New leases on life continue to be created in an organization most people associate with secondhand clothing.

Goodwill Industries of Kentucky recognized Second Chance Day on Wednesday, bringing partner organizations to Goodwill Opportunity Centers across the state to provide individuals formerly involved in the justice system with reintegration resources.

Organizations like Indiana Tech, Kentucky Legal Aid, New Path Recovery Home, Wilson Counseling and Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems set up shop in the Goodwill Center for Education & Employment on U.S. 31 By-Pass, giving locals resources they can use to build a better life.

Living examples of second chances could be found in the 14 folks about to graduate from the center’s Reintegrating Individuals Successfully Every Day program.

Participants in RISE, a two-week program, are given instruction in digital and financial literacy as well as how to write a resume and perform in a job interview. Second Chance Day coincided with the tail end of this particular RISE cohort, which will graduate Friday.

For Christine VanMeter, the program has changed her perspective entirely.

“It’s been a lifesaver for me. It’s changed my whole outlook,” she said. “For a lot of these people, it’s a second chance. This is the second chance.”

VanMeter said she had never made a resume before taking part in RISE. The program has been a boon for her confidence.

“I never thought I would go back to school, and now I’m considering doing some college,” she said. “Now I feel like I can maybe do some college work and see where it leads me. I’m really excited about this.”

Renee Purcell felt the same way.

“I’m a little more confident. I have a little bit more confidence to me,” Purcell said. “I was kind of in my shell, going through a lot.”

Purcell heard about the program in Louisville.

“I got caught up in the madness and got sober and definitely wanted to improve my life,” she said. “The Goodwill RISE program is an excellent place to start that, it gives you a lot of skills that I haven’t had to do in a while.”

Michael Hall oversees the RISE participants. He said when folks first begin their 10-day journey, he often hears them express self doubt.

“It’s cool to watch people believe it can’t happen, and then watch how over time it unfolds and by the time they get out of here they believe it can happen,” Hall said. “… Things are possible. You can go back to school, you can hold a job, you can save money, you can rebuild your life, you can rebuild relationships you tore all to pieces.”

He said that on average, 75% of participants come out with a job. Almost half of the current cohort have jobs and everyone in the previous 10-person cohort found employment.

“They learn that society will give you a second chance a lot of times,” Hall said. “Because everybody needs a second chance.”

Hall said the program isn’t just a checklist to be completed before people are sent on their way. Once someone graduates RISE, they’re part of the center and can access its resources, like job coaches or transportation to work.

“It’s kind of like being a member of Sam’s Club without the card,” he said. It’s the “best kept secret in Bowling Green, because everybody thinks it’s a secondhand blue jean store.”

VanMeter is now looking for a work-from-home position she can do from a computer, something she didn’t think would be possible before.

“When I went to school we were barely getting started with the computers, they weren’t a big thing,” she said. “I graduated in ‘97 and I still don’t know much about computers. This opportunity, I was able to learn some things, (like) how to use the computer.”

Purcell might have discovered a passion for teaching during her time in RISE.

“If they needed help and Mr. Mike was busy, they’d all come to me, like ‘help me do this, help me do that’ and I thought, ‘I’m not half bad at this!’ ”

She said that with each day in the RISE program, “I’m more confident in my future, and actually having a future.”