Hermalinda came to Neighborhood Thrift as a referral through CalWORKS/Welfare to Work in 2019. She had never had a job before, and felt excited at the prospect of trying something new as a Production Assistant in the Neighborhood Thrift warehouse. She was eager to learn everything she could. As she was mastering one skill, she would get the opportunity to learn another. She learned to work in production, as well as merchandising and cashiering. This broad experience helped her to feel prepared for her recent promotion to Production Specialist.

As a Production Specialist, Hermalinda leads a team of Production Assistants in meeting daily production goals to help keep the store running smoothly. Her experience as a mother of six, as well as her own experience as a Production Assistant, allows her to lead her team with patience and empathy. Hermalinda says, “I try to create an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions–even if they’ve asked me the same question before. I know what it feels like to be learning something new, so I don’t want them to be afraid to ask for help. If you learn to work with other people, to listen to their requests for help and be willing to help, you can make it a good experience for them to be here. And you can create a supportive environment that helps everyone on your team succeed.” She says that being able to do this makes her feel proud of her team and herself, for being able to come together to do their jobs well.

In August 2024, Hermalinda got her driver’s license. She says that if it hadn’t been for the support and encouragement of Social Services Director Addie Carr, she wouldn’t have had the courage to do it. Addie helped her study, practiced driving with her, and went with her to the DMV to take the test. Hermalinda says she felt so nervous, she didn’t think she’d be able to go through with it, but having Addie there to calmly remind her of everything she had learned helped to steady her. When she found out she passed, Hermalinda says she was so excited she almost jumped for joy. She had started studying for this test five years ago, and could hardly believe she had finally achieved a goal that had scared her so much.

She says that her next goal is getting her GED, in the hopes of one day becoming a preschool teacher. Hermalinda says, “Everything you do, it has a reward at the end of the road. For me, I like challenges because I think I am capable of meeting those challenges.”