01 Apr Eric’s Story

If you need someone to brighten your day, just visit the Donation Express Center in Hermitage and ask for Eric. The 23-year-old is one of the sweetest and most polite people you will ever meet, and his smile can light up a room. “Eric is always smiling, and it makes my day,” says John Holeman, Eric’s supervisor. “He loves his job.”

When Eric was 17, he attended Goodwill’s summer youth program. Then in 2011, Goodwill hired him as a donation attendant. Today, Eric spends his days putting the donations in the proper place on the trailer, and he stays pretty busy, but he always makes time to greet the donors. “I just smile, be kind and keep the donors happy,” says Eric. “I know most of the donors by name.”

Eric will celebrate his two year anniversary with Goodwill this summer, and you could say he is a model employee. “Eric is a hard worker, and he’s dependable,” says Holeman. “He is always on time, and he’s never called out sick.”

While his work ethic is to be commended, it is still his smile and customer service that set him apart from all the rest. “People are kind to me, and I’m kind to them,” says Eric. “I enjoy helping people.”

It’s the perfect job for someone who cares so much about others. “He treats everybody the same way,” says Holeman. “You can’t help but love Eric.”

Watch Eric’s story: