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In its 16th year, the event highlights the nonprofit's mission to help people of all backgrounds find jobs and learn important career skills.

Gabriel Barron is one of this year's inductees.

"Today, my life is more comfortable. Just go to work, go to school, go home and just enjoy our life," he said.

Barron is more than content to refurbish computers and troubleshoot their problems. He said the work was repetitive, but that getting the opportunity to work at Goodwill's computer shop in North Austin was anything but simple. He made it happen with plenty of determination and some good help.

"Just had a hard time getting a job because of my background," Barron said.

He was convicted of two drug felonies in high school. After serving a prison sentence, he started his own computer repair business out of his home. Soon after, he and his daughter found themselves homeless when an electrical fire burned their house to the ground.

"If you focus on that, you might get more of that, basically. If you focus on your goal, you might achieve your goal and the obstacle might come to pass," Barron said.

Barron is among an elite group chosen as this year's Hall of Honor Inductees.

A criminal past also made it difficult for James Gogolewski to find work. He's now successfully employed, with his own apartment and car.

Heather Davis dropped out of high school and spent her teenage years living on the streets. She became pregnant and knew she'd have to provide for her son. The people at Goodwill helped Davis get her GED and an internship.

Calvy Schoen was born with a developmental disability and limited mobility. He got connected with the Goodwill Community Rehabilitation Program. Working with a case manager, he secured a job as a bagger at H-E-B.

They'll all be honored Thursday.

"The stories are inspiring. Some of them hit really close to home and people leave there feeling like they understand why they donate clothes to Goodwill," Jerry Davis, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, said. "We've worked with many, many people like this. There are just some different things about their stories that are particularly uplifting.”

Goodwill has been holding its Hall of Honor banquet since 1995. This year, the four inductees chosen to highlight its mission come from a pool of more than 14,000 people it helped place in jobs over the past year.

Goodwill will also be honoring the Doubletree hotels for its partnership. For the past six years, its managers have provided clients with hands-on job training in the hospitality industry.

YNN's Paul Brown will be emceeing Thursday's event at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Austin. More than 500 people are expected to attend, the most in the event’s history.