David's Story March 15, 2019By Goodwill SJV General Goodwill SJV This December, David Holland will celebrate his 10th anniversary working for Goodwill Industries of San Joaquin Valley. He will also celebrate 10 years of having a roof over his head at night, and 10 years of receiving a steady paycheck that puts food on the family table. I will always be grateful to Goodwill for giving me a chance when no one else would. In 2009, David and his wife became victims of the great recession. They both lost their jobs and then lost their apartment. They used their meager unemployment to keep themselves and their clothes clean, to buy toiletries, to eat and to support their job search. At night, they slept in a building alcove across the street from the Employment Development Department offices. When the EDD doors opened at 8:00 a.m., the Hollands were there--clean, dressed for interviews and ready for their job search. Through the daily grind of this months-long job search, David never lost hope. He always showed up. One cold day in early December, the counselor told him about a job at Goodwill. While David walked the long blocks to Grant Street, the counselor contacted Melissa in Goodwill SJV's HR department and explained David's situation and his determination to get a job (how David showed up every day, ready to roll). David was hired for a job in the warehouse. He still chokes up when he remembers receiving his first paycheck on December 23. On December 24, the Hollands moved into their apartment and spent their first warm night off the streets. Christmas 2009 is a special date in David's memory. "I will always be grateful to Goodwill for giving me a chance when no one else would."