Aida has watched as Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington has drastically changed over the course of more than three decades.

But change isn’t exclusive to just the organization. She took a moment to reflect upon the changes she’s noticed in her own life, too.

“This isn’t my first job in the United States, but this is the first job that I really like,” Aida said.

Aida began working for Evergreen Goodwill in 1986 after a family member encouraged her to apply for a job opening at the time. She quickly began her Goodwill journey at our flagship Dearborn location in Seattle, starting as a dishwasher on our production staff and eventually moving through the ranks to – at one point – working as a retail supervisor at our Lynnwood nonprofit thrift store.

Besides a brief absence of needing to take care of a family matter back in the Philippines, she’s been a critical piece of the organization’s commitment to customer service excellence and is – in the words of her manager – a “big reason why our morale is strong” at our Lynnwood store location.

“I like people, I’m a people person,” said Aida. “When I see people wandering around and their [hands] are full, I offer them a shopping cart, I’ll go get the shopping cart for them.”

It’s that level of customer service that makes people feel special and appreciated – and ultimately return to our nonprofit thrift stores. Oftentimes, customers will ask for Aida, specifically, and check-in to see how she’s doing.

“My heart is flattered when they come and look for me,” Aida said. “Sometimes, they’re just looking for someone to talk to.”

Aida presented several reasons as to why she’s been a part of the Evergreen Goodwill team all these years.

Emigrating to the United States from the Philippines, Aida described how her experiences while on the job not only gave her retail skills but also provided an opportunity to learn and practice her English.

“When I came to the United States, I could barely speak English, so working at Goodwill, that helped me a lot because everybody speak English, of course, in the store,” Aida said.

But when it comes to what motivates her to continually go above and beyond, Aida says it’s the support she receives from her fellow colleagues and the warm generosity and kindness of the customers she interacts with while at work.

“This is going to be where I retire,” Aida said. “I want to thank the management in Lynnwood and Mt. Vernon.”