Tim Works Hard at the Hardware Store

Tim and his counselor, Nancy, have worked together since 2014 to help Tim find employment in the Hampton Roads area. Currently, Tim works at Lowe's and is coming up on his two-year mark!

Tim is an extremely hard worker and has a great work ethic. He is friendly and personable and gets along well with others. However, he did face some obstacles when looking for a job. He had to find a job in Franklin since he does not drive and was interested in any kind of customer service or food service position. He had a job at a restaurant as a lobby attendant but got laid off due to lack of hours.

Limited work experience was another obstacle. Nancy initially helped him get a courtesy clerk position at a supermarket in July 2014. He was there until the store closed in April 2018. She then almost immediately helped Tim get another job at the local peanut plant, but due to his disability, the job was too strenuous. 

The Choice Group then assisted him in getting a Loader position at Lowe's. Tim loves his job and says he enjoys it even more than he did his previous jobs. Tim assists customers to their cars, helps them load their cars, collects carts in the parking lot, does restock, does trash detail as needed, and often helps in other departments as well.

Nancy assists Tim by contacting him and his employer monthly. He is currently in follow along services and doing well. His coworkers and managers often remark on how wonderful Tim is.

Tim is much more confident in his abilities. He stated it makes him more motivated to do the best he can when he is at work. Tim is also a much more sociable person, stating that is one of the biggest ways working has helped him. He used to be shy and scared to interact with people, but now he enjoys it. Tim also likes having his own money which allows him to do things like eat at restaurants and do fun things with his friends.

In the past, Tim received Employee of the month about 3 times at his previous jobs.  He has received Employee of the Month at his current job once so far.  He also has received a raise and likely will be up for another one soon as he comes up on 2 years.

In his free time, Tim often volunteers for the fire department when they have fundraisers and enjoys going on daily walks in downtown Franklin. He also enjoys social media like Facebook and likes watching drama, action, and comedy TV shows and movies. 

Congratulations to Tim for his perseverance and incredible work ethic!