Angel Green: 2018 Helms Legacy Award Honoree

For most of her life, Angel has been on a carousel of destructive relationships leading to bad choices with tragic consequences. Growing up, Angel’s parents were both alcoholics, but her father’s chronic abuse of alcohol led to physical and emotional
abuse in the home, primarily directed at her mom, resulting in countless broken bones and a shattered childhood for Angel and
her five siblings.

A single mother since the age of 23, Angel fell into a similar cycle of destructive relationships with men, which eventually led her down a dark path of drug addiction and dealing to support her habit—resulting in multiple felony charges and the unfathomable thought of losing her children. Angel’s final wake-up call occurred when she was pregnant with her fourth child and learned of her mother’s passing.

In 2010, Angel was referred to Discover Goodwill’s Employment First program and volunteered at a retail center. After securing full-time employment, Angel suffered more loss—the deaths of her father and beloved brother. With the support of her extended Discover Goodwill family, Angel persevered. Throughout her tenure with Discover Goodwill, Angel’s thirst for knowledge and drive for excellence, known as the “Angel Factor,” have placed her on the road to success and the 41-year-old is now an accomplished retail store manager. Since 2015, Angel has celebrated two additions to her growing family: an adoring husband and their new baby boy.