Our Employees:
Kenneth Deterville
Kenneth Deterville knows what it’s like to lend a helping hand…and to receive one.
In 2005, while Kenneth was beginning his first semester at Grambling State University, his family’s home in New Orleans’ 9th Ward was ravaged and destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. When he heard the news, he didn’t have to think twice about what to do. Kenneth left school immediately to assist his elderly grandmother as she moved to Texas to get back on her feet and start life anew.
“Coming up out of poverty, I knew what it was like to not have much and need a helping hand from others, so when it was one of my own who needed me, I knew what I had to do,” he said. “My family didn’t even have a television. They had no way of knowing that the storm was coming or how bad it would be. I felt their pain, and I wanted to help my grandmother. No matter what.”
Still, despite the assistance he gave to others, Kenneth eventually found himself searching for answers about how the disaster would affect his own future. He moved to Memphis to live near other family members with the hopes that the Bluff City would hold brighter days in store. With his college career on hold, Kenneth struggled to find work. That is, until he found Goodwill.
“I couldn’t find a job. I didn’t lose hope, but times were tough. I found a job and an extended family at Goodwill, and working as a donor greeter here has really helped my perspective. I love it here. We’re all just trying to make it in this world any way we can, but it does me good to be able to lend others a helping hand. I’m even planning on going back to school to pursue my music degree.”
Robert Montgomery
Robert Montgomery likes to take things slow. He takes his time to do the job right. He thinks carefully before he speaks, and when he starts something, he likes to stick with it until it’s done.
He started a job as a custodian at Goodwill 35 years ago, and he’s still sticking with it today.
“I just can’t see myself anywhere else. Goodwill is just about all I’ve ever known. It’s everything I want to know.”
Robert hasn’t let a slight mental disability hamper his positive attitude, and he’s set an example for other employees to follow for a span of almost four decades.
“I started here at Memphis Goodwill in 1974. A lot has changed, but a lot hasn’t changed. I still love my job. I do anything they ask me to do. I have a sense of pride in the store and the way it looks.”
And thanks to Robert’s hard work, it looks great.
“I’d do anything to help our customers or the folks who work here with me, because they’ve helped me so much.”
Felisha Fleming
Parents often feel the hardship of providing for their children when times are tough. Like most parents, though, Felisha Fleming is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure her loved ones are cared for.
After school, Fleming entered the job market and soon encountered difficulties in finding employment. Putting food on the table was tough enough, but having three small children made things even tougher. When she started at Goodwill in 2008, she was looking for a home and a way to get around town. In only one short year, she’s found both.
“It’s been hard to find a job. I tried so hard, but I just didn’t have much. But now, it’s great. I’ve got a steady income, and I’ve got so many new friends. My co-workers are great. We laugh. We have fun. Most importantly, we help others.”
Now, as Felisha maintains the sales floor at Memphis Goodwill, she sees a little bit of her own in every family that walks through the door.
Kim Taylor
“Wherever I’m needed.”
That’s how Kim Taylor responds when asked where she works in her Goodwill store.
For more than four years, Kim has gone above and beyond thanks to a positive attitude and willingness to help others. It hasn’t always been so easy, though. Kim recently lost both of her parents, and found herself looking for answers – for family.
She didn’t have to look far.
“Goodwill has been a great place for me to work. I’ve needed Goodwill more than Goodwill has needed me, that’s for sure. The company, from the top level all the way down, has been so supportive of me. It’s tough losing your parents, but my friends here at work know me, and they’re always there to give advice or a pair of ears to talk to. I even spend time outside of work with many of the folks who work here.”
It’s that kind of relationship that makes her come to work with a smile on her face every day.
“It warms your heart to know you have an extended family who will always be there for you. Whether times are good or bad, when your customer knows your name and is happy to see you…it doesn’t get much better than that.”