GOODWorks Inc. is extremely excited to announce the commencement of a new project entitled ‘Mentee of the Month’! Through this initiative, we will be sharing the story of one hardworking and dedicated mentee each month of the year, who has demonstrated great effort and commitment throughout her journey. We are so thrilled about sharing the successes of the women in our organization and the changes they have been able to make as members of the GOODWorks Inc. organization.
We are thrilled to introduce our first Mentee of the Month for January 2021, Renei! Renei is a long-time loyal member of GOODWorks who continues to inspire us all by demonstrating fierce perseverance alongside kindness, wisdom, and a keen ability to light up any room with laughter.
Renei met our Executive Director, Theresa Goode, while incarcerated at York CPC in Niantic, CT in 2013. She recalls feeling nervous before their first meeting, having become acclimated to most authority figures treating her as a “nobody”. Those nerves soon melted away, however, as she was met with a kind smile and an individual who treated her as an absolute equal, for a moment feeling as though she was not in prison.
Renei continued with GOODWorks upon release and has experienced several major life changes in the past seven years, slowly recovering her footing, finding a stable home for herself and her daughter, and gradually regaining respect for herself as an individual. Renei believes GOODWorks played a large part in helping to change her view of herself and to find peace with her mistakes. By believing wholeheartedly in her success, GOODWorks was able to put effort into unlocking doors for Renei and providing support in every way possible.
Currently, Renei is pursuing a career in Human Services, following the spark within her that wants to give back to the community and help others. More than anything she wants to remind people that no matter how dark it gets, there is always a light, and if you focus hard enough, it will only continue to grow brighter. We could not be more proud of these entirely worthwhile and honorable pursuits and believe she will accomplish unbelievable things.
When asked what inspires and motivates her Renei replied that in many ways she is still seeking out the answer. She seeks to be a good mom and example for her children, always finding ways to do better for herself through them. Additionally, she speaks passionately of her grandmother, a light-hearted and youthful woman who she describes as the “definition of strength”, raising five children all on her own and surviving so many trials while remaining always at peace.
As for her advice when it comes to being a GOODWorks member and striving for success in one’s transition, she gives several great tips stating, “Always be open-minded, and stick with it even if you feel you don’t need it. You do.” She goes on to give a great reminder for us all, “Open your eyes to who you really are. Broken people have walls up but organizations like GOODWorks are there to help break them down so that you can put up a mirror to yourself. GOODWorks is a platform where all women can feel safe to heal. People need people not to give up on them, and that is what we do here. It takes more than just tangible resources, it takes real hard work to change people’s hearts and their ways of thinking.”
We are so thankful to have Renei as a member of our GOODWorks family and are so proud of every single step she has taken throughout her journey. We are also truly honored to have her on our team as our Orientation Leader! She is a prime example of a powerful woman making great strides every single day towards growth and success.
Did you know? You can decorate your home or office while also supporting the women of GOODworks! Purchase a print of the illustration featured with this post from the @selfandstory Instagram, and 100% of the proceeds benefit GOODworks.