Landing A Life-Changing Career: Goodwill Hawaii Creates Opportunity for Calvin
Calvin came to Goodwill Hawaii in 2020, near the beginning of the pandemic, seeking an opportunity to better himself and his family situation. He had been dealing with several life-changing situations that kept piling on one after another. His one-year old son had just been diagnosed with Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), an extremely rare, lifelong and life-threatening disorder that affects the autonomic nervous system. As a result, his son requires a ventilator and feeding tube to sustain him as well as specialized care and attention. With no other caregivers available to support them, Calvin and his wife work tirelessly around the clock to tend to his day-to-day needs. On top of that, Calvin had recently lost his dad to cancer and his wife had been laid off from her job, adding financial strain.
Calvin had additional concerns during the pandemic. As an essential worker, he was still expected to commute to his office every day, which was located about an hour away from his home. He worried about leaving his medically fragile son at home with his wife who is a Japanese national and understands/speaks very little English. He also worried about bringing COVID-19 home to his family.
It was around that time that Calvin heard about Goodwill Hawaii’s Google IT program and jumped at the opportunity to enroll. Calvin expressed to the Goodwill program coordinator Virginia that the Google IT training was challenging and getting the coursework done, along with meeting work and family demands, brought added pressure. Virginia referred the Matthews family to apply for a Rent and Utility Relief Program to assist with rent and bill-paying due to COVID related job loss. She also shared financial and community resources specific to Native Hawaiian families with Calvin, who is Hawaiian. Calvin was able to take advantage of these resources, which helped lessen the financial stress.
In spite of all the challenges, Calvin worked diligently to complete all the necessary steps to earn a Google IT Support Specialist certificate. With his new credentials, Calvin was able to secure a remote job with Squarespace in September 2021 that provided him an 18% increase in pay and the opportunity to work 100% from home in a progressive career field. Calvin is now in a much better place and able to provide a happier, healthier life for himself and his family.
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Story provided by Goodwill Hawaii