Clara Weinert: Retail, Grader for Books and Apparel
Name and pronouns:
Clara Weinert (She/her)
Title and time you have been with the organization:
Grader/Pricer for books or apparel for about 4 years, then Sales Floor team member for another 4
What is your role here at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes?
Over the past 8 years I’ve done almost everything except wares pricer or manager. Most of what I do now though is putting the wares on the sales floor and assisting customers. I also, over the course of the last few months, have been getting trained on the register!
What do you enjoy most about working at Goodwill?
I always enjoy seeing some of the unexpected things that get donated. We’ve gotten an antique whale oil lamp, a tennis racket re-stringer, various kinds of musical instruments, from mostly guitars and occasionally a trumpet or violin, but we’ve also gotten a Hawaiian lap harp and a sitar. On any given day, you never know what is going to come through. It might just be the ordinary cooking dishes and vases and candleholders or you might get something that you’ve never seen before.
What activities do you enjoy in your free time?/What is a fun fact about yourself?
I do enjoy knitting and playing violin and piano. One fun thing is that my parents found out after they were married that they both had a strange connection to the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. My dad’s father was a chemist who made the smoke that Margaret Hamilton, the actress, would appear out of and Miss Hamilton was the Sunday school teacher for my mom’s mom and her sisters.
Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is a not-for-profit organization supporting the Rochester and Syracuse area communities. Headquartered in Rochester, NY, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes along with Goodwill Vision Enterprises (formerly ABVI) have a very long and successful history of creating job opportunities and serving the community through the Good Neighbor program, 211/LIFE LINE, and our vision services. In addition, we have several Goodwill thrift store locations offering second-hand clothing for men, women, and children as well as home goods and other accessories.