BATAVIA, Ohio — Darywood Morris doesn’t know what to say. He’s too excited.
“I’m a ball of energy,” Morris said.
Morris is the client service coordinator at Goodwill’s new opportunity center in Clermont County. That means he’s the first person people see when they walk in.
“I greet them with a smile,” Morris said. “And rub off good, contagious positive energy.”
He knows people need it. Because a few months ago, he came to Goodwill looking for the same thing.
Hear directly from Morris in the video below:
“I know what it means to change gears and have to readjust,” Morris said. “I was in a situation where I needed some help.”
He remembers it was his third job fair of the day. But something clicked. And now he works here in Batavia Township, helping connect people with the same resources that once helped him.
“Knowing there are people out here that are willing to assist — that took a big weight off my shoulders,” Morris said.
Because this isn’t a Goodwill retail store, the kind where donated items are sold at lower prices. It’s a separate facility that helps people find work, housing and even child care. I visited a few days before it opened to the public.
The sign isn’t even up yet, and landscapers are still cutting the grass.
“It’s so exciting,” said Susie Skeens, director of a housing program for Goodwill. “It’s almost like the wedding day again.”
According to census data, the poverty rate in the Village of Batavia is almost double the national average. And Skeens tells me Clermont County residents don’t have the same access to resources people in Hamilton County do.
“We want to take into consideration some of those barriers," Skeens said. "And help get them connected to resources that they need to be able to work.”
The facility includes computers people can use, a meeting room and programming for adults with disabilities. It opens on Friday.
Morris is still completing some of his new-hire training. But on a scale from one to 10, Morris tells me he’s at 25.
“I came here and I got the assistance I needed,” Morris said. “Now it’s my turn to give back to the community.”
Grand opening:
There will be a cookout, prize drawings and other activities, as well as opportunities to tour the facility and meet staff.
Sept. 12 -- 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Ohio Valley Goodwill Opportunity Center
4247 Grissom Dr
Batavia, OH 45103
