Idalba
When you watch Goodwill’s new commercial featuring five of our employees, look for the warmth in Idalba Tabares’s eyes. There’s wisdom, a presence and a sense of pride. She is the key for many of our clients hoping to find a job. “I try to bridge goals between what a client wants, their capabilities, and finding an employer for that client,” says Tabares, the career counselor at the Berry Road Career Solutions Center near downtown Nashville.
The Colombia, South America, native has been in the United States 12 years. She and her entire family emigrated after an earthquake in 1999 ravaged their home city of Armenia. The family landed in New York, and after a few stints in several other cities, Tabares moved to Nashville in 2002.
Tabares worked in a customer service job before coming to Goodwill five years ago. When she came to Goodwill she says she found her true calling. “I work hard to find the right fit for every client and each employer I work with. Even if I’m tired at the end of the day, when I’ve made the right connections, I think that I have a sense of purpose, something we call, en vano, in Spanish.”
“When people come to my office, many of them don’t have a place to live or sleep and I do all I can to help them. Goodwill allows me to act as a guide to a better life. When someone who was once homeless and unemployed and is now successful comes back to visit, it means everything to me, to know that I had a hand in helping that client.”
This no-nonsense counselor says, “I dole out tough love. For many of my clients Goodwill is likely the last place, their last hope.” Her success speaks for itself. Tabares has one of the highest placement rates in Goodwill, placing 75 percent of her clients in jobs.
“When my clients let me help, and I see their success and their smiles, they make me feel I’ve done my job.” And as for being in the commercial, Tabares says, “I feel very proud of this company and that I help people change their lives. And the commercial makes me happy to share my own positive experience with people who can take advantage of the opportunities we offer.”
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