power of work Archives

Let’s Celebrate One of Our Own!

February 7, 2018

Let’s CELEBRATE one of our own!

Let’s take a moment to celebrate one of our own, Christa Cash, Horizon Goodwill’s new store manager in Woodstock, Virginia.

Christa says, “What I love most about Goodwill is making a difference in the lives of people; whether that is a trainee, staff, customer, or donor.” Christa started her journey with Horizon Goodwill as a PT Sales Clerk in July 2012 and has since worked her way up through a FT position. Christa was promoted to Store Manager in November of 2017. Christa loves her new position and says what keeps her motivated is “all the wonderful customers I meet and the individuals I work with. My team is amazing. They make everyday enjoyable.”

Born in Fairfax, Virginia and raised in Spotsylvania County, Christa has a passion for competitive baking. When she is not baking in her spare time or managing her store, she has a love for animals and enjoys spending time with her husband of 25 years and their daughter.

When asked to share her most memorable moment, Christa stated, “it’s not just one moment, it’s moments. Over the past 5 years I have seen so many acts of kindness and caring.” She is most proud of her team for covering shifts, helping where needed, and working hard every day to achieve their goals.

We at Horizon Goodwill are extremely proud of her promotion and success. We look forward to celebrating her growth as a Store Manager, and watching her lead the Woodstock retail team in accomplishing their goals.

Business Services Employee Spotlight – Ricky Sample!

December 1, 2017

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’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!

November 9, 2017

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!

November 8, 2017

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

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.

Business Services Employee Spotlight – Jordan Smith!

October 20, 2017

This week’s Business Services Employee Spotlight is focused on Jordan Smith. Jordan is a custodian on our crew at the ATF&E facility in Martinsburg, WV. This is a very important contract for our organization and the customer has high expectations for our performance. At this site, our crew works as a team where they rely on each other. Communication and a strong work ethic are mandatory to be successful. Jordan is a highly valued member of this team and we are proud to have him!

Jordan was hired back in August of 2011 and has been key to our success at this location. Prior to his time with Goodwill, Jordan had issues staying focused. Without the ability to stay on track, it was difficult for Jordan to find employment. It was then that Jordan connected with Horizon Goodwill for assistance in getting a job. His employment specialist was able to get him placed at this site and since then, his life improved.

Janet, Jordan’s supervisor, was able to work with him on his issues and gave him the tools needed to stay focused and succeed on the job. He has developed over time and now Janet relies on him and considers him “dependable, friendly, and able to follow instructions” without a lot of supervision. There is a mutual respect between the entire team and as Jordan summarized it, “we all care about each other”.

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- James Taylor!

August 10, 2017

This week’s Business Services Employee Spotlight is focused on James Taylor. Back in 2012, James found himself in a situation where he needed a hand up. Just like so many in our communities, drugs had found their way into James’ life and had him on downward course. Fortunately, he had the courage to do something about it. James took up residency at the Wells House in Hagerstown, MD to engage their program to regain control of his life. With the help and support of the staff there, he was successful in beating his addiction and was ready for the next step in his renewed life.

Reentering the work force from a situation like his is not an easy path. Luckily, James had a girlfriend who was an employee at Horizon Goodwill. She told him about our programs and how we could help him to get his life back on track and headed towards gainful employment. James took her advice, entered our program, and he soon started earning a paycheck!

He joined our team as a production worker processing donations. Before long, he advanced onto a commercial contract tied to our partnership with HBP. By 2013, James was awarded a supervisory role on our Custodial team at Greenbrier State Park. When this seasonal assignment ended, James was offered the Supervisor position on our Hagerstown State Contracts Van Crew. In this capacity he has responsibility for ensuring that the Maryland State sites on this route present a high level of cleanliness. He does a great job! Both our internal leadership and the end customers love his work.

The gratitude goes both ways and James is grateful for what Horizon Goodwill has done to improve the quality of his life. “Working for Goodwill has enabled me to have a productive life, take care of my family, and to grow”. Stories like his are motivating, inspiring, and the reason we at Horizon Goodwill do what we do.

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!

Business Services Employee Spotlight – Ricky Sample!

Business Services Employee Spotlight – Roger Cook!

Let’s Celebrate One of Our Own!

Business Services Employee Spotlight – Jordan Smith!

Business Services Employee Spotlight- James Taylor!

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