Two Schnucks Employees with a Shared Strength: Going the Extra Mile

Finding the Right Fit

DeAndre was proud when he learned he had been named Employee of the Month at a Schnucks near St. Louis.

For him, the award reflects something customers have seen for years. He greets people with a smile, bags their groceries with care, and offers to carry their bags outside.

“I love bagging for the customers,” DeAndre said. “Asking them if they’d like me to carry their groceries out.”

He also makes sure customers know they are welcome. He says hello, wishes them a great day, and invites them to stop by again.

That friendliness has made DeAndre a familiar face in the store. Employment Specialist Sue Ehrhart said customers sometimes wait longer to check out because they specifically want DeAndre to help them.

He’s worked at Schnucks for three years. Before that, he worked at Shop ’n Save and Dierbergs, where he held several different jobs. At one point, DeAndre accepted a dishwasher position, but Sue encouraged him to think about what he really wanted.

“He’s too easy to get along with,” Sue said. “He’d be happy doing anything. But he wouldn’t be as happy.”

DeAndre wants work that lets him connect with people and use a skill he enjoys. When Dierbergs removed its bagger positions, he moved to Schnucks, where he could keep doing what he loved.

He has become highly skilled at bagging. He sorts groceries by weight and keeps cold, frozen, and delicate items together. He treats each order like a puzzle that’s all too interested in solving.

“I always try to make sure it’s equally balanced,” DeAndre said.

His talents reach beyond the checkout lane. A previous grocery store manager asked him to paint a large store display.

He created a six-foot-tall soldier logo with fall leaves, and it’s something that Sue says “she couldn’t create if her life depended on it.”

His story shows why the fit matters: his best work happens when he can do what he does best. Helping people.

A Different Kind of Recognition

At another Schnucks store in St. Louis, Titus received his own Employee of the Month award.

Unlike DeAndre, Titus did not know the award existed. His manager surprised him with the news.

“I was surprised,” Titus said. “I didn’t even know about it until the manager told me.”

The recognition made Titus feel like everything he had been doing had come to fruition.

“It makes me feel like they appreciate what I do,” he said.

Titus is known for doing more than what his job requires. If he sees someone using a disabled parking space, he may offer to get them a cart before they enter the store. No one has to tell him to do it. He notices someone who may need help, then takes action.

Sue said that quality greatly stands out.

“You have to notice first, and then you don’t turn your head,” she said. “You deliver.”

Titus spends part of his workday gathering carts outside and part bagging groceries. He prefers being outside, but he values the variety his job provides. But most of all, his job gets him into the community.

“It gets me out of the house and into the community,” Titus said.

Although Sue doubts he’s ever inside his house. Since starting at Schnucks, he has built connections with customers, neighbors, and people from church — always out and about, on the move.

“He just knows so many people,” Sue said. “I hear them say, ‘Oh, Titus, I’m so glad you work here.’”

The Right Support is Important

Both men have worked with Sue for years, and both credit her with helping them grow.

DeAndre said his parents and his job coach helped him improve at work. Titus gave Sue the same credit when asked who helped him get where he is today.

Their paths also show why support is often more than someone just getting hired.

Before Schnucks, Titus worked in several roles, including as a nursing home transporter, in a laundry department, and cleaning a church. Those jobs gave him experience, but they did not give him enough chances to use his strongest skill: connecting with others.

At Schnucks, that changed tenfold. He’s able to greet customers, notice what they need, and help them throughout the day.

Sue has also helped Titus build connections outside work. He recently joined Pathways to Independence and is part of the Special Needs Color Guard, getting him in touch with veterans and his community.

These opportunities show how work can connect with a fuller life.

Two Awards, Two Stories

Both DeAndre and Titus’ Employee of the Month awards share a message: they are recognized because they pay attention to people.

DeAndre brings warmth to the checkout lane. Titus looks for someone he can help. Both have found workplaces where those strengths matter.

Their stories also show the value of listening to what people enjoy, building on their strengths, and supporting them as they grow.

For DeAndre, that’s bagging groceries and talking with customers. For Titus, it’s helping people, meeting new faces, and being an integral part of the community.

The awards are proof that the right job can give someone a reason to look forward to work. DeAndre claims having a job has changed his life.

“Since I’m working now, I’m more happy than I was when I was just sitting around,” he said. “I am more happy now.”

That is the kind of success we’re all looking for.

Learn more about Employment Services.