In Our Words - Big Y
SARAH Works – Ask our Business Partners!
“I am a bagger at the front end of Big Y,” Donald said. “I have lots of friends and my job coach is perfect.” Donald has been bagging and handling other customer service duties at Big Y for nearly four years. His job coach gives him his ride to work.
When he gets off work, Donald has lots of other interests. Special Olympics is one, where he has participated in swimming and softball throw in the past.
Larry is his friend and co-worker. Larry has been with Big Y for three and one half years. He rides the bus to work. “I am strong enough to be able to help customers bring their groceries to their cars,” Larry smiled, “if they ask for help. The other day I helped an older woman to her car and she appreciated it.”
Larry is a classical pianist who relishes attention to detail. For example, Larry knows how many bags he has folded in any given day. He enjoys sharing his own homegrown jokes, primarily drawn from his vast knowledge of opera.
Each is part of a Guilford crew contracted by Big Y through SARAH Inc. and its SARAH Employment Service. SARAH Inc. has crews in Guilford and North Haven stores totaling seven employees plus two job coaches in all.
SARAH Inc. has been associated with Big Y for many years. In fact, SARAH is celebrating its 10th anniversary with Big Y in Guilford.
“Having the SARAH employees here means a lot,” said Guilford Big Y customer service manager Sharon Potter. “Our cashiers are afforded quite the luxury to have someone else bag for them. The SARAH crew members totally understand their jobs and never stop trying to do their best.”
“As an employer,” Potter continued, “it is refreshing to have such dedicated members of the team who truly enjoy their jobs. They take tremendous pride in their work and that is very evident to our customers. Whether they prefer to do their own bagging or not, our customers look forward to seeing the SARAH employees at the end of their grocery checkout line.”
“Everyone on our team has a chance to shine,” explained one SARAH job coach. “They are very dedicated to the job at hand and quite serious about their packing. For example, everyone may not know that it is unhealthy to pack uncooked chicken in with other foods. My crew is likely to share that with you, if you don’t.”
“It is great to have the SARAH crew as employees,” said one Big Y North Haven manager. “It makes work an uplifting experience when you are greeted by coworkers who are so happy to be at work. In an environment such as retail, where things are so fast-paced and people tend to focus on what’s done wrong, the SARAH workers are always focusing on what’s right with the situation. They are always smiling.”
Thanks to Puffer Public Relations Strategies for helping us tell our story.