After serving 20 years in prison, Matthew was released in 2021 and found himself in a tough situation. The dog training program he was working at had recently downsized, leaving him without a job and with no way to support his family. Matthew applied for many jobs, but due to his conviction history, he was turned away after not passing their background checks.
 

During his time at the dog training program, Matthew had met one of H.I.R.E.’s T.I.M.E. mentors who recommended him to the program for help after the downsizing of the company. Matthew had hoped to be able to find a stable job, build a resume, and make business connections.

Upon applying for help at H.I.R.E., Matthew’s initial emotion was nervousness, but it was quickly replaced by a sense of security. Matthew appreciated knowing that there are resources available for people like him, and it was comforting to know that someone cares and would follow up with him.

H.I.R.E. helped Matthew build a professional resume for the first time, as well as gave him career advice and helped him apply to jobs. In Matthew’s words, the people he worked with took his whole situation into account when working with him and were “really cool”.

After just a few weeks, Matthew became employed full time with H.I.R.E. partner organization, Project Kinship as a Peer Navigator. He truly enjoys his job and is living happily with his family. He is also continuing his passion for dogs and is running a dog boarding business out of his house which he hopes to expand to offer dog training as well. Matthew continues to work with, and stay in contact with H.I.R.E. to support him with his journey.

"Life happens but it is in the choices we make that determines the outcome, so surround yourself with the right people and reach out because there's always support waiting to help " - Matthew