There is a saying: “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day.” “Teach a man to fish and he eats forever.” At Goodwill, we are all about “teaching people to fish” so they can increase their independence and thrive in the communities we serve. With that in mind, one Goodwill employee performed an Act of Goodwill and taught some participants the fun of fishing!
Justin Beller (Lead Talent Acquisition Consultant, Human Resources) held two sessions at the Community Opportunities Club South, where participants learned the finer points of fishing, including baiting the hook, which featured a tasty worm for all to eat (gummy worms, of course)!
Everyone was able to practice casting and reeling in the fish, as Justin tied plastic wheels to the fishing line. Justin also discussed important safety practices with our participants, such as no swinging of poles and local fishing regulations. If they caught a fish, participants also learned how to grab it and how to prevent getting poked by the fins and scales.
In the weeks that followed, several fishing trips were scheduled at nearby Scout Lake and individuals practiced what they learned. It wasn’t just the participants that learned the ropes, our staff did too. Some members conquered their fear of fishing. Recreation Assistant Vicky was not too keen on baiting the hooks with real worms, but was determined to face her fear. She learned how to tie on a new hook in case her line became snagged or broken, and she helped hook all the worms at our various outings. Don’t worry only the fish ate those worms!
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