Essential asset to his team
From Tuesday to Saturday, after an hour of yoga with his flatmates, Matthew Di Leva puts on his gloves and gets ready to head to work.
Di Leva, who has autism, has been working at the Newtown New World in Wellington for about three years – first for work experience and since 2019, as a part-time employee.
The 24-year-old is a trolley assistant and stocks shelves.
When asked how he felt about being an essential worker, Di Leva said: ‘‘I love working, I like being at work and the people are so nice.’’
One of his caregivers at Spectrum Care, Eden Roberts, said the company had a good routine during lockdown. Roberts or another carer usually drops him off and picks him up from work.
When Di Leva gets home, he takes his gloves off and goes to his own sanitising station. His work clothes go in the washing machine and he goes straight to the shower before greeting his three flatmates.
Roberts said: ‘‘He’s been so committed to the job for such a long time, it’s awesome for him to be included as an essential worker.’’
His three flatmates were happy he was an essential worker.
On his days off, Di Leva likes doing yoga, going for walks and baking cookies.
Once the restrictions around lockdown were loosened, he was looking forward to getting back into his sports.
Di Leva swims, plays basketball, bowls and does athletics. In 2012, he won gold and silver for athletics at the Special Olympics in Australia.
He likes to dance and is part of Just Dance Krazy, a hip-hop group for young adults with learning disabilities.
Di Leva also takes part in Maranga, a vocational support centre opened by Spectrum Care that helps its members find skills to work and grow.
His mother, Maria, said before her son began working at New World, the pair dropped off his CV into 42 different workplaces.
‘‘He really is a miracle because when he was first diagnosed [with autism], we were told he would never be toilet-trained and that he should stay at an institution – now we have an adult, who has a job.
‘‘Everyone is so proud of him, we’re absolutely so proud of him and he’s so proud of himself for being an essential worker,’’ she said.
His manager and checkout supervisor Jamie Stewart said: ‘‘Matthew has adapted to becoming an essential worker almost overnight extremely well.
‘‘Matthew is a real asset to our team, we’re really pleased he’s a part of it.’’