Meet William

William Callahan was introduced to the world of work when he was in high school and attended the School to Work program for special needs students at Goodwill’s Pioneer Valley Job Training Center. After completing high school, he chose to enroll in Goodwill’s Developmental Services program where he was able to build life skills that helped him be more independent and then turned to learning the skills needed for a job.

William now participates in classroom training, group volunteer activities in the community, and paid work as part of a crew in Goodwill’s retail enterprise. These experiences have allowed him to learn workplace routines, gain experience taking responsibility for tasks, and engage as a member of a team. He particularly enjoys going with his peers to volunteer at the United Way Pioneer Valley food pantry.

Recently, William took a significant step when he worked with his case manager to secure his first independent, competitive job. He was a janitor at the Eastern States Exposition (The Big E) that takes place in West Springfield in the fall. With his case manager’s encouragement, he was able to arrange a schedule that allowed him to travel to and from the site independently using public transportation.

Today, William is proud of how far he has come and is focused on getting competitive, year round employment.