SUCCESS STORIES
June 2008
Sean Angelo
Four years ago, Sean Angelo finished his studies at Smiley High School and came to work at the Goodwill Super Store on I-10 East. As a Team Member 1, his job is to make sure everything in the store is clean—he mops floors, empties trash, cleans bathrooms, and even scrubs down places the customers don’t see, such as the counters in the employee break room. His very favorite job is cleaning the long row of sparkling windows at the front of the store. Sean also helps load and unload the trucks that bring donations.
Sean says his family is very close-knit, and he still lives with his sister. His parents taught them the importance of loving and caring for other people, lessons he applies as he interacts with his coworkers. Sean’s manager, Margie Burleson, says that Sean is “very helpful” to others, dependable, and rarely misses work. She tries to keep him on a regular work schedule that allows him time to attend Lorraine Street Church, something that’s very important to him.
Even though he spends so much time in a store, Sean says with a grin that his favorite hobby is shopping. He especially likes looking for clothing and shoes.
The clean, inviting interior of the I-10 store is a monument to Sean’s dedication to his job. His friendly smile to customers and co-workers adds to the welcome, and helps make the store a pleasant place to shop or work.
March 2008
Melissa Taylor
Goodwill employee Melissa Taylor has come a very long way in a short amount of time. In January 2007, this single mother of three found herself at a crossroads in her life. She was preparing to return from maternity leave after giving birth to her third child. Her parents were both facing serious health problems. Her estranged husband was incarcerated. Her boyfriend (now also incarcerated) had used fear to control her and keep her in an unhappy relationship, convincing her that she could not support herself and her children without his help. To make matters worse, the nurse’s aide job she was returning to brought her in daily contact with relatives of both men, who served as constant reminders of her past and created a miserable working environment. “I was praying for a new start—a new beginning,” Melissa says.
Melissa got the chance for that new start when she attended a job fair and applied at Goodwill. She was hired as a cashier at the newly opened Champions store under the JOLI program, which provides support and training to help employees succeed. She threw herself into her new job and within a few months was promoted to a third key position. Her manager, Kathy Brister, says, “She was really focused on what needed to be done in the store, and that’s why she got promoted so quickly.”
It was then that she hit another rough patch. Both her parents became seriously ill, and she was so distracted that her work began to suffer. District manager Jeannie Lawson noticed that something was amiss and took time to talk to her to find out what was going on. Melissa credits Jeannie’s genuine concern and prayers with helping her regain her focus. Not long afterwards, she was promoted again, to assistant manager. She’s hoping to become manager of her own store very soon.
Goodwill Houston has helped Melissa find the confidence and self-esteem she needed to stand on her own, to provide for herself and her children. Now that she knows she can take care of herself, she’s determined not to jump quickly into another relationship. She’s come a long way in a year, and her future looks much brighter. She says, “I just feel like a human again.”
December 2007
Derrick Williams
The pulsing heart of Goodwill’s resale operations can be found in the warehouse and loading dock on the “backside” of the Hammerly location. There, the donations that are the lifeblood of the stores flow in and out by means of Goodwill’s fleet of blue and white trucks, staffed by drivers and truck helpers. One of those helpers, Derrick Williams, has a story to tell that demonstrates just how Goodwill changes lives.
Derrick came to Goodwill about six years ago, referred by a friend. He started out in the Personal Social Adjustment—Work Adjustment Training (PSAWAT) program, where he received mentoring and a job at the same time. Operations Director Jim Thompson recalls that things weren’t always easy for Derrick, or for Derrick’s supervisors. He had difficulties with anger management, and at times it was uncertain whether he would be able to continue working for Goodwill, but the staff were not willing to give up on him easily.
Things began to turn around for Derrick when he was paired with driver Gary Holloway, who made a personal commitment to helping him succeed. With this help, and with the strength of his own determination, Derrick made a remarkable transformation and has become an excellent employee. Jim Thompson says, “We’ve often remarked how much we enjoy the ‘new Derrick’… and he’s been ‘new’ for a couple of years now!”
Derrick recognizes Jim, Gary, Anthony Loville, and Charles Canton as the mentors who have enabled him to succeed at Goodwill. He enjoys his work, which allows him to be physically active and to move around while earning support for his two-year-old twin sons. Derrick continues to serve as a reminder to his co-workers and supervisors of what can be accomplished through persistence and the desire to succeed.
October 2007
Ginger Gabriel
Sixteen years ago, Goodwill Houston’s Swain Center welcomed a special new employee by the name of Ginger Gabriel. Since then, Ginger’s sweet smile and excellence in her job have been an encouragement to her co-workers and an asset to her supervisors.
Ginger works with about 49 other employees in the Contracts Department (Swain Center) at Goodwill’s Hammerly location. Her favorite task is packaging out-of-circulation shredded cash for the Federal Reserve, which gives it as souvenirs to tourists. She also works on assembling kits for Aviation Laboratories, and fulfilling other contract assignments for the Swain Center.
Shortly after Ginger left high school, she enrolled in Goodwill’s training program, and was employed by the Swain Center afterwards. Her favorite part of her job is being able to spend time with her co-workers and meeting new people. She says that she used to struggle to talk with people, but working at Goodwill has really helped her “come out of her shell” and make friends.
In her spare time, Ginger loves to read—in particular, she enjoys National Geographic Magazine.
Supervisor Nina Jones recognizes Ginger as an excellent employee who has contributed a lot to Goodwill’s ongoing success in the Contracts department.
September 2007
Clara Eastman
The expression “good things come in small packages” is certainly true for Goodwill of Houston employee Clara Eastman. Ms. Eastman is a petite lady with a lot of energy and determination. Clara has worked for Goodwill of Houston for 13 years, having started her career here immediately after high school. Clara recalls she first applied with Goodwill at the age of 16, but was told that she was too young and that she should come back when she was 18. So, after high school graduation, Clara returned to the Jensen location to complete her employment application. This time, Clara was told there were no vacancies and asked to call back in 6 months. Well, that’s what she did….and was hired immediately by former Human Resources Manager Mr. Hughes.
During Clara’s 13 year tenure, she has worked in the capacity of floor attendant at the Jensen and Little York locations. Currently, Clara tags the clothing donation at our NW Freeway (290) store. What Ms. Eastman most enjoys about her job is identifying the items that will be placed on the store floor for display. Clara says her funniest on-the-job story was when a co-worker, trying diligently to demonstrate the functions of a treadmill, placed the speed too high and slid off the back of the belt into the store wall. The co-worker was uninjured, and Clara still gets a great chuckle from remembering this incident.
This music lover is the proud “mom” of a 7 year old cat, Lady. Clara and Lady enjoy listening to the sounds of Janet Jackson and Bryan McKnight. As for future plans, Clara wants to continue to work in her current capacity with Goodwill of Houston. She enjoys her job and likes having her own money to pay bills. According to Floor Manager Herman Taylor, who describes Clara as a hard-working, dedicated, and punctual employee, her continued employment with Goodwill of Houston seems to be a win-win situation for all involved.