Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Persistent Pauneese: By Chloe Quinn


If you look up the word ‘persistent’ in the dictionary, it wouldn’t surprise me to find Pauneese Lewis’ name next to the word. She volunteered that “Pauneese” is actually a Native American name.  She is a Janitorial Worker at the Canfield garage, managed by Goodwill Industries.  Pauneese has been with our organization for almost two years, and in that time has amazed her bosses Dee Myers and Karen Thompson with her tenacity, attention to detail, and most of all, her persistence in getting the job done.

                Pauneese Lewis is a native of Youngstown, but now lives in nearby Campbell with her family. She  says “I love my job. You shouldn’t take work for granted.  All of the people are so nice, they come up to me and say that I do a good job, and that really touches my heart.” Pauneese’s job includes basic custodial work—cleaning buildings, mopping, washing windows, and keeping supplies stocked.

 One of the central things about Pauneese’s work ethic that amazed Dee was that she gets dropped off over a mile from her work place every day, and walks over a mile each way just to get to work. She does this in any type of Ohio weather, which we all know can be brutal- especially over the last couple winters, one of which was particularly frigid.

                Dee was also happily surprised in Pauneese’s work ethic, because she hasn’t missed a day of work at all, except when her mother passed away. Even then, she made sure to schedule her time off with ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) so as not to cause any problems at the garage.  Her dedication has been unparalleled in Dee’s experience, and she is happily surprised by Pauneese’s commitment to her job.

                “She is a phenomenal worker. She has never called off, she always smiles… and she walks over a mile each day in the weather, no matter what it is like outside.  Pauneese is a treasure, and we are lucky to have her as a part of the team,” Dee shared.

Karen Thompson, Supervisor of two Mahoning County and Trumbull county ODOT offices, Pauneese’s direct supervisor, also had this to say about Pauneese. “She is very conscientious about knowing what needs to be done.  She walks to work in the snow, rain and sleet and has not missed a day. It’s a big relief off of me that if I can’t get there, things are going to run smoothly.  She keeps up on what she needs to do, and is very good about letting us know if there’s something that needs to be taken care of.  She is a very good worker—I’m very proud of her.  She’s been a blessing.”


Workers like Pauneese are the backbone of what makes Goodwill a force in the industry. If it weren’t for people like her who take their jobs seriously, we would not have any of the success that we do. We give Pauneese kudos on a job well done, and wish her the best of luck in the future.


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