Naing Htay Lwin, was recently honored as Employee of the Month by the Hilton Garden Inn in Springfield. We are so proud of Lwin’s accomplishments and hard work! Lwin arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Burma on April 5th, 2022. He was eager to begin working as soon as possible. Once Lwin received his documents, our Employment Coordinator, Tatyana Abashina, helped Lwin find employment and he began his first job as a houseman at the Hilton Garden on June 6th, 2022. “At first, the manager of the hotel said he could not hire Lwin because of his limited English, but I [Tatyana] convinced the manager to give Lwin a chance, and promised that they would be surprised by Lwin’s capabilities. He can now communicate well with guests and the hotel staff, and is able to work with the front desk to make sure guest needs and requests are met.”
To show how valued Lwin is, and how much his work is appreciated, the Hilton provides overnight accommodations to Lwin during inclement weather. When Lwin began working, JFS had supplied him with a bike as a means of transportation and more recently, Lwin’s bike was stolen. When this incident took place a fellow hotel staff member created a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for Lwin to purchase an electric bike.
JFS is grateful to The Hilton Garden Inn for partnering with us for more than 10 years to train and hire our New American clients, often giving them their first jobs and creating new pathways for them and their families.
