Goodwill Programs:  South Boulevard JobLink, Vocational Services and E-Cycling Training

“Goodwill is one of the best things I’ve found in the United States.”

Lauro immigrated to the United States from Ecuador to find a better life for his twin daughters and son, joining his older daughter and her family in Charlotte.   It was hard decision since Lauro’s wife was not eligible to come with the family. “We did it for the children and the educational opportunities they would have,” Lauro explained through an interpreter.  “It is worth the sacrifice if we can make their lives better.”

In Ecuador, Lauro was a radio broadcaster on a popular station in Guayaquil and the owner of a small repair shop for electrical devices and small appliances. Always an entrepreneur, Lauro began a small business in Charlotte selling discarded goods at local flea markets. With his physical disability and language barrier, Lauro was not sure if he could find a job with a more secure future.

When Lauro visited the South Boulevard JobLink operated by Goodwill, his life began to change. With a referral from the NC Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, he was provided evaluation and vocational services at Goodwill. The Goodwill staff quickly realized his mechanical aptitude and desire to work.

Lauro was one of the first trainees selected for Goodwill’s E-Cycling Training Program, which teaches individuals to refurbish or de-manufacture older computers. With the help of his trainer, language and physical barriers were overcome.

Lauro’s new skills and outstanding work ethic were rewarded when he was hired to be a permanent member of Goodwill’s E-Cycling staff.

“Goodwill helped my dream of a new life come true,” Lauro said.

Now with a new career and a job to support his family, Lauro looks forward to his wife joining the family in the United States.