Patrick Brady was used to keeping to himself, but knew he needed to get out of the house to interact with others and support himself financially. After going through several jobs, Patrick sought out Goodwill because he knew we help people connect to jobs that fit their skills and needs. He was quickly paired with Employment Specialist Elonaray “Jo” Perkins.
“I really enjoyed working with Patrick. He told me about the few past jobs he had and what he did not like about them. He’s also no nonsense and not afraid to be brutally honest, but this is what made it easy to understand what he did and did not want in a job,” Jo said.
Jo helped Patrick polish his resume and they began searching for jobs during the last week of September 2022. They landed an interview with Arch & Eddie’s in Jackson on Oct. 19 and prepped for the interview together. He was offered the job on the spot and started working the next day.
“It was, by all standards, a very quick placement,” Jo said.
Patrick has been with Arch & Eddie’s now for over two months, washing dishes, cleaning around the kitchen, and showing fantastic work ethic by picking up extra shifts or doing anything that is asked of him outside his normal tasks even at a moment’s notice, according to Jo and restaurant management.
“The job is easygoing. No one really bothers me, and they let me do what I need to do. The staff are pretty fair to me,” Patrick said.
Patrick’s dedication and dependability was on full display recently when the restaurant had a water line burst due to the extreme cold snap.
“Out of 50 employees when needing an extra pair of hands, he’s one of two here,” said Josh Powers, co-owner of Arch & Eddie’s. “If I could clone him I would. He’s already gotten a raise in the short time he’s been here. I put it in the evening he asked for it.”
Jo had a good feeling Arch & Eddie’s would be good fit because another owner, Katie Powers, was familiar with the work we do having worked as a job coach with individuals with disabilities in the past.
“She shared with me that they work as a family and take care of each other. She assured me she would take care of Patrick as he adjusted to the job. I see this as a long-term placement for him moving forward,” Jo said.
Patrick hopes Jo is right.
“I want this to be a long-term position. I really like it here,” Patrick said. “Goodwill has really helped me when I needed it with their services.”