Earl Hunt

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Earl Hunt

If you had asked Earl Edward Hunt 20 years ago where he’d be today, he couldn’t have imagined the vast changes he would make in his life.

“I thought drugs was my life,” he says. “But it always turned out wrong. Police work three shifts. You sleep one. You can’t get away. But those are the things that you ignore.”

During his third incarceration for selling drugs, Earl decided to change. He participated in a prison program to help him get off drugs and take other steps to change his life. When he was released in March 2009, he began searching for a job. Eventually, he was referred to Goodwill through Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation. He remembers arriving at the interview with his criminal record and his packet of achievement certificates from the programs he completed in prison – just hoping the case manager would believe in him.

“Society don’t take a chance on ex-felons because they did wrong. They don’t understand that once the person does wrong and they paid for that, let them move on. But a lot of times, they don’t let you.”

Earl was hired in January 2010 for his first job in 20-plus years – as a GW Commercial Services janitor for a service contract. He worked 9 months in that position, and soon he was promoted to team leader.

“I was very glad to get a job. Because a lot of people come from prison – especially if they hear lot of no’s – and you go back and do what you used to do. But I wasn’t willing to go back and do that. This is a blessing just to come to work every day.”

Earl said his biggest challenge on the job has been developing his communication skills.

“People on the streets, you deal with them in a different type of way. It was a challenge at first. I just talk straight, and I expect people to talk straight, too. … I realize now that they’re not street people. Treat people like you want to be treated, and you’ll be better off. I work on it.”

Earl’s supervisor Michael Bell said that Earl is a hard worker who has built relationships quickly and gained respect from his colleagues, earning him an endearing nickname.

“Everyone looks to Earl like a father figure. We call him our ‘Goodwill Dad,’ ” Michael says. “It’s hard for me to believe that he’s the same person that I’ve heard stories about the things he used to do, compared to the person that I know now.”

The nickname of “Goodwill Dad” makes Earl laugh heartily. “I care about the people that work for me. I always look out for them.”

Earl just purchased a two-bedroom, full-basement home – the first one he’s ever owned by himself. He says he’s proud of his accomplishments and learned from his past.

“First thing I gotta do is put God upfront, and the next thing is come to work everyday.”

Meet Earl