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When you contribute to Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio, your dollars, donations and volunteer time support Goodwill's mission to help disabled people and those with barriers to employment find work.
 Juanita Sutton was referred to Goodwill Industries for janitorial/housekeeping training in May 2007. She had a history of being unable to hold a job, and had limited job skills. She completed her training in two months, and was an outstanding student, eager to learn and develop skills that would help her obtain and maintain a job.
In July, she started working with a Goodwill job placement specialist and when an opening became available in the Goodwill janitorial contracts department, she was hired in August 2007. Today, she works 32 hours per week at 3 different contract sites. Goodwill’s associate director of janitorial contracts says that, “Juanita is a very conscientious worker, I’d like to have 10 more just like her.”
Juanita reports that she loves working for Goodwill, and feels a great sense of pride in being successful at her job.
Congratulations to Juanita Sutton, our shining star of the month.
 Scott Noble reviews blue prints at his new job.
The employment search chapter of Scott Noble’s autobiography has a happy ending, thanks to Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio. Scott is now assistant engineer in the City of Bryan, Ohio, engineering department.
Scott’s previous experience was in the automotive, delivery and construction industries. He is a family man with a wife and children. Recently, Scott found himself among the unemployed, looking for work. On his quest to find a job, Scott learned of Goodwill’s Families Achieving Success Together (F.A.S.T.) program.
While taking the interview workshop at the Bryan, Ohio F.A.S.T. Program, Scott discovered it was important to be himself in an interview. Through the program, he learned appropriate behavior and responses to use during an interview. Scott said the course handbook really helped him. He used it when he wrote his resume and said it was a very good tool for someone seeking employment.
Prior to his two interviews, Scott studied the handbook. His final interview was before the Bryan City Council, department head and the mayor. “The insight and confidence Nicole Brown, regional education and community services specialist, gave me helped a lot. She is a great people person,” Scott said. “The program is really great.”
Scott plans to register for additional classes through Goodwill’s F.A.S.T. program.
Andrew Boss finds his job most rewarding when he is busy.
Andrew Boss is a Whitmer High School alumnus. The Toledo graduate gained valuable work experience participating in the Washington Local Work Study Program as an assistant to the custodians at Washington Junior High, Toledo. As a Whitmer high school senior, Andrew was linked to Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio through the Washington Local Schools’ Option IV Job Training Program. This program is designed to give its students a chance to sample the job market in a supported setting before they graduate.
Once he had completed Goodwill’s comprehensive vocational evaluation, Andrew was placed in Goodwill’s janitorial training program. He enjoyed cleaning and learning proper custodial techniques, but he was most fond of the camaraderie. “I liked the group training. It was more fun as a group than working by yourself,” Andrew said.
In August 2006, He received his certificate of completion from Goodwill’s janitorial training program. Andrew was hired by Goodwill in the transportation department, where he enjoys working the baler most because it keeps him busy. “Andrew is doing a fine job. He is a great worker and is here everyday. Under these work circumstances, you need dependable people like Andrew,” said Noel Farmer, Goodwill’s safety compliance supervisor.
 Tim O’Hare turned to Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio’s employment services program for assistance. Diagnosed with end stage renal disease from birth, Tim's first experience of renal failure occurred in 1986. By 2004, he had undergone one kidney rejection and two kidney transplants; the first one was the same day as his mother’s kidney transplant.
A husband, a father of two children and a fighter, he still desired to bring home a paycheck. Unfortunately, companies were reluctant to hire Tim since he was on dialysis for a third time and would have to miss at least three days work per week. “No one wanted to hire me," said Tim.
Numerous rejections for employment, left him feeling hopeless and dejected, until his Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) counselor referred him to Goodwill.
Tim was paired with Don Morgan, Goodwill’s community employment services manager. “Don was able to help me establish contacts. His leads gave me a different perspective. It gave me the support I needed at the time," said Tim.
Eventually, Tim was hired with Sterling Services, a food service management company. He has developed a corporate dining program to provide customized dining services for companies. It has been two years since his third transplant. Amidst all of Tim's health problems, he has received a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice and also a culinary arts degree from New York. Tim could not be happier. To show his appreciation, he speaks with dialysis patients to encourage them to hold on and remain positive.
 Unemployed and registered with Lucas County Job and Family Services (LCJFS), Sandra Harkins was determined to get a job. LCJFS required Sandra to do 30 hours-per-week job training with a local organization. LCJFS referred her to Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio for job training and placement.
Sandra’s LCJFS referral to Goodwill proved to be her last stop. Sandra learned hands-on classroom instruction techniques such as floor cleaning and resurfacing, proper chemical maintenance and equipment use - through the agency’s janitorial training services program.
After she completed Goodwill’s six-week training program for LCJFS consumers, Sandra returned to Goodwill to complete some volunteer hours. Sandra’s volunteer work attracted the attention of two directors, and she was employed by Goodwill as a job coach for the janitorial/car detailing training programs.
Beginning this fall, Sandra will start training people referred through the Bowling Green Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation. The consumers will be trained at the Bowling Green Goodwill store. Her responsibilities will include assisting the janitorial training program and, once the program begins, auto detail training.
“Sandra has an effervescent personality,” said Richard Rife, janitorial training manager. “She is patient with clients and is willing to learn how to be a job coach.”
Sandra said she has learned a lot in Goodwill’s training program. “It provides good, hands-on work experience. The program has helped me learn how to do my job well,” Sandra said.
 Steven proved to be a good choice for Goodwill’s contracts department.
Steven McClure is familiar with barriers and most of them in his life have been health related. But, he has remained persistent in his efforts to be self-sufficient. Steve has lived with a neurological condition known as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for most of his life. He is also a diabetic and recently had back surgery to repair his two herniated discs. Before he injured his back, Steve worked for a candle company. Shortly after he returned to work from his medical leave with an impaired back, Steve learned that his job was being eliminated due to the company’s financial hardship.
Steve decided to take a different direction. Instead of immediately searching for employment, he decided to slow down and take time to learn how to improve his coping abilities with ADHD. His goal was to understand how to deal with the disease and to enter his next job better prepared. That’s when Steve learned of Goodwill’s janitorial training and job placement programs.
In the fall of 2005, he enrolled in the janitorial training program. “I wanted to brush up on my janitorial skills, and the training at Goodwill was very extensive,” said Steve. He completed his training in November and now works at three different job sites for Goodwill’s contracts department.
Feedback concerning Steve has been positive. Michele Bell, janitorial supervisor, said, “He’s very good and everyone is happy with him.”
Contracts clerk Ruth Romero said, “When Steven comes to work with me, he pretty much knows what to do, and he’s good to go. He also has a great personality.”
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