Sandra Martin been named Graduate of the Year by Goodwill of Southwest Florida
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. has honored Sandra Martin of Naples as its 2008 Graduate of the Year. Goodwill's employment placement service helped Martin, who is totally blind, find a job as an outreach coordinator at Visually Impaired Persons (V.I.P.) of Southwest Florida.
When Martin lost her eyesight two decades ago, she was a young homemaker with a newborn daughter to care for. “I taught myself how to do things on my own, things like walking with the cane,” she says. “But I was really dependent on other people.”
Martin recalls the moment when she realized she needed to take charge of her own life. “Someone told my 16-year-old daughter that she’d be taking care of me for the rest of her life,” she explains. “That’s such a big responsibility for a child, to think that they’d have to take care of their parent.”
Determined to become more independent, Martin traveled to the Daytona for eight months of rigorous coursework with the Division of Blind Services. She studied everything from typing to assertiveness. “I had no computer experience or typing skills," she says. "I grew up a lot there. I finally found myself at the age of thirty-nine.”
But even after intensive training, Martin spent five years actively searching for a job, with no success. Martin turned to Goodwill, where she met employment consultant Enas Bendeck, who helped Martin with her resume, accompanied her on job interviews, and advised Martin in her job search. “I needed a dedicated, reliable, and knowledgeable source to help me achieve my goal,” Martin explains. “Enas really wanted to find the correct job for me.”
Goodwill helped Martin find a position with V.I.P., ending a frustrating five-year job search. In just one year, Martin has become one of Southwest Florida’s most outspoken advocates for the blind. With her guide dog, Anna, at her side, she has coordinated events and programs to promote awareness, acted as a counselor for people with visual impairments, and is Vice President of the Naples Nites Lions Club.
Martin’s goal is to continue helping others in her situation by starting a Lighthouse outreach center in Collier County. “I know for a fact that having the right person standing up for you makes a big difference. That’s what Goodwill did for me.”
Goodwill officially named Martin as its Graduate of the Year at the organization's Annual Awards Luncheon, on Wednesday, May 6, at the Three Oaks Banquet and Conference Center in Estero. Two-time World Disabled Waterskiing Champion Ann O'Brine-Satterfield was the keynote speaker at the luncheon.
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. helps people with disabilities and other disadvantages to overcome their barriers to independence, through job placement programs, youth mentoring and education, vehicle assistance, and affordable housing. Goodwill supports these programs through the resale of donated goods at its 23 Retail & Donation Centers in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades, and Hendry Counties.
For more information about Goodwill's programs and services in Southwest Florida, visit http://www.goodwillswfl.org
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