Editor’s note: In these challenging times, when so much is written about what is wrong in the world, this story seemed “right” for ISSA Today on so many levels: Right in that it shows what amazing feats can be done by determined individuals, “right” in that it puts a face on just one of the millions of individuals who are helped through charitable donations, and “right” in that it shows the unique role our industry has an opportunity to play in today’s economy and our communities.
As president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, I’m fortunate to hear inspiring stories from people who have faced challenges in their lives and built fulfilling careers with Goodwill’s help. One such individual is Michael Bulling, who received this year’s Kenneth Shaw Graduate of the Year award, one the most prestigious honors given by widely recognized ISSA-member Goodwill Industries International, which is headquartered in Rockville, MD.
If you’re one of the 30 million people annually who travel through the Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) International Airport in Washington, you may have seen him hard at work. Bulling is a custodian for Capital Building Maintenance, which services the airport. He works with a team to keep the airport’s D concourse clean. His daily duties include cleaning restrooms, dusting chairs and signs, sweeping floors, removing trash, and doing whatever is needed to keep the D concourse a clean and welcoming place for travelers.
On the job, colleagues are quick to point out his friendly personality. “Mikey knows almost everybody on D Concourse—from TSA [agents] to the Port of Seattle employees, to the other janitors and the food court workers,” says Kimberly Major, one of Bulling’s coworkers.
Bulling’s friendly personality is a perfect complement to his strong work ethic. “Mikey’s a very ambitious person, a go-getter,” says Deborah Fletcher, a foreman for Capital Building Maintenance. “He lets you know right off the bat that he can do it.”
$5 Million Baby
Bulling has always had a can-do’ attitude, even as a child facing numerous health challenges. Born three months premature with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, Bulling weighed just 1.5 pounds and stayed in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit for several months. His mother, Kyu Chon, had to go through weeks of training to care for Bulling before she could take him. His medical care during this period amounted to US$5 million.
Doctors diagnosed Bulling with cerebral palsy and a learning disability. According to his mother, Bulling didn’t speak until he was five years old. Yet he worked hard in school, graduating from Tacoma’s Lincoln High School in 1995. He worked a few jobs out of school, but his career didn’t take off until he went with a friend to visit Tacoma Goodwill Industries.
Goodwiil & a Good Industry
Bulling walked through the front door of Goodwill in 2007 and started receiving services through the Tacoma Goodwill’s Choices program. He strengthened his interviewing skills and learned how to approach employers as he was looking for work. After hearing about a possible job opportunity with Capital Building Maintenance, Bulling’s determination kicked in. “I really need to have a job right now so I’m not going to beat around the bush,” he said to his future employer. He then said the words that started his new career: “Just give me a chance, and I’ll show you what I can do.”
Bulling’s employer gave him that chance and, as Bulling likes to say, “I took the ball and ran with it.” Once he secured his job, Bulling worked with Leah Warner, a case manager in the Goodwill’s supported employment program. She met with Bulling on a weekly basis and helped him work through the challenges he faced at work, discussing solutions to these challenges. For example, Warner helped Bulling navigate transportation and move from a day shift into a late afternoon and evening shift. She also worked with Capital Building Maintenance on Bulling’s behalf and served as a mediator to help Bulling succeed at work.
Building Careers
Last year, Goodwill Industries served more than 2.4 million people in the United States and Canada through its numerous job training and community-based programs. Bulling is a perfect example of someone who earned his job and built his career with Goodwill’s help.
Many people know Goodwill as a shopping or donation destination, but there is so much the organization is able to do, thanks to donors’ generosity. Last year alone, more than 74 million donors cleaned out their closets and garages and donated their gently used clothing, housewares, and electronics to Goodwill. Those donations were sold in Goodwill stores, and revenues went to fund Goodwill’s mission of providing job training, employment placement services, and other community-based services to help people earn jobs and live independently.
When people donate to Goodwill, they are helping dedicated Goodwill professionals like Warner help people like Bulling receive the support services they need to build their careers. Goodwill helps people with disabilities, those who lack education or job experience, and others facing challenges to finding employment. I’m proud to say that in small and large communities alike, there are Goodwill professionals hard at work, helping people like Bulling to earn paychecks and feel the pride and dignity that work brings.
The 165 local and independent Goodwill agencies in the United States and Canada prepare people to work in a variety of fields, including janitorial services, health care, green construction, financial services, and retail. In addition, Goodwill agencies have contracts with government agencies, military bases, businesses, and nonprofits to provide skilled employees to fulfill duties such as janitorial services, groundskeeping, food service, packaging and assembly, and many others. Custodians working in Goodwill’s contracted services clean more than 90 million square feet daily — the equivalent of cleaning the Empire State Building 33 times every day!
Employing People with Disabilities
As a person who is legally blind, I know first hand the challenges people with disabilities face in finding work. I started losing my eyesight as a child, going completely blind in college. After I graduated with an engineering degree from Purdue University, I applied for employment and received 50 rejection letters. The only company that took a chance on this blind engineer was AT&T.
People with disabilities have a higher rate of unemployment at 15.6 percent, compared to 9.1 percent of the general population, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. As a leading provider of job training and career services, Goodwill urges employers to hire people with disabilities and focus on what they can do, not on what they can’t.
Wendy Martindale, who manages the supported employment program at Tacoma Goodwill Industries, focuses on the positive aspects of hiring people with disabilities when speaking with employers. “When [employers] hire somebody with a disability, [that employee] will actually retain their employment longer than most people,” says Martindale. “They’re motivated to work, and they really want to be there. Many need little to no accommodations to do their jobs.”
From Janitor to Disability Advocate
Anyone who has met Bulling knows that he doesn’t let his disability stop him from growing in his career or fulfilling his dreams. He has big plans for himself. “I see myself in five or ten years working as a consultant with people with challenges and disadvantaged needs or alongside the Port of Seattle and the CEO,” he says.
Bulling already serves as a speaker during events, including at the local Neighborhood Boys & Girls clubs and in front of organizations advocating on behalf of people with disabilities. He recently achieved another dream of his by serving as an advocate for employing people with disabilities, lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill — a role he says he’s happy to fulfill. “They need an advocate like me — somebody who has guts, someone who is not afraid to speak up and speak out,” Bulling says.
Perhaps Bulling’s positive influence is most evident in the reactions of people who hear him speak. “I think Bulling is a good role model for people finding work because he did it, no matter what [people] said,” said Bradley Leeper, a young man currently receiving career services at the Tacoma Goodwill. “They said he couldn’t make it. He proved them wrong.”
For more information on employment, donation, and other Goodwill Industries International programs, contact Charlene Sarmiento at charlene.sarmiento@goodwill.org; phone, 2240-333-5590. Or visit www.goodwill.org.
