Life Goes On: By Chloe Quinn

          Meet Keith Griffin, a recent participant in our Community Work Adjustment program.  He recently spent a week working in different departments in the production area of the Ashtabula Goodwill.  Keith had worked here at Goodwill previously, but he returned to us for his program in a different capacity.  He spent that week sharpening his work skills and deciding whether he was ready to go back to work for good. He had become blind through an injury to one eye, and, afterwards, the other eye was negatively affected by cataracts. He acclimated to life with limited vision slowly but steadily.  Today, the remaining vision in his left eye is aided by glasses.

          Keith is not a native to Ohio.  Instead, he comes to us from his hometown of Brooklyn, New York. He has been a resident of Ohio for the last 15 years, and raised his large family right here in Ashtabula. His four children are each a success in their own right. His youngest is a freshman at Lakeside High School; she plans to move to Paris and become a fashion designer.  His other daughter attends Baldwin Wallace, and is on track to become a veterinarian.  His oldest son is attending college at OSU, and is following his lofty dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.  “He always took to school real easy,” Keith explains. Last but not least, his eldest daughter is practicing as a nurse, having graduated recently from OSU. “I’m really proud of all of my kids,” he says.

          Keith, himself, has been out of the workforce for the past three years, having been dealt the blow over those years of slowly becoming someone who is legally blind.  The last position he held was at TA in Kingsville as a dishwasher.  Previous to that, he worked here at Goodwill, Ashtabula as a truck helper and an attendant on the dock. When asked how it felt to come back to work, he replied, “It felt like a relief coming back to work.  Like I didn’t give up.  Life goes on despite being blind.”

          During his time at Goodwill, Keith worked in two different areas: Electronics and Machinery (E&M) and in the wipers station.  In E&M, Keith spent time with battery and power-operated items to test whether they were in good, workable condition.  In the wipers station, Keith used a machine to carefully cut unsalable t-shirts into wiper-sized cloths that will be sold in bulk to car washes (among other uses).  Despite his visual impairment, Keith picked up the new routines in each station quickly, and was able to work almost completely independently in the wipers area by his last day on the job. His job coach, Megan Myers, was on-hand for the entirety of the program, in case Keith needed any assistance or guidance.

          Keith was asked how he felt about his time spent here at Goodwill. “Great!” he answered enthusiastically, “The people, and the environment, made me feel real comfortable.” It was a pleasure spending time with you, Keith. Thank you for letting Goodwill participate in your adventure in returning to work.