I love being a volunteer at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont because it helps me make connections.
I started out at Goodwill as a job seeker. I was new to Charlotte and needed to find employment and a place to live. I am also a veteran and I found a program at Goodwill that offered job seeking services for veterans and their family members. Through this program, I was able to attend a job training class, meet other veterans and connect with housing resources for homeless veterans. I met people with the same circumstances as myself and we were able to exchange information to get where we needed to go. From that point forward, I was able to help myself and wanted to do the same for others.
My first volunteer experience at Goodwill came while attending the Hospitality and Tourism training class. Our class was asked to volunteer for Goodwill’s annual Cornerstone event at the Westin in Charlotte. We were responsible for greeting the guests as they arrived for the event. Afterwards, we were free to enjoy the luncheon and hear other success stories from Goodwill participants. I loved the event and I look forward to attending it every year.
After that, I made it official and became involved with the Champions for Good volunteer program so I could offer my assistance to Goodwill on a regular basis. I have received numerous benefits while volunteering at Goodwill. Volunteering exposed me to potential employers, helped me increase job skills and enabled me to assist others. Sharing, learning and being inspired are experiences I have gained from being a Goodwill volunteer. I am Goodwill.
Jennifer Bingham is volunteer with Operation Independence at Goodwill. To learn more about available volunteer opportunities at Goodwill, click here or contact Manager of Community Engagement Kilby Watson at kilby.watson@goodwillsp.org.
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