Brandon's Success Story

Brandon and his grandmother have always been cautious about Brandon working. They were worried about his safety, losing his Social Security benefits, and doing something independently of his grandmother. After enrolling in the Employment and Community First CHOICES program in 2018, Brandon participated in Exploration, a service that empowers individuals to tour businesses, shadow jobs, identify their interests and skills transferrable to work, and make an informed choice about whether to pursue employment. Knowing this was not a commitment to work, but rather an opportunity to explore jobs that may interest him, Brandon gained valuable information around benefits counseling and job coaching that inspired him to pursue the pre-employment service, Discovery. Discovery provided a more comprehensive analysis of Brandon’s interests and skills, and he later applied at Goodwill. Brandon has been employed there since 2019 and loves his job! Since obtaining his very first job at Goodwill, he has received pay raises and increased hours – and was even recognized as Employee of the Month in June 2021! He is confident and no longer needs job coaching. Brandon is loving his independence and newfound friendships through work. Grandma couldn’t be more proud!

To learn more about the Employment and Community First CHOICES program, please visit the ECF webpage.