Local heroes: 'I never thought as a grocery store worker I would be on the front lines'

Who do you feel has been a LOCAL HERO during the COVID-19 pandemic in Calgary and southern Alberta, be it on the front lines or in the community helping others? We want to know for our new series paying tribute to these local heroes. Tell us which person or team you'd nominate and why via email to CBC Calgary reporter Meghan Grant at meghan.grant@cbc.ca.

Being a front-line, essential worker during a global pandemic is a role most grocery clerks didn't know they'd signed up for and while Taeler Squittieri is no different, the Bonavista Safeway clerk says it feels as though she's been called to serve her community.

"I never thought as a grocery store worker I would be on the front lines of anything like this and right now I can come and step up for my country, my city, my community and that makes me proud to come to work," says Squittieri. 

"I've always wanted to be something to someone and now I'm able to do that, I'm able to help people."

Squittieri was nominated as a "local hero" by one of her customers who says the 24-year-old tries to connect with every person who walks into the grocery store.

Bonavista has been home for Squittieri her whole life. Right now, she lives with her mother and brother and is the only one with a job. 

She goes far beyond her job description in order to make people's shopping experiences better during stressful times.

In the last couple of weeks, a woman was five dollars short on her grocery bill so Squittieri paid the difference out of her own pocket.

Squittieri has posted on the community Facebook group, offering to hand-deliver groceries to her older customers.

And she made a motivational poster for her coworkers.

Shopping 'an emotional roller coaster' for some

But perhaps most importantly, Squittieri knows she is the only human connection some customers will have in a week. So she tries to spread joy, love and kindness to the shoppers.

"More than ever, the exceptional effort that she takes to make eye contact and to personally connect with every customer is having a very powerful impact," said Squittieri's nominator Brenda Straw.

Big emotions happen at the grocery store these days, says Squittieri. People are anxious and afraid and sometimes that looks like anger. 

"When I'm on the floor, I just want people to know it's going to be OK, we're going to get through it, it is an emotional roller coaster but we are going to land on our feet."

Squittieri is on the roller coaster too. There are ups and downs. But she says she tries to keep her stress away from customers. 

'What do you need?'

For stress relief, Squittieri credits coworkers (the "team"), her family and journalling.  

"I'll come home, write a little bit, put on my PJs, have a little glass of wine, have a snack, hang out with my mom and my brother and then repeat."

Even with new safety protocols like Plexiglass shields, masks for workers and physical distancing measures, grocery store employees are at risk. 

Several grocery store employees across the city have been diagnosed with Covid-19. 

Sometimes Squittieri worries about getting sick but she also says there's nowhere else she'd rather be. 

"The only thing we can do right now is offer each other our services; 'what can I do to help you? What do you need that I can offer?'"