Read George's Amazing Story:
Mission Moment
George is a Navy veteran who served 15 years as a Gunner’s Mate. He left the service in early 2019 thinking it was time for a new adventure. What George didn’t know was that the world was getting ready to become a very different place.
George received his discharge in Norfolk, Va. and, the very next day, he headed out for Bradenton where his aunt and uncle lived. They had encouraged him to come visit and stay for a while. George planned to take advantage of his newfound freedom by going to the beach, sleeping in, checking out the local night life, and just having a good time. Unfortunately, his days of rest and relaxation came to a screeching halt with the arrival of COVID-19 as the state shut down.
Now George was bored and needed to find something to do. He looked around and found a few small jobs here and there. He bounced around with part time gigs through the summer and Christmas holidays. George found himself struggling due to the lack of routine and structure he was used to in the Navy.
By New Year’s, George realized he needed to find a full- time job, not only for a paycheck but also for his overall well-being. As he was driving near University Parkway he saw the Goodwill Veterans Services sign and decided to stop in to see what it was all about. Immediately, George felt at home. Here were other people like him he could relate to: veterans! George stayed at the office the rest of the afternoon, filling out intake paperwork and talking about what he had done and what he might like to do next. The Goodwill veterans’ service team helped George begin a job search that day.
Within a few days, George had a promising interview set up with a specialty boat trailer manufacture in Bradenton. He went to the interview and it all seemed to go very well. The operations manager really liked him and it appeared that George was going to be offered the job. The only problem was the opening wasn’t going to be available for 30-60 days – the wait was not going to work for George. He continued to job search. In the meantime, he attended the Lutz Buddy Up meetings and was really enjoying meeting and making new friends. This camaraderie was obviously something he had been missing since leaving the service.
After a while of job searching and a few unsuccessful interviews, and even considering re-enlisting, George was still unsure of what he wanted to do. He told the veterans services team that he needed some time to seriously think about his future and where he would like to call home. It turns out his next stop would be Washington state, where he had some good friends. He asked if the team might possibly help him find a job there before he drove across the United States. Without hesitation, the team agreed to help.
So began a job search of the region where George was going to be relocating. The team found a few jobs that interested George and he began applying online. Within a few days, George had received an email requesting a Zoom interview for a full- time position as an assembly technician at the Sleep Number Bed Company. George had a great interview, with mentions of advancement for the right candidate with his kind of qualifications. George was excited and accepted the job. He would start at $18 an hour with benefits. The start date for his new job was 10 days away.
George stopped by a few days before it was time to leave. He wanted to say, “good-bye and thank you for everything,” for all that the Goodwill veterans’ services team had done. He told Randy and Todd that they had helped him more than they could know. Not only did they help him find a job out of state but they also made him feel welcome, introduced him to the local veteran community, and allowed him to get some balance back in his life, just by knowing that he wasn’t alone.
Changing lives through the power of work!