There was a sense of
pending excitement in the air…
The tables were adorned with centerpieces of mason jars filled with baby’s
breath, and the tablecloths were sprinkled with small stones encircling each of
these simple vases. The theme of this year’s annual awards banquet was
Stepping Stones to Greatness. There was a large crowd of highly animated
Goodwill friends in attendance this past May 4th, at an event help
at the Elk’s Lakefront Lodge.
The
banquet theme was introduced by Goodwill CEO Eric Schwarz. Harry had
written the words that explain its tie-in to this specific celebration. “We all
need stepping-stones of one kind of another to help us navigate our way through
the rough currents of life, places to rest of otherwise buoy us at those
instances we might otherwise flounder. Goodwill plays a pivotal role in
providing such support and assistance, and has done so for many years now in
accord with the sentiment expressed by its visionary founder, Dr. Edgar J.
Helms, back in 1902: ‘Friends of Goodwill, be dissatisfied with your work until
every handicapped and unfortunate person in our community has an opportunity to
develop his fullest usefulness and enjoy a maximum of abundant living.’ In
other words, as in our modern-day translations of Dr. Helm’s original idea, to
help each person who comes through our doors attain his or her own measure of
greatness.”
The night was full of laughter, chatter and good cheer, but the true
culmination of the evening came following the sumptuous dinner with the
granting of awards to the designated recipients we had chosen to honor this
year. Each of them had worked hard overcoming barriers to employment and they
shared their compelling and touching stories with courage and candor when in
turn they took the stage.
Esmond
Colvin, Achiever of the Year, had this to say. “Give a man a fish—you feed him
for a day. Teach a man to fish- you feed him for a lifetime,” wisdom Esmond
gleaned from the Bible.
He
added, “When I came to Goodwill in 2014, I was just looking for a job, but
because of my criminal background, a lot of companies around here turned me
down. “
Goodwill
functioned as a stepping-stone to help Esmond repent for mistakes in his past,
gain new respect for himself, and be provided the opportunity to pass it
forward—now in the leadership role his hard work has earned him, as Production
Supervisor at the home base location. “Goodwill gave me that second chance that
a lot of people do need. I remember this with every client we serve.”
Esmond concluded.
Graduate of the year, Randy Brown, is another true success story. He had
come to us about a year ago as a mental health consumer with no prior work
experience. His programming with us initially helped Randy come alive and
learn about work. In rapid succession he advanced himself and found greatness
at Guyreino’s Deli, working as a dishwasher. From having been an
“outsider,” Randy now has an integrated place in the social sphere, and
displays this pride through his impeccable work ethic.
Daniel Fox, a retail associate at the Andover Goodwill store, was named our
Employee of the year. Before coming to us in a work program, Daniel had
been unemployed since 2008, leaving an industrial career after having been
diagnosed with a psychosocial impairment.
Goodwill helped Daniel get a new lease on life and unearth new potential within
himself, greatness he never knew he had.
Many in the audience were touched by his speech and he was met by loud applause
when in this present confident mode he concluded by saying, “The gentleman you
see before you is not the gentleman who came to Goodwill in 2014.”
Our final award was for Employer of the Year, bestowed upon Tim Meola,
Guyreino’s Deli and Catering operator, an enlightened community business man
willing to extend a helping hand to help others—like Randy Brown—advance
themselves.
Tim shared that he had started working in the kitchen of his father’s enterprise
at the ripe age of 10. He also said that he learned very early on what
the true quality of a good employee was, and that having these either makes or
breaks your business. He expressed his thanks for having been chosen for
this award, and voiced his pleasure about having Randy join the ranks in his
kitchen crew. “He’s never missed a day of work,” Tim shares, to hearty
applause, “and it’s our most difficult job to fill.”
Overall, the night was truly memorable, full of revelry and fun, as well as
constituting a remembrance and honoring of what is at the heart of the Goodwill
mission.
These impressions will last in our memory for a very long time.
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