Menu

Training Day with Jack and David

July 29th, 2021 Blog

A new instalment in The Accessible Normal: a summer series on the impact of lockdowns on the neuro-diverse community.

Find new articles through Good Foot every Thursday, all summer long.

What does starting a new courier job feel like after a long winter of lockdowns? This week I tagged along on a Good Foot training shift to find out. 

Good Foot has been able to hire 6 new employees through our In, Up, and Out program since May, and Jack is one the 3 that has moved from in-class training to their field training. Right now, Jack is shadowing David, who makes the deliveries while Jack learns what to do and where to go. In two more sessions, Jack will be the one making deliveries, and David will shadow, to make sure he can provide support and feedback. “The padawan becomes the jedi”, I said. They both laughed. Turns out we’re all Star Wars fans. 

Today our route takes us from the Good Foot offices, on foot, to the subway, to a bus, and on foot again before we reach a No Frills pharmacy to pick up a prescription that needs delivering. And I’m only tagging along for the first leg of the day’s journey – David and Jack will spend all day training, picking up and delivering 4-5 packages by the time the day is through. The rain starts as soon as we step out of the Good Foot offices, but I’ve learned from my past mistakes and am just as prepared as the boys this time. 

David began with Good Foot as a Courier, and still works as one when there are packages that need delivering. But he really enjoys the shifts where he gets to train new colleagues because it feels like being able to work with a friend. 

And it’s clear that Jack and David are already becoming friends. On the way to the pharmacy, we kill time by talking about the new Marvel movies coming out, and how excited we are to go back to movie theatres again. It’s easy to talk to these two new friends of mine, especially when we have so much in common. 

Jack has been happy to throw himself into his new Good Foot community while he’s been in training over the past few months. Virtual events like Together Thursdays give him a chance to show off the insane Lego creations that he makes with his brother – anything from a 2ft tall Lego colosseum to a model replica of the Tower of Orthanc from Lord of the Rings. He spent the winter lockdowns making these creations, as well as digitally designing over 100 new characters for DnD. But he’s been excited to attend in-person events again, and loved playing games at the Good Foot picnic last weekend.

As things reopen, Jack has been enjoying learning the ropes of a new job. He has aspirations of becoming a trainer just like David one day – but he’s taking things one step at a time. One delivery at a time. 

Back to the Blog