I've been to several Goodwill stores in many states over the years. Not just to drop off donations, but to browse the aisles and 'seek the unique'. However, today I wasn't there to shop. Instead I was meeting with a woman by the name of Roberta Bryan who has worked at the Surfside location for a couple of years now. While many customers usually leave the store with an item that will change up their look or the décor in their home, I left with a different outlook on life after hearing Roberta's story.
Roberta's smile didn't fade once. She has an incredibly stern handshake, and she knows that store like the back of her hand. As a matter of fact, Roberta's hands are what she uses to stroll through each department in her wheelchair. In August of 2001, Roberta suffered a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident, and now she's partially paralyzed. After seven years of physical therapy, she was ready to get back to work and was referred to Goodwill.
"I've overcome a lot of what the physician said I'd be doing at this particular time. I've built up my endurance tremendously and stand for a long period of time. It helps control my balance and I do therapy with my hands as well." Roberta said.
That's because she started in the back of the store sorting textiles. She used her fingers to squeeze the trigger of a retail gun to tag items and she frequently stood on her own for short periods of time. Many of her daily tasks challenged her to use her body the same way she did in physical therapy. Roberta didn't just want to work. She wanted to continue to progress and overcome the challenges of her disability. And that's just what Goodwill has been doing for the last three decades - helping people like Roberta beat the odds.
"Goodwill Industries specializes in working with people who have barriers to employment. Our mission is helping people achieve their goal through the dignity and power of work. Putting people to work is what we do," said Rick Shelley, Director of Workforce Development for Grand Strand Goodwill.
Roberta has since been moved to a new position. "My responsibility as a Goodwill greeter is to welcome the customer in a Goodwill smile and to make sure that the customer is directed. They might be lost in the store or looking for a particular item," Bryan said.
"She makes the shopping experience even more pleasurable. She has a great personality and she enjoys what she does and they enjoy her," Shelley added.
Goodwill is very interested in emphasizing the fact that individuals who have disabilities make great employees. "They are very loyal and have a desire to prove themselves to others that they are able to work in the workplace," Shelley said.
Roberta takes that desire and determination to work with her everyday and working at Goodwill has helped her to move forward. "I may not be able to do the things that you're doing, but I want to give it a shot and do my best at it. It might take me a little longer but I'm a fighter."
