The Arc of Carroll County supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their individual pursuit of a fulfilling life.
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Working up a sweat: Martin’s collaborates with The Arc vocational program
Carroll County Times
5/24/2009
ELDERSBURG - Martin’s of Eldersburg grocery bagger Josh Smith used his left hand to push cool air in the direction of his head.
“I’m hot,” he said.
He blamed the 80-degree temperatures outside for his discomfort during his May 15 shift.
But Smith was toiling in the air-conditioned checkout area in front of the store.
His hustle was just as likely to be the cause for the egg-shaped sweat spot on his green collared shirt above his stomach.
Smith’s job tasks at Martin’s are many.
He must bag groceries.
He must hoist items too large to bag, including 20-pound bags of kitty litter and 12-packs of soda, into shopping carts.
He must push empty shopping carts from the parking lot to the store entrance.
It can be difficult physical labor, but Smith said he enjoys it.
And he relishes talking to everyone, from customers to security guards.
When Smith spotted a customer purchasing a “Married with Children” DVD, he said it was his favorite one.
When Smith encountered a toddler inside a shopping cart, he playfully pulled her stuffed dog away from her.
The toddler laughed. So did Smith.
Smith, 27, is mentally retarded. But his disability doesn’t stop him from being a model employee. He works hard. He smiles. He befriends everyone he meets.
Smith is one of between 75 and 80 clients working every day in paid or volunteer positions at sites throughout the region who are supported by The Arc of Carroll County’s vocational program.
Employees supported by The Arc can be found throughout the region. They can be found cleaning dining rooms at fast food restaurants, pushing carts at area retailers and cleaning workout machines at gyms.
The Arc provides job coaches to train workers with disabilities and help them reach their potential.
Martin’s boasts two employees from The Arc’s vocational program: Smith and fellow bagger Chris Anderson.
Smith and Anderson are close friends.
The grocery-bagging duo cooperate to help as many customers as possible.
They shift from aisle to aisle, moving to wherever lines are longest.
Anderson is a quiet, but fast, worker.
After spotting a customer bagging her own groceries, he walked up to assist her.
When she thanked Anderson, he replied with a quiet “have a nice day.”
Meanwhile, Smith will chat with anyone willing to listen.
His easygoing personality puts him at ease with total strangers. As a result, he’s well-known in the South Carroll community.
When Smith graduated from South Carroll High School eight years ago he was the lone student to earn a standing ovation.
Anderson and Smith have different personalities. But Martin’s manager Gary Meyers said both are loyal, and valued, employees.
“Aren’t they great?” Meyers said. “They are quite a pair.”
Assistance when needed
Just in case, The Arc uses a job coach to check in on them to make sure employer and employee are getting the most out of the experience.
Job coaches serve as liaisons between employer and employee, helping solve any problems that may pop up.
The Arc job coach Linda Fitzpatrick said some individuals need job coaches more than others.
Anderson and Smith receive an on-site visit from a job coach each week.
Before The Arc makes a job placement, staffers identify the strengths and weaknesses of each employee and identify what types of labor they would be able to handle.
“They try to match up a person with a job they are going to like,” Fitzpatrick said, “and something they are going to be interested in.”
Once an employee is placed, their jobs vary depending on their abilities.
Smith is capable of working both inside and outside the store and is able to multi-task.
Anderson, who is mentally retarded, only works inside.
His mother Debra said he cannot work outside because he tends to focus on his destination and not on incoming traffic.
But Anderson is able to perform multiple tasks inside the store.
In addition to bagging groceries, Anderson returns personal shopping scanners back to their docks and performs price checks.
Anderson’s impeccable memory allows him to recall exactly where every item in the store is, making price checks quick tasks.
Mutually beneficial
Anderson is never late to work.
He won’t allow it. He politely reminds his mother Debra, who drives him to work four times a week, that it’s time to go about 15 minutes before his shift starts.
If she’s not ready, Anderson will get into the car and wait for her.
“He’s very self-conscious about his job,” Fitzpatrick said.
Anderson said he hopes to work at Martin’s for “a long time.”
Smith said he isn’t going anywhere either.
They are filling high-turnover jobs that would otherwise likely be filled with one high school student after the next.
Meyers, who rarely has free moments toiling in the constantly hectic front of the store, doesn’t have to worry about Anderson and Smith missing work or quitting.
Meanwhile, Smith and Anderson get the opportunity to build confidence in a work environment suited to their strengths.
It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, said Jillian Hoffman, The Arc’s program coordinator of community employment.
Nonetheless, The Arc has struggled to find placements for new employees in the recession’s tight labor market.
“For the most part, employers have really held on to our employees,” Hoffman said. “The challenge has been finding new jobs.”
Reach staff writer Brandon Oland at 410-857-7862 or brandon.oland@carrollcountytimes.com.
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