It's 5:15 on a hot summer afternoon and customers are wandering into a Giant grocery store, distractedly looking for something to buy for supper. The only chatting is at the checkout lanes where the tired customers are brightening up and leaving the store a little more cheerful and lively than when they arrived.

An energetic young man with Down syndrome is bagging groceries, dazzling the customers with his smile, making the cashier laugh, and infecting everyone with his enthusiasm. He is immaculately dressed, starched and pressed, adorned with multiple employee award pins. It's plain to see why he earned them.

An elderly Pennsylvania Dutch man enters the store with his wife. Spotting the young worker, he calls him by name and leaves his wife to talk with the employee at the checkout stand. The old man starts telling a story, laughing and jabbing the young fellow in the arm. A ballet of movement begins.  

Nodding and smiling, the young employee listens to the old man's story. His eyes are on the groceries and he is bagging all the while. He slips gracefully out of the way for a moment, yielding to a customer squeezing past, and keeps on without missing a beat.

He stops only once when a young woman with a small child seeks him out and asks a question in Spanish. He smiles again, directing her to aisle two. Hired as a bagger, this employee is simultaneously acting as greeter, translator and public relations specialist.

This young man is just one of the reasons his employer, Giant Foods LLC, was named by Pennsylvania as Large Employer of the Year for its commitment to hiring people with disabilities.

Accolades & Appreciation
At Pennsylvania's 52nd Annual Committee on Employment for People with Disabilities Conference, Governor Ed Rendell recognized Pennsylvania-based Giant Stores for leadership in hiring and promoting people with disabilities.

"People with disabilities deserve to work," said Governor Rendell at the event. "Economic growth cannot be achieved without the inclusion and contribution of all Pennsylvanians. I am committed to helping people with disabilities overcome obstacles so they have an opportunity to contribute to Pennsylvania's dynamic and diverse workforce," he continued. 

And the State should appreciate the contribution of its citizens with disabilities. Last year, Pennsylvanians with disabilities paid $73.6 million in taxes on wages earned. Moreover, their skills, talents and experience helped businesses flourish. Giant Stores is one example of that.

More Than Quotas
According to Denny Hopkins, Vice President of Giant Stores, what makes Giant a success is their belief that the stores should mirror their communities. Hopkins thinks when people come into a store they want to see people they can relate to, that they understand. He strives to make Giant customers feel at home.

Hopkins feels community-based hiring makes more sense than simple hiring by quotas. Said Hopkins, "People with disabilities, and people of every race and ethnicity are part of our community." Giant’s commitment to hire people the store serves is part of their formula for marketing success.

Hopkins explained there is a thriving Latino community and active disability advocates who have come together as a precious resource for Giant Stores. "In the Bensalem store [in Eastern Pennsylvania] we have three employees who are blind. What helped us in Bensalem was a blind employee who is an advocate for his community," said Hopkins.

Accommodating Customers & Employees
Giant pays attention to regional requests and tries to provide customers in different communities with the foods they prefer. Consumers in Reading, an industrial city that is 30 percent Latino, have different food preferences than people in Gettysburg, many of whom are first generation Americans originally from Latin American countries.

In the Gettysburg store, like all the rest, Giant relies on employees to keep them in touch with their customer’s wishes. Giant is committed to responding to the grocery preferences of its communities. "Merchandise is constantly changing to keep up with trends," Hopkins said.

When Giant opens a new store they attempt to attract a variety of job applicants by doing outreach to the schools and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation to identify candidates. In agricultural Gettysburg, Giant is hiring many former farm workers who are looking to change careers.

Hopkins said Giant hires Latinos with disabilities into many different positions. "We have people with disabilities in virtually every position all the way up to the corporate office. And when our employees develop disabilities, we help them find a 'home' in our organization where they can flourish." He highlighted an example of an assistant manager who, after acquiring a disability, chose to transfer to corporate headquarters to advise the management on diversity issues.   

The Americans with Disabilities Act would call such a provision an accommodation. "You can call it that," says Hopkins with a pleasant laugh. "We call it keeping our good people and their talents." 

Hopkins went on to talk about how Giant supports its employees. "Some people start with a job coach and transition to work independently while others work better with consistent support. It's all about giving the employee the tools they need to succeed."

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