Welcome back! My goal is to educate and excite you about all that Goodwill does for our community and what it can possibly do for you and/or your business! If this is the first blog you have read in this series, please feel free to see how it all got started from my first entry here.
This week, we are going to take a look at an individual who is employed through one of our contracts. Brenda Wills works on a contract that we hold with the IRS Mail room in Kerneysville, WV. Here is her success story!
Brenda was born and raised around Martinsburg, WV. Like many in the area, Brenda had a job in one of the local factories. Unfortunately, years of hard work in a factory environment can sometimes lead to health issues. Over time, Brenda began to develop problems with her personal health and could no longer continue where she was. Many people in this situation do not see another option available when factory work is all they know. Luckily for Horizon Goodwill, this was not to be the case for Brenda.
During the 2001 tax season, volume in the IRS mail room was larger than ever and we at Horizon Goodwill had to reach out for additional labor to maintain service levels on the contract. It was then that Brenda connected with Goodwill and was placed in an entry level role. She learned tasks quickly and produced great work. Those skills have been honed over time and 15 years later, she is the Lead Worker for this project. In this capacity she has leadership responsibilities and covers for the manager when she is away or on vacation.
Horizon Goodwill does so much to help so many. And there are so many more people out there for us to help! Sometimes it just takes that first step before you are able realize your full potential. On many occasions Brenda has stated that “This is the best job I ever had … I really like it and enjoy the people I work with every day… next March I will be old enough to retire, but I don’t want to right now”. to which her manager replied, “ Stay as long as you want to!”” Removing barriers, creating opportunities. This is what Horizon Goodwill is all about and why we are here.
Thanks for reading! Please feel free to contact me with questions or comments regarding the blog or what our Business Services division can do for you! bmarks@goodwill-hgi.org