What Does It Take?: By Chloe Quinn

          What does it take to turn a client into an employee? This question could evoke debate, but two clear answers are evident when you look at the team at Goodwill, Ashtabula. Both Myles Beckwith and Kaylee Parmertor began their adventure at Goodwill as clients -- in the yO! (Youth Opportunity) and PRIDE (Personal Responsibility in Developing Employment) programs, respectively. They are both now seasoned employees, who bring their talents and skills to work with them every day, in turn making life better for those in Northeast Ohio. In their time here, they have both become highly valued members of our team.

Myles began his time at Goodwill as a yO! program participant in August of 2015. Within months, he realized that he would enjoy working here, and so in October of 2015, he applied and was hired into the position of General Laborer.  Since then, he has turned production in the wipers area around, out-performing prior production numbers in this area. Way to go, Myles—keep up the amazing work!

Kaylee began her journey as a PRIDE program participant in January of 2016.  When she was offered a chance to work here, she turned her chance into an opportunity, and took it in June of 2016. She now works as a General Laborer in the Goodwill, Ashtabula production area, and you will find her smiling face sorting and testing items in E&M (electronics and mechanical), or doing anything else asked of her. Congratulations, Kaylee; keep on moving up!

          The moral of this story is this: don’t let your story end in the middle of a sentence! There are many programs available to help individuals succeed here at Goodwill, no matter where they might be at in their story. We believe in the transformative power of work- and that belief shines through in our success stories such as these shared by Myles and Kaylee!