Wardell Winfrey Jr. is a recent alum of GWTP, and is now working at Lakefront Roofing and Siding Supply. He recently shared his story at our Pathways Luncheon. His remarks from the event are below:
“Hello everyone and thank you for coming to this fundraiser for the Greater West Town Project. My name is Wardell Winfrey Jr. and I graduated from Greater West Town Project’s Shipping/Receiving training in 2020. I now work as a Manager of E-Commerce Shipping and Receiving, and Manager of Logistics at Lakefront Roofing and Siding Supply.
I learned about Greater West Town Project from a torn up advertisement on a southside train. I found their ad at just the right time in my life. I had been working as a contract worker for Waste Management for 5-6 years, but didn’t have the benefits or protections I needed for a long-term career. I was pounding the pavement looking for work, and even getting interviews, but I wasn’t getting any offers. That’s when I saw Greater West Town Project’s torn up advertisement on a southside train, when I needed a job most, and I decided to take a chance and see what their training was all about.
I started Shipping/Receiving training in the Winter of 2020 and I was immediately impressed. The staff were very responsive to the needs of participants, especially William Molina, Ricky White, and Linda Thomas. They were especially good at working with young people and people with a lot of barriers to employment and helping them to focus and redirect their energy towards work.
When I started training though, I was already an adult and used to a work environment. I’ve never been fired from a job and I’m very disciplined and reliable. Even though I didn’t have as many needs as other younger students, the staff still gave me the attention and training all while treating me like an adult. It was clear that they genuinely wanted to see me succeed and win.
Training was challenging and since it was unpaid, I had to get a job so I could provide for myself for those 12 weeks. I actually began working as a custodian at Greater West Town Project’s West Town Academy, shout out to Jeff for taking me on and being a great boss.
Those days in training and working were very long days. Towards the end of training, a couple of employers came to Greater West Town Project to see our training and meet some of the participants. The employers, several of whom are in this room today, respected Greater West Town Project and trusted in people who were trained there.
After 12 weeks, I had graduated and I was ready to work. I got an interview with one of the employers who had visited during training, Lakefront Roofing and Siding Supply. Molina let me know that they were great employers with kind people. He even gave me a ride to the interview and vouched for me to Lakefront. I interviewed for the position and this time I got the job. The position was just like what I had been doing in training, and after only two weeks I was put in charge of an entire department.
Now that I’ve been at Lakefront for four years, I’m looking to continue growing my career in shipping and receiving and shipping logistics and maybe even start my own business using my experience and training. If there’s one thing I would want the employers in this room to take away today, it’s that helping people to better themselves is good for workers, it’s good for families, but it’s also good for business. The challenges that we’re facing today can sometimes seem overwhelming, but taking one step today can lead to enormous change for you, your company, and our community. Thank you all for coming and supporting Greater West Town Project. Enjoy the rest of your day!”