Barry
Barry remembers little about the night of November 23, 1990. But he lives with the aftermath. He was in a devastating car wreck. He was 19, with a full ride to Tennessee State University, playing linebacker for the Tigers.
Barry was in a coma for six months. His first words after a long silence were, “Get me out of here.” Intense rehab followed and Barry’s parents weren’t about to let him off the hook. “My mom took me to the track every day and made me walk. Dad coached me at rehab. They double teamed me and pushed me to get better.” It worked.
Barry still has his gift of gab, a bit of a limp and an incredibly positive spirit. His tenure with Goodwill has included a long stint in the e-commerce department where he was surrounded by paper and a nurturing team. Barry’s job was to shred paper that the shipping department uses to cushion items bought on onlinegoodwill.com.
Today Barry is a state licensed security guard. He took part in Goodwill’s security guard training program and it’s his job to manage and maintain the flow of visitors to the corporate offices and processing center in Nashville.
Security guard training is just one of many programs offered through Goodwill’s Career Solutions vast array of classes. Although the security guard and an in-depth Microsoft Office class are fee-based, all other job search, job skills and computer classes are free, and financed primarily through the sale of items donated to Goodwill. For Barry, the sale of donations through our retail stores helped underwrite the cost of his security guard training.
Barry has really taken to his new position,” says David Pippin, Goodwill’s loss prevention manager. “He is an important asset to this company. And not long ago, on a particularly busy day, I was concerned that the work might overwhelm him.” Pippin went on to recount a conversation he had with Barry that day, “Do you remember that six months ago I was shredding paper? This is great!”
“Goodwill gives me respect. Everyone works together here, especially my team, my heroes,” says Barry. “We’re like family. Goodwill is a blessing to me.”
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