Goodwill

Benton Young

“I love my job.”

Benton Young is an easy employee to be proud of. Our good fortune began when he joined our Long Term Service program in 2004. As a participant in Production and Contracts (PAC), he quickly developed job and social skills, such as attendance, punctuality and productivity.  After a brief stint in the PAC program, it became apparent Young was capable of more responsibility and greater challenges.  Though the transfer to the Powell store was not going to be easy, Young bravely made the move. 

When he arrived at Powell, Young rarely said a word and answered questions as briefly as possible. According to his father, this was not unusual behavior as Young even remained quiet at home. To help make the transition easier, Benton was assigned to the production area, away from the public. 

Day after day, Joan Maskell, a Goodwill Integration Specialist, worked hard to get to know her employee. Her patience was rewarded when Young began to tell her about himself.  Not only had he lived in various countries, he had also attended college.  She found out his favorite lunch consisted of ham on a hamburger bun, Doritos, two chocolate chip cookies and a Pepsi.  More time passed, and Maskell noticed Benton felt secure enough to stand next to her during the store’s daily meetings.  Before she knew it, he was reading over her shoulder.  Finally one day she asked, “Would you like to read the numbers?”

Fast forward two and a half years, and you will be hard pressed to recognize the once quiet Young. Not only does he now make announcements over the intercom at store meetings, but he even reads the sales and production numbers.  He is also known to enthusiastically praise his coworkers when they have done a good job.                         

Now Young is not willing to spend much time in the production area.  His favorite job is stocking items on the sales floor. He even shows off his customer service skills by assisting shoppers at the dressing rooms, or helping them find the unique items to purchase. 

Chris Psota, Long Term Services Case Manager, says if you visit the Powell store you will likely hear Benton singing while he completes his daily tasks.  He has even entertained coworkers with impersonations of Elvis and a dinosaur! Though there has been quite a transformation, there are still two things that remain unchanged.   Each day, Benton eats exactly the same lunch, and if you ask him how he feels about work, he still says, “I love my job!”