Between a disability and his age, Chris was nervous about getting a job, but he knew he had to get over the nerves because he and his wife were coming up a little short some months.
“Everything is so expensive anymore. Food. Gas. Bills. We struggled to make payments sometimes,” Chris said.
His wife remembered her late ex-husband received services from Goodwill and suggested Goodwill may be able to help Chris secure and retain employment. Turns out, she was right.
Chris was matched with our Employment Specialist Kourtnie Hildreth who helped with him look through job postings, apply for jobs, and practice for interviews.
Chris landed a job cleaning at Tim Hortons on East Main Street. It’s close enough to his house he can walk, eliminating any transportation concerns and giving him the chance he needed. Kourtnie also was able to set Chris up with a job coach to help him acclimate to working.
“I had some confidence issues when I first started, but my job coach helped me through a lot of those issues with words of encouragement, helping me with tasks I wasn’t sure about, or if I missed something, pointing to the spot I missed,” Chris said.
If it needs cleaning at Tim Hortons, Chris is the one who takes care of it, working from a list usually written out for him throughout the week. He’s been working weekends for two months and may pick up a mid-week shift soon. Chris’ confidence has improved so much he no longer needs a job coach, and his managers consider him a good worker who catches on quickly.
“I love my job and the people that I work with,” Chris said. “The atmosphere has been nice, and everyone keeps telling me that I’m doing a good job which makes me feel better about how I’m doing … Goodwill has been a really big help. They’ve helped me build my confidence, helped me find a job, and have been there when I needed it. I would recommend it to anyone that was or is in my position.”