When Olympic athletes realize their dream of winning a medal, many have overcome long odds or major obstacles. That certainly rings true, for Pensola Parsons, who inspires every person she meets. Parsons has been singled out as an Augusta Gold Medalist!

Nearly seven years ago, Pensola Parsons was perched on a hotel ledge. She was desperate, and ready to end two decades of drug addiction and despair.

Yet, something stopped her from jumping. Actually, it was SOMEONE.

Parsons remembers, "If I jump, that's gonna cause more harm to her. And I couldn't do it. And it was actually because of my daughter, that I didn't jump."

Devotion to her daughter kept Parsons from committing suicide, and prompted her to ask for help.

Parsons says, "October 31st, 2001. I went to the Hope House for Women. That's the day my life started...I was given another chance."

With that chance, Parsons stopped using drugs, and took another positive step. She entered a program for the homeless at Goodwill.
She was given a temporary job, work clothes, computer and communication skills, and most importantly, a little self esteem.

Meredith Stiff, the Executive Director of the Goodwill Works Foundation, was able to watch a total transformation.

"She was shy, and didn't hold her shoulders up and didn't want to talk to anyone."

Parsons adds, "And what they did, they put me up front on the receptionist desk and you cannot be self loathing and help people at the same time."

From homeless to helpful, Parsons was given her first real job at a drug treatment center for troubled teens. After a number of promotions, and awards, her life came full circle, as she was hired back at Goodwill, the very place that supported her during her darkest days.

"People told me, I was never going to amount to anything, I wasn't going to be anything, I was nobody, I was nothing," Parsons said.

But someone believed in her.

"They believed in me, from the first beginning and I have shown people and myself, you can change."

These days, Parsons trains, counsels and motivates people like Jaleesa Davis, who dreams of becoming a cosmetologist.

Parsons gushes as she describes the rewards of her new job.

"I'm able to see them in our training sites blossom by working in our stores. Our goal is for them to become job ready, for them to get hired at one of our sites."

Stiff sums up Parsons' amazing story: "Sometimes people need for a person to believe in them when they can't believe in themselves. And, Pensola believes in the good part of everyone."

Pensola Parsons was singled out from more than 200 Goodwills worldwide, when she was named the 2005 International Graduate of the Year.

Yet, her proudest moment will come on October 31st of this year.
She will celebrate seven years of being drug and alcohol free.

Pensola Parsons took her first step of recovery at the Hope House in Augusta. Soon, even more women who've had substance or domestic problems, will be helped, since Hope House is building a new larger center at 2205 Highland Avenue.

Once the building is finished in November, the capacity at Hope House will increase from 15 women and 10 children, to 42 families!