Success Story - Nat Chatmon

A former Goodwill client, Nat Chatmon now
refurbishes medical equipment for Goodwill to
provide to others who can't afford to purchase it
for themselves. "Nat has a determination to
see that things get done," said Kim Myers,
Director of Community Services. "He pays close attention to detail, and he's eager to assist any client in need."

From the first time that Nat worked in the HELPs workshop, it was apparent that he had both the mechanical expertise to do the job correctly and the sense of pride that comes from helping others in a direct way.

One day last fall, Kimberly arranged for a group of physical therapy students to help in the workshop. Happily, the group was much larger than she anticipated. As the group was split to work in teams, each refurbishing a wheelchair, Nat began to circulate between groups and help them with their projects.

"What really showed was Nat's calm teaching style, his always happy demeanor and the fact that he truly enjoys being here," recalled Kim. "He walked from group to group, joking as he went, but every person there was diligently working. There is a quality that comes through in a true team player that makes those around him better, and that is what we were seeing in action."

Nat recently received a thank you card from another HELPs client who benefited from his hard work. When he read it, his response, through a cracking voice, was "That's nice. It makes me feel needed somewhere."