GETTING TO KNOW yO!: By Chloe Quinn

          What is yO? It stands for “youth Opportunities” and it is a program geared towards young adults here in the Ashtabula area that serves youth between the ages of 16-24.  It is funded through the Ashtabula Department of Job and Family Services, and is officially ran by a lady named Shae Ballard.  “Miss Shae”, as she is affectionately known, has been running the program for some time, and the clients enjoy her support and guidance. “The program has been going on for over 17 years. I’ve been involved for six, almost seven years now,” Shae shared. “Jeff Seth, my boss at A-Tech, created yO! and has run it from the beginning. It allows for a great amount of creativity. We think outside of the box with our youth, and gear it towards both work and education.”

          The program has two tenets—year-round, and the summer program.  The year-round program hosts over 170 active youth.  The summer program currently has about 120 participants, but can manage up to 250—summer applications for this year are still being processed. Last  year, the yO! program hosted over 500 youth.  “Our program grew tremendously last year,” Shae said. “We have great partners in our community. They have opened their arms and welcomed our youth.  Some of our partners include Goodwill Industries, Lakeside High School, and the cities of Conneaut, Kingsville, Geneva, and Ashtabula, to name a few. We have had a huge response from the community.”

“We do a lot more education and case management with our year-round youth,” Shae continued. “We work with Catholic Charities to help them with financial literacy. In our TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) population last year, 40% had a self-reported disability, 20% spoke English as a second language, and about 20% of our youth were homeless.” Shae and her team work with the participants to develop life skills, work skills, and to transition to a place of self-sufficiency.

          The program has grown steadily over the past several years, and Goodwill does its part in hosting about 12 yO! participants each summer, beginning each June when school lets out.  The youth spend full or part-time here at Goodwill, get a feel for the world of work and complete their assignments working in many areas of the production floor.  They are involved in all aspects of service, from sorting and pricing the clothing items, to testing electronics, to moving priced and sorted items onto the sales floor. 

          Three yO! clients have ever-so-kindly volunteered to share a little bit about themselves with you, so that you could get to know them, and our program, better.  Thank you Alex, Nick, and Joleynie for your willingness, and we wish you good luck as you give it your best this summer!

What Are You ‘Wading’ For?: By Megan Myers

          The weather is a cool 75 degrees and the sun is shining without a cloud in the sky. It’s a perfect day for the beach! As I enter Walnut Beach, I notice a dad pushing his little girl on the tire swing, a brother and sister swinging on another swing, their heads nodding back in giant fits of laughter, and a group of small children building sandcastles in the sand. I park my car and walk around to the concession stand. I see a long counter, with bar stools lining it all around, and an arcade in the back. The menu has tons of different options. There’s hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries, your typical concession stand food, BUT there’s more! There’s candy, pop, water, chips, ice cream, chicken fingers, onion rings, dilly bars, and more! The list goes on and on.

          Walnut Beach concession stand opened on Memorial Day, and for the next three years, it is being ran by Goodwill Industries. Lily and Pat man the food making and cash register all themselves. Goodwill is in the process of hiring more employees, and once they do, breakfast food is in the works, and who doesn’t love breakfast food?!

          When I told Pat I was going to be writing an article about them for the newsletter, she said “Are you gonna tell them we live down here? We might as well bring a blanket and toothbrush!” However, when I asked Lily what her favorite part of working the Walnut Beach concession stand was, she said, “You can’t beat the view.” Not many people can say they are able to look at Lake Erie all day while they work.

          On a nice, sunny day like today, Walnut Beach will get about 50-100 beach-goers who play in the water, lay out in the sand, or play on the playground. Lily says about 25-30 people will end up coming to the concession stand at one point or another. Especially when it’s hot, ice cream and pop are a BIG hit.

          Come on down to Walnut Beach where everyone can relax in a clean, well lit place. We’d love to see you!

Stephen Ross - A Versatile Straight-Shooter!: By Harry Corbissero

              The dictionary defines “straight-shooter” as someone who is both honest and sincere, and – in Steve Ross’s case—can also paint straight lines, with total aplomb.

           If you’ve ever tried to paint a straight line, you know it’s no easy feat; yet Steve does it unwaveringly—his handiwork can be seen throughout the home base facility, as well as wherever else in our operation we may require straight lines, as in Steve’s recent helping hand in refurbishing the now Goodwill-operated Walnut Beach concession stand.

            Of course this master linesman does a lot more than just paint straight lines (as difficult as these are to manifest), but everything this excellent employee does is accomplished with an equal degree of diligence and finesse; he is a straight-shooter in each and every regard.

          Steve is married and the father of two boys, and is also a cancer survivor.  When the cancer developed, he had to leave his factory job and fortify himself for a series of grueling surgeries over an interval of several years.  During this time, Steve had not only been unable to work, but had also become quite isolated from the world. “I had been in my own dark space,” Steve explained, adding “upon my recovery, Goodwill helped me get back into the light and restore myself.”

          This happened close to nine years ago when Steve had been hired by Goodwill to be a maintenance worker at the Conneaut rest area, a position he occupied for about five years.

          “I knew I could do more,” Steve said, and when the job he presently does became available about three years ago, Steve jumped at the opportunity to expand his potential, as he genuinely has.

          Even though Steve’s title is Janitorial Worker, he explains: “I’ve been everywhere and done a lot of varied stuff. I’ve painted, built shelves, built walls, laid concrete and tile floors. I’ve been told that in the near future I’ll be going to Harborcreek to help remodel a new Goodwill site. I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands.”

          Steve states he owes a great deal specifically to Goodwill Facility Manager, Terry Hudson, who has functioned somewhat as a mentor to Steve, as well as being a supervisor.  “He has a lot of faith in me,” Steve concluded, “and has always been a source of encouragement.”

          Yet out of all the work Steve has done for Goodwill, he states he is most proud of his straight line prowess. “This handiwork will hopefully remain intact long after I’m gone, and that makes me feel real proud.”

          Steve is a person who has quite literally left his mark here at Goodwill, in more ways than one.

Above: Steve’s handiwork and exceptional artistic ability shine through

 in the “Goodwill Lines” that adorn many a wall in the Goodwill family of stores.

Terry Roys - A Man with a Profound Message: By Harry Corbissero & Chloe Quinn

           You know that hymn, Amazing Grace? It has a line in it, “I once was lost but now I’m found; was blind but now I see.” This line takes on a particular poignancy listening to Terry Roy’s life story.

          Terry is a motivational speaker who found his True Calling a very hard way.  He has a very powerful message to share, which he did with our PRIDE class this past June 7th.  Loud and clear, his message stated, “Learn to see through the eyes of the heart.” Curiously, he himself had to become physically blind for this message to penetrate. Thirty years ago, he had been high and mighty, driving drunk, and was involved in an accident in which he lost his sight (along with a good portion of his face) and almost died.  

            It’s almost as this calamity had not only functioned as a wake-up call to Terry, to jar him out of his smug stuporous complacency, but also constituted a requirement for his message to have the power it does.

          Terry now serves to illume the lives of others—those suffering in addiction or in some other manner missing the mark—so we can learn to live life as the sacred event it really is.

          Terry is a kind, caring, softly-spoken individual.  He has a great sense of humor, is full of wit and warmth, and is not afraid to laugh at himself or at life.

          Terry is a recovering alcoholic, and spends his leisure time sharing with those who are learning about chemical dependency or those who are recovering themselves.  He has spoken at such local treatment centers as Turning Point, and has also spoken at weekend situations where people are given a course to help them turn their lives around before something tragic happens. Although full of smiles and laughter, Terry is well aware of the negative effects that alcohol and drugs can have on one’s life.

          Alcohol and drug abuse is why Terry lost his sight.

          It was a summer day in 1982, and Terry was driving home from a concert in Erie.  He was under the influence, he says.   He then remembers nothing until waking up in the ICU days later.

          It’s incredible to think that there are days (or hours or moments) that could change your entire life. This was a day that changed Terry’s life—forever.

          Many of us take a lot for granted. We complain about all of the little things, while forgetting to notice all the amazing things about each day that is granted to us: the sun shone today, today I can walk/talk/breathe unassisted, today I can wake up and see my child.  These gifts we are given are sometimes all-too-quickly taken from us, and it is important to remember to count yourself lucky if you are still given the daily gift of living a relatively unassisted life.

          However, for those of us who are forced to make do with a different set of attributes, nature has a way of evening out the scale.  Terry has a keen sense of hearing.  He is able to sit in a meeting of a few dozen people, and follow along with the conversation just as well as anyone who was sighted.

          Terry is a great example of rising above your challenges, whether they be big or small.  He is an example of not being afraid to learn a new way of being, even – years into the game.  His story shows us that there is a way to overcome your obstacles, even if they seem insurmountable.

          His story is awe-inspiring, and shows the triumph of the human spirit. Terry shares: “I always give credit to that Spirit…that Spirit of Love that moves everything around us. It’s not me; it’s that Spirit working within me.”

          Terry is Pure Love, and so is his message.

Above: Terry Roys, smiling after he shared with the PRIDE class on June 7, 2016.

A Proper Introduction: By Matthew McCray

        You might be wondering who that guy in the back office at the Summit store is, or perhaps you have been wondering just what it is that he’s doing. The answers to both questions are not easily answered, but like all good things, we’ll start with a proper introduction. To answer the former, “that guy” is me. My name is Matthew McCray. I was born and raised in Corry, PA, not too far from Erie. I went to Edinboro University for my undergraduate degree and for my MA in Social Sciences. I have spent the last decade in Pittsburgh, PA, working in the Workforce Development field. Somewhere along the way, I got my MA in Industrial Organizational Psychology, met my wife (Nicole), started a family, and had probably way too much fun doing all of it. I have been with Goodwill for about a year and a half thus far in my career. It had long been a dream of mine to work for the organization once I learned about our mission in my youth. When I got the chance to do so, of course I took the opportunity. Formerly, I ran a transition program in Pittsburgh to assist youth with disabilities to transition into adulthood and the workforce.

          I know what some of you may be thinking: “What!? Why would anybody want to move to Erie from the bustling metropolis of Pittsburgh!?” Well, the answer to that is simple and begins to answer the latter question that was posed. Being in the Workforce Development field in a major metro area is rewarding, but there are many hands pulling on the rope to coax progress in the right direction. In the Erie area, the same rope has less hands pulling on it, making progress difficult. While I could have done the easy thing in life and stayed where I was, I felt a special calling to return to my home to take the wheel and right the listing ship. I knew my presence and what I can bring to the table would mean more at this Goodwill, and the areas we serve, than it could anywhere else.

           When I had the opportunity to come to this Goodwill, I took it. I packed up my family and all of our belongings into a 26-foot truck, four cars, and a minivan, and moved to the Erie area. So what is it that I am doing here? I am here as the Mission Services Developer to install as many of the 53 Workforce Development programs Goodwill offers as we can.

           These programs serve nearly every conceivable nitch and demographic. We have employment programs for both youth and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. We also have programs for veterans. There is not a population that we cannot reach once we have built our Workforce Development programs to match what other Goodwills have done across the country. Soon, you will see clients begin to work at our stores from some of the programs we are starting. This is just the first step towards the grand vision that we have laid out. The only way we can achieve our goals, is if we all work together. I have had the pleasure of getting to know many of you here, thus far, and I can tell you that we have a lot of talent and passion in our midst. We will need all of it to get where we want to go.

          So there you have it. Next time you are walking by the office, feel free to stop by and say hello. It will be awesome to get to know everyone that I work with. As the hero Commodore Perry once said “Don’t give up the ship.” With all of the talent we have, and the vision of a brighter economic future for our region, we have no need to.

Above: Matthew McCray, as seen standing second 

from the left, who is our Mission Services Developer.