Evan crushes work as donation specialist; celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Evan is one of Goodwill’s most beloved donation attendants. Since starting the job two years ago, local donors look forward to chatting him up when they drop off gently used items. Evan was diagnosed with autism when he was six. Now in his twenties, he brightens our Augusta store every time he comes in. He works a few days a week, collecting donations from customers, and then sorting the products.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness month. We are thankful for our workers every day, but this month we recognize the important role people with disabilities play in our workforce. Our programs help people with disabilities (and everyone else too) find jobs, maintain employment, and reach their personal goals.

Evan started his journey to employment through Vocational Rehabilitation, where the Goodwill team helped him get a couple jobs. Vocational Rehabilitation is a Department of Labor program that assists people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep good jobs. His first experience was stacking wood at a local brewery. Evan decided he likes his job at Goodwill more, mainly because of the friends he gets to work with and because it offered more hours on a regular schedule. Evan is constantly learning new skills in his position. He is working on scanning book barcodes to electronically identify and categorize donated books, and working the sales floor where he gets to interact with even more customers.

Evan’s job is a perfect match for him and his skill sets. Evan’s mom told us he loves to organize, especially his massive bead collection. He finds it calming and loves sorting, which makes his job sorting at Goodwill such a great fit.

It seems like everyone in town knows Evan. He is an excellent photographer in his free time and likes to share his photos with a list of friends. Most days, Evan will send messages to his coworkers and Facebook friends with photos of things that makes him happy — hoping to spread his joy. Evan can often be heard telling those around him “good job” and “proud of you.”

Evan also attends the Goodwill Lifeworks program where he goes fishing, participates in sporting events, and meets new friends. He is also an avid hiker, conquering Maine trails with his family. Be sure to stop by our Augusta location and donation center to say hello to Evan!

To learn more about our programs, and get employment assistance visit www.goodwillnne.org/programs.