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Business Services Employee Spotlight – Sherry Lescalleet!

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.

Smile
Sherry Smiling on the Job!

This week’s Business Services Employee Spotlight is focused on Sherry Lescalleet.  Sherry is the project supervisor for our contract with the Washington County Department of Social Services.  She has held this role for 3 years and the customer could not be happier with her and her team.  In addition to keeping the site spotless, she goes the extra mile to check in with the customer on a daily basis and has developed a relationship that turned this contract into a partnership.

Sherry suffered from a barrier that is very common in our territory, lack of transportation.  She was having a hard time finding a job without transportation and came to Goodwill in 2013 looking for a hand up.  Through the services she received through Horizon Goodwill, she was able to land a job in our Hagerstown warehouse processing donations.  Later that year she was hired as a custodian at a job site she could walk to.  The following year, she was promoted to crew lead.  In 2015 she was promoted to custodial supervisor and in 2017, she took on additional responsibilities overseeing all of the custodial crews on our contract with Greenbrier State Park.

Award
Sherry Lescalleet, receiving the Unsung Hero Award from Assistant Director Bruce Massey at the WCDSS employee recognition event!

Through all of these positive changes in her life, she was able to maintain steady income, get her driver’s license, and eventually her own car!  With this, her barrier is in the rear view mirror!  Her supervisor, Matt, is thrilled to have her on the team and said, “Sherry has proven herself time and time again to be a pivotal member of our team.  She is always willing to jump in wherever and whenever needed.  She makes my job more enjoyable.”  We are so happy to have Sherry on our crew and she is a shining example of a Goodwill Success story.

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

Let’s CELEBRATE one of our own!

Johnathon HarrellLet’s take a moment to celebrate one of our own.

Johnathon Harrell, IT Manager at Corporate Center, has been employed with Horizon Goodwill since October of 2012.

Before coming onboard with Goodwill, Johnathon dealt with a history of drug addiction and was incarcerated in 2011. While incarcerated, Johnathon came to Goodwill as a client through the work release partnership between Horizon Goodwill and Washington County Detention Center. Upon his release from incarceration, Johnathon continued working and receiving services as a client through the job training program with Goodwill.

Johnathon started out his journey with Horizon Goodwill as a sorter in the processing department. From there, he learned how to operate the baler, was an E&M tester, and was then promoted to Lead Assistant/Aide. While working in the processing department as a client, Johnathon went back to college and earned his associate’s degree in IT. His supervisor acknowledged his potential, and encouraged him to apply for a full-time core position. It was then that Johnathon was given the opportunity to work as an IT Assistant. During his almost three-year tenure as IT Assistant, Johnathon attended Kaplan University through evening, weekend and online courses to obtain his bachelor’s degree in cyber-security. Johnathon was promoted to his current role of IT Manager in December of 2017.

Born and raised in Williamsport, MD, Johnathon has a passion for music and electrical engineering. His number one priority is his family: wife, Katie, and six children: McKenzie (17), Austin (13), Kailer (11), Mason (10), Landon (5), and Natalie (3). “Having been through the Goodwill program, I am now better equipped to provide my family and children a better quality of life.”

When asked to share an experience that made a difference to him, Johnathon discussed his time working at the Apple Blossom Festival in Shenandoah County, VA. He states, “I have worked the festival for several years in a row. In working alongside current and past clients, I have witnessed firsthand their transformation. Their barriers are being faced head on and overcome. As a result, these individuals have a better quality of life. They are valuable, hard workers. The experience is always very rewarding, and I love knowing that I can be a part of that transformation for others.”

Reflecting on what he’s most proud of, Johnathon said, “I have been able to overcome my personal barriers and have achieved my dream of working in IT. I could not have done that without the support of Horizon Goodwill.”

We are extremely proud of Johnathon’s success and look forward to celebrating his future accomplishments as he grows in his current role.

 

 

 

Business Services Employee Spotlight – Ricky Sample!

Employee

 

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.

Ricky
Ricky smiling on the job!

This week’s Business Services Employee Spotlight is focused on Ricky Sample!  Ricky’s Goodwill story started right after his High School career.  Back in 2012, Ricky participated in our “transitioning youth” program.  This program assists in taking kids straight out of school and ensuring they receive the tools and training required to make it on their own.  Part of this experience led to a community based job assessment for Ricky.  This opportunity placed him in a job with one of our community employer partners.  In this role, we were able to observe Ricky in a work environment to assess his job readiness.  His case manager was then able to provide Ricky with the supports he needed to become a great fit for any company.

Eventually Ricky’s Goodwill journey presented him with a chance to work on our Federal Contract at the ATF&E facility in Martinsburg, WV.  Since 2014, he has been a proud member of their custodial team and is an exemplary employee.  Initially he was struggling with staying on task and required specialized instruction, but he has come a long way since then.  When asked to describe Ricky now, his supervisor stated that he is, “Dependable and he always pays attention to detail”.  When we asked Ricky about what Goodwill has done for him, he said that “Goodwill helped me become more organized, keep on task, and to do stuff the right way”.  We are proud of Ricky and all that he has been able to accomplish.  It is success stories like his that make Horizon Goodwill such a great organization to be a part of!

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

Business Services Employee Spotlight – Roger Cook!

Employee

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.

Roger
Here’s lookin’ at you, Roger!

This week’s Business Services Employee Spotlight is focused on Roger Cook. Roger is involved in several of our State custodial contracts.  Roger joined our team in January of this year.  On the job, he quickly proved that he was a trusted team member and in June of the same year he was promoted to the position of Custodial Crew Lead!  In this role, he helps oversee the custodial crews at various contract sites and ensures that the work is being performed up to the contract specifications.  Additionally, he acts in a supervisory role in situations where his full time supervisor is not available.

Roger was having difficulty finding and keeping a job.  Sadly ,he found that many companies did not want to take a chance on an older worker.  It was then that Roger sought out assistance from Horizon Goodwill!  Through the services her received, he was given the tools and the confidence he needed to succeed.  Roger is very grateful for the supports he has received.  By having a supervisor her can look up to, Roger has a role model to emulate and is able to better support himself.  Through this relationship, he is able to continue to grow and our customers get great service!

Our Custodial Business Manager, Matt Nugent, has taken notice of his attitude and work ethic as well.  When asked about Roger’s performance, Matt said, “Roger has been an ideal employee, always willing to pitch in where needed.  His work is outstanding and whenever I ask him to accomplish something, it always exceeds the expectation.  He is a pleasure to have on our team and I am delighted to work with him.”

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

 

Let’s Celebrate One of Our Own!

Let’s take a moment to celebrate one of our own.

Linda Vailati, Romney Store Manager

Linda Vailati, Romney Store manager, has been employed with Goodwill since August 2010 as a sales associate. She was promoted to store manager in August 2017.

Linda was born and raised in New Jersey. During her teen years, her family moved to Mechanicsville, MD. She then relocated to Romney, WV in 2008.

When asked about hobbies, Linda said, “family is everything to me.” After experiencing the loss of her youngest son, Daniel, who passed last October at age 32, Linda knows how precious life can be.  She takes every opportunity to spend with her other two sons Ronnie and Justin, and their families. It’s hard to imagine, but Linda is a grandmother of 4 and great grandmother of 1 (with another great grandbaby due any day).

Because of Linda’s love for animals, it was only natural that she take in Danny’s rescue animals when he passed.   His dog, Blacky, a wild haired Terrier, and cats, Pizza and Pepperoni, keep her very busy when she is not working. When she has time, Linda also enjoys tinkering in the garden and canoeing.

Linda enjoys Goodwill because of the employees and customers. Because her family is so far away, her employees are like an extended family. When asked about Goodwill life, Linda said:

“Goodwill gives me the opportunity to help others by hiring those that can’t find jobs elsewhere. Jobs are far and few between. Many applicants just need a chance. I like to look past the surface and evaluate what attributes a person can bring to Goodwill.

We also have great people here in Romney. Our community goes out of its way to help each other. Often people come in that are down on their luck. Some have had a house fire or were homeless. There have been many circumstances when our customers have overheard another customer talking about their situation and then leave money at the counter to pay for the person’s items. It warms my heart.”

We are excited to celebrate Linda and her continued success.

Horizon Goodwill Joins the Little Free Library Movement!

little boy taking a book to read
Give a book, take a book. It’s free and it makes a difference!

Horizon Goodwill Industries is so excited to announce that we will be putting up a Little Free Library (LFL) at our 200 North Prospect Street location in downtown Hagerstown.  Little Free Libraries’ ‘Give a Book, Take a Book’ principle inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around our communities. Through Little Libraries, millions of books are exchanged each year, increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Locally, the LFL initiative was started by the Washington County Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) three years ago.  ECAC is partnered with Washington County Public Schools to have 25 libraries created, and the LFL team purchased the required charters and work to provide the first set of books so that organizations could “adopt” them easily.

Over the last two years, Horizon Goodwill has donated thousands of books to teachers in the region.  In partnership with Washington, Berkeley, and Jefferson County Public Schools, Goodwill provides grade/age specific books to new and incoming teachers before the start of a new school year.

This year, our Mission Team at Horizon Goodwill is working with Terri Gwizdala at ECAC to get our 1st (of hopefully many) installed and open to the public before Christmas.  Even more exciting too: Goodwill’s LFL will be a wooden box build by Tech High students!  Terri shared that, “To date, we [ECAC] have 37 libraries established in the [Washington] county, and currently have a wait list for 14 more.  When we reach 50 libraries, the county will create an interactive map with all locations.”

Increasing access to books and providing opportunities for people of all ages to read more directly aligns with our Goodwill’s mission of “Removing Barriers, Creating Opportunities”.  Little Free Libraries help us ensure that everyone has the chance to realize and achieve their fullest potential.

For more information and to test out other communities’ interactive maps, check out the LFL website at www.littlefreelibrary.org.

If you have questions, or need additional information, please contact Terri Gwizdala (ecacwashcomd@gmail.com or 301-310-6263) or Kathy Kerns (kernskat@wcps.k12.md.us).

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