Goodwill honors employees, supporters

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Receiving awards for their work with Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries at a banquet May 13 were, from left, John Ogarek, graduate of the year; Harlan Jones, supervisor of the year; Jerry Scott, employee of the year; Kathleen Dutko, graduate of the year; and Toby Mirto, president of the Goodwill board of trustees, who made the presentations.

BOARDMAN

Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries honored employees and supporters May 13 at an awards banquet at Holiday Inn South. More than 200 guests attended.

The event acknowledged employees for exceptional performance during the past year, along with the vital community support received toward the organization’s primary focus to rehabilitate and teach job skills to those with disabilities and other barriers to employment.

Among those honored were a woman who initially came to Goodwill for services and ended up being employed at Goodwill for more than 30 years, a volunteer who had put in countless hours reading the entire Harry Potter series for Youngstown Radio Reading Services, a sheltered employee who recently moved into Goodwill Apartments and had to learn to live independently after the death of his father, and an individual who came to Goodwill from the Rescue Mission and now works in a full-time janitorial position as an off-site contract and has moved from the mission into an apartment.

Others receiving recognition at the banquet were:

Loretta Pritchett, amblyopia volunteer of the year; Marilyn Miller, YRRS volunteer of the year; Sue Miller, Junior Group volunteer of the year; Charles Masters & Co., Ohio Valley Energy Systems Corp., contributor of the year; Patrick Briceland, past president’s award; Goodwill’s Retail Division & Contracts Division, employer of the year; Salem, store of the year; Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley, special recognition; Mark Gasser, Gasser Chair Co., special service to Goodwill; Kenny Mowery, Tommy Sullivan, Tawanna Jordan, C.J. Simon, Ciera Jones, Lonnie Morris, John Weatherall and Kevin Washington, exceptional performance; Harlan Jones, supervisor of the year; John Ogarek and Kathleen Dutko, graduates of the year; and Jerry Scott, employee of the year.

Toby Mirto, president of the Goodwill board of trustees, presented plaques to award recipients. Michael McBride serves as executive director of Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries.