For Rhonda, Goodwill isn’t just a workplace. It’s a community. Sixteen years ago, she walked through the doors looking for a job. Today, she’s a leader who has touched many lives.
In 2009, her siblings encouraged her to apply. Her factory job had just closed, and she wanted work that felt meaningful and close to home. She didn’t know yet that Goodwill would become one of the steadiest, defining parts of her life.
“I said I’d start at the bottom, and that one day I’d run a store,” she recalled. “I wasn’t joking.”
She meant it. Sixteen years later, Rhonda has gone from Sales Associate to Store Lead at the Campus store on High St. but the promotions are only part of her story.
Rhonda has seen countless coworkers, customers and volunteers come through the doors over the years.
“This place is a family. Truly,” she said. “We look out for each other.”
She’s guided nervous new hires, learned from seasoned mentors, and welcomed regular customers who feel like family.
“I’ve been here so long that people know they can come to me. Whatever it is, I’ll listen.”
Her rise through the ranks is impressive, but what truly defines Rhonda is how she faced life’s hardest chapter with courage and grace.
Strength Through Adversity:
Rhonda’s connection to Goodwill deepened when life took a sudden turn. She was diagnosed with breast cancer while working at the store. Treatment is hard for anyone, but Rhonda had an unusual experience: she worked through almost all of it.
“I didn’t get sick from the chemo,” she said. “Radiation was harder. But being here kept me moving.”
The support she received during that time is something she’ll never forget. Leadership donated their own PTO hours so she didn’t have to choose between healing and stability. Coworkers stepped in wherever she needed help. Customers offered gentle words and encouragement.
“It showed me what this place is made of,” she said. “Goodwill took care of me.”
Leading With Purpose:
Rhonda leads her team with honesty and real-world wisdom. She knows what it’s like to work every position in the store. She knows the stress of life outside of work. She knows the courage it takes to ask for help.
“I’m not a doctor or a psychologist” she said. “But I’ve lived a lot of life. I can share what I know.”
She believes in treating everyone with dignity, even in difficult moments. She believes in giving people chances. She believes in rooting for people who are trying.
“Everyone who walks through that door has a story,” she said. “You treat them with respect. Always.”
While she once thought about moving into a different store or role, Rhonda says she is exactly where she wants to be right now.
“I like it here,” she said. “I’m close to home. I know my people. I want to make this the best Goodwill in Columbus.”
She’s excited about the changes happening across the organization, even the hard ones. She’s embracing creativity on the sales floor, new ways of training her team and more collaboration with leadership.
“Change isn’t always comfortable,” she said. “But it isn’t always bad. You try something. If it doesn’t work, you try something else.”
With sixteen years behind her and a store full of people supporting, Rhonda continues to model what leadership looks like at Goodwill Columbus: compassion, consistency and the courage to keep going.
“I’ll never be perfect, and I’ll never claim to be,” she said with a laugh. “But I’ll always do my best. And I’m not going anywhere.”
