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GOODWILL WORKS AWARD Richard Mooney has never forgotten two lessons from his childhood. His father told him to do the very best he could at any job he was given, no matter what the job. His mother taught him to treat other people as he would like to be treated. This advice has been a mantra to Richard all of his life and through many ups and downs. When a back and leg injury ended his career as an auto mechanic in 2000, Richard’s life changed drastically. He was unable to do the job he was trained for and had practiced for many years, but he was unable to find a company that would give him a chance for a new career. For six years, Richard pursued every lead he could find with no luck and was forced to depend on family members, including his daughter Jennifer, to get by. Though Richard refused to give up, he began to resign himself to the possibility that he might not find the right opportunity and he would have to shuffle from family member to family member for the rest of his life. In early 2006, Richard heard about Goodwill and attended an informational session about Goodwill’s training programs and opportunities. Just a few days before his birthday in January 2006, Richard received the call that there was a position open for him. He was thrilled to become a member of the Goodwill Family. “It was just what I needed,” Richard says. “They told me the pay would be a lot less than I was used to as a mechanic, but after six years of nothing it was a lot to me.” Richard joined the staff at Goodwill’s Clearance Center in Greenville and excelled, adhering each day to his father’s advice to do the very best job he could do. In June of 2006, he was offered a full-time position as a Goodwill employee and a member of the management staff at the Clearance Center. “I was shocked,” he recalls of the job offer. “I thought I would be lucky to get a job as a cashier with Goodwill, but to be offered a job in management was just unbelievable.” One of the best parts of Richard’s job at the Clearance Center is the chance to give back to the clients he works with. “I feel like I can relate to them and to what they are going through, and maybe help build up their self-esteem,” Richard says. “I like to see people make the most of the chance they have with Goodwill and I’m glad I have a chance to help people in whatever way I can.” |
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