SeaTac – A 33-year-old Lakewood man with cerebral palsey received honors today from Port of Seattle commissioners for his dedication to work.

Michael Bulling takes the bus daily from his home to his job as a custodian with Capital Building Maintenance. His determination to find work, and stay on the job, earned him Tacoma Goodwill’s Graduate of the Year Award at the agency’s annual scholarship fundraising breakfast in May.

“My story is not a sad story – it’s an uplifting one,” said Bulling. “No matter where you come from, it’s where you’re going that counts.”

Bulling was born three months premature and weighed 1.5 pounds and within weeks he was diagnosed with a disability. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Tacoma in 1995 and found a few jobs but got the advocacy he needed when he found out about Goodwill.

“Michael has worked hard to be independent,” said Wendy Martindale, Corporate Partnerships manager with experience overseeing the agency’s Supported Employment program for people with disabilities. “Goodwill works to provide opportunities for that first job or that second chance for many people.”

Bulling downplays any disability and credits Goodwill for helping him find a career. Without the agency, he said he’d still be looking for work.

“Goodwill for me is not just an organization, it’s a new beginning,” Bulling said. “It helped me get a job and a fresh start – it’s the same for anyone with a disability or anyone who never had a chance.”

About Tacoma Goodwill
Goodwill is a unique nonprofit business. It turns donations and business revenue into programs that change lives by helping people with disabilities or disadvantages go to work. This year, Tacoma Goodwill Industries will help more than 9,000 people with education, job training and placement so they can become independent self-supporting citizens. Of these, more than 1,000 people with barriers to employment will be placed in jobs in the community. Job-training services are funded through financial gifts, grants, fees, commercial services and the operation of 25 thrift stores throughout Western and Southcentral Washington.