Employee Spotlight: Faith Jones
Thereâs an undeniable earnestness and energy to Faith Jones. You can sense it in her every movement, whether sheâs greeting a colleague with a smile or pricing products at Goodwill of North Georgiaâs Cornelia store. Jones is a store associate there, primarily stationed in the linen department where she sorts and prices donated items. âI absolutely love it,â Jones says of her job. She cites the positionâs organized structure and low-stress environment as the reasons the job is right for her. Finding the right job for Jones didnât happen instantly. She originally worked at a fast food chain, where the pace was hectic, and the demands were stressful.
âI have anxiety, and working fast food was overwhelming,â says Jones. Referred to Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) by her uncle, Jones connected with a VR counselor who encouraged her to check out Goodwillâs Workforce Development program in Cornelia. In the program Jones underwent work evaluation in the competitive work environment of the adjacent Goodwill store and donation center. âWhen I was a participant I was a runner,â she says. Learning about the storeâs different processes and departments intrigued Jones. She worked hard and took in as much information as she could. When her program training neared its end, a store manager approached Jones about joining the team full-time. âI was so excited,â she beams. Jones accepted the job offer and applied her knowledge from running product during her training to linen processing as an employee.
December is Jonesâs six-month milestone as a store associate. Still loving the job, she is grateful to work in a place that doesnât heighten her anxiety. A factor she says was key to her success was support from her Goodwill case managers, job coaches and VR counselors. âI had very sweet and nice counselors,â she says. âThey couldnât have found a more perfect fit for me for a job.â