Not one to shy away from a hard day’s work, Sherry Porter, a single mother of three, was on a desperate search to find a job in 2007. She had been a manager at the U.S. Factory Outlet, but lost her job when the company went out of business. It was a job that Angie Griffin, a career counselor in the Clarksville Career Solutions office had helped Sherry find several years earlier.
Sherry was determined to provide a solid foundation for her children. But her path to success has been full of detours. She was a client of the Department of Human Services and the Families First program in the late 1990s. She had graduated from a computer skills class and was attending Tennessee Tech. But her plans were dealt a serious blow in 2000 when she had to quit school because of a serious illness.
Once Sherry recovered, Angie helped her find the job with U.S. Factory Outlet. “I met Sherry Porter when I was with the Department of Human Services. She was at a low point in her life.”
Seven years later, Sherry was out of work again when the outlet store closed and she again needed Angie’s help. Sherry went through a situational assessment and Angie saw great potential. “I knew Goodwill would benefit from Sherry’s retail experience.”
Sherry started working in the wares department, processing items. Thanks to Angie’s urging, she was soon hired as a cashier. But Sherry had bigger plans for herself and her three children. “I felt a bit stuck and wanted to improve myself so I took classes to become a certified nurse assistant.” Today, Sherry is the lead sales associate and is a graduate of the nursing program. “If something happens again, I knew I needed Plan B!”
As the lead sales associate, Sherry now oversees a staff of 20 at the Clarksville store, including Evelyn Stone who started with Goodwill as a cashier in September. Nine months earlier, Evelyn was laid off from her job wiring harnesses for RVs when the company she worked for downsized.
“I always shop at Goodwill and when I was at the store I noticed Career Solutions and went in.” Evelyn, who is 57-years-old, met with Angie for a situational assessment. Evelyn feels that most of the companies she applied to did not hire her because of her age. But age is not a factor at Goodwill. “I knew she was a keeper,” says Angie.
Angie brags that after Evelyn was offered a cashier’s job at the Clarksville store, several other companies also offered her jobs, including one with a significantly larger salary. “I didn’t want to go,” says Evelyn. “I am very happy working for Goodwill.”
Evelyn is also happy working for Sherry. “Everything I know about Goodwill I learned from Sherry. She’s a wonderful trainer. She treats me with respect.”
Now that Evelyn has landed at Goodwill, she says, “I hope I get to retire from Goodwill. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work.”
And Sherry’s hopes and dreams for herself and for her children are coming true. Not only does she have a job which provides the dignity and paycheck she desperately needed, she is also proud of what her children are accomplishing. Her 20-year-old daughter, Marie, is attending Strayer University. Her youngest son, Vincent, is 15 and plays football and basketball at Northwest High School. And her 18-year-old son, Christopher, is in the gifted program at Northwest. He has accepted a scholarship offer from Harvard University and will begin classes there in the fall.
Angie says she is very excited to see both women at the store. “I like the idea that Goodwill gives people hope. I can be a cheerleader and motivator.” And she adds, “My most favorite thing is seeing someone’s quality of life improve because of what we offer.”
Situational Assessments
Sherry Porter and Evelyn Stone both went through a situational assessment at the Clarksville Career Solutions Center before being hired full-time at the retail store. The situational assessment is a paid training program and gives counselors the chance to determine a client’s skills and abilities in the workplace. The assessment is a four-week process in which clients are paid minimum wage and work 20 hours a week in a Goodwill store.
“During that time, counselors work closely with store personnel to monitor the candidate’s progress and work ethic, including attendance, how they interact with co-workers and personal appearance and hygiene,” says Angie Griffin, a counselor with the Career Solutions Center in Clarksville.
Angie says she usually has three clients a quarter go through a situational assessment. “The ultimate goal is that they become employed by Goodwill.” Angie says about 90 percent of her clients have been successfully placed with the company.
About Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.
For over 50 years, Goodwill has provided job training and job placement free of charge to people with disabilities or other barriers to employment through the sale of donated items. For 2008, Goodwill has served 8,938 people and placed 2,292 in jobs in the community through the month of October. For more information on Goodwill’s Career Solutions, retail stores, and donation centers, visit giveit2goodwill.org or call 1-800-545-9231.
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