Reimagining the next chapter, Rodney takes his lead from Leads Employment Agency Rodney began reimaging his future in July 2020 just as the first wave of COVID-19 was ebbing. Being 52-years old, unemployed, living with HIV, and on social assistance, not to mention facing the uncertainty of a global pandemic, he knew it was time to make changes. According to Rodney, it was hard to find work in his two university degree specialties: Sociology and Music Therapy. So, he turned to Leads Employment Services for guidance. Kathryn, a Leads Employment Specialist, recognized that Rodney needed fulfilling work and helped match his skills with job opportunities. They had regular phone meetings and worked on his resume and interview skills – all done virtually because of the pandemic. Kathryn sent openings as they came, and he applied at a local library and a local big box retail store. One day, Rodney told Kathryn about shopping at Reimagine Co – a unique package-free grocery store that sells local, organic, plant-based food that is fresh and affordable. “I loved it. It is the store of the future!” says Rodney. Rodney was motivated to work at Reimagine Co because store owners, Kara Rijnen and Heenal Rajani, shared his values about healthy eating and sustainability. Because their goals were close to his heart, Rodney wanted to help them succeed. Through a connection with another colleague, Kathryn arranged an interview and four days later he started a three- month contract.
One of the training programs that Rodney attended through Leads is theWorkplace Success Program. Through this program, the Federal Government pays employee wages for three-month terms to help new businesses get started. Besides helping the start-up business, the employees build work experience, skills, and confidence. The program also provides support for clothing, footwear and, for his contract at Reimagine Co, a specific mat to support the lengthy times he was standing on the job. Even though theReimagineCo jobwas temporary, the experience put him back in the workforce and helped build his confidence. Asked what his favorite part of the Reimagine Co experience was, Rodney said that the customers were the nicest people he had ever met. He also highlighted how accommodating the owners were to work around his involvement with a local arts organization. With the heart-warming Reimagine Co experience behind him, Rodney is encouraged and hopeful for the future. “It was extremely discouraging not having an interview for so long,” he explains. Kathryn became his “employment cheerleader.” For Rodney, working with Leads was such a great confidence- building experience, especially during COVID when it would have been easy to give up. Rodney continues working with Leads to secure further employment. He is training for his first-aid certificate, and because Leads encourages volunteering to help open doors, he is now reimagining how he can put his university degrees, and himself, to work volunteering to do music therapy and poetry at a local library.
PRIDE Villager
Page 13 Issue 8 • Spring 2022
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