporate role. “That’s when my addiction became much more noticeable for me,” she said.
While in recovery, Karen became aware of the healing she experienced when performing service work offering rides to people who needed to get to work. Karen began to realize her passion for helping others, “I needed to find something that was not only doing service work but a job that I like." Online job searches led Karen to a job interview with Sarah Reynolds, the manager at the Goodwill store in Smyrna.
“(Sarah) asked me, ‘Why Goodwill?’
I said, ‘You work with others. You have a mission. You all have a purpose. You have a reason. And that’s what I want. I want to get back to a company that has a purpose — it has a reason.’ And I tell you, from the day that Sarah hired me, I have never had a day when I haven't wanted to come into work.”
The rest of the Smyrna team seems to share Karen’s sentiment. Positivity radiates as she trains new hires. The backroom of the store echoes with laughter and operates with efficiency. Over a year has passed since she joined the Goodwill family. Karen marked two years of sobriety in July. She’s begun rebuilding relationships with her children, yet understands that more time and more work is needed to help her regain the trust she once enjoyed with her family.
"If not for Goodwill, I would not be the person that I am today. I am a much stronger human being.
I'm happier than I thought I could be in my life. I'm engaged to an amazing man, which I never thought would happen again at the age of 44. And I get to pick up my two-year chip—it's all coming together.”
A work in progress, and a masterpiece.
