By Ashley M. Casey
Staff Writer
Maggie Schmidt thrived at Baker High School. She enjoyed her routine of classes and worked in the cafeteria busing tables. So when Maggie graduated in 2014, her family began to look for pursuits that provided the same structured day as high school did.
It has been tough for Maggie, 24, to find suitable opportunities after high school. Diagnosed with autism as a toddler, Maggie does not have a driver’s license and has difficulty with spoken interaction. But her disability does not stop her from making trips to Wegmans and Target, so Maggie is parlaying her enthusiasm for shopping into a new endeavor: a volunteer grocery shopping service, tentatively named “Shopping by Maggie.”
“One of her real joys is shopping, whether it’s grocery shopping or going to Target,” said Dan Schmidt, Maggie’s father and the owner of Hills, Farnham & Hills Insurance.
With the help of father and her aide, Beth Bender, Maggie has started a service in which she volunteers to pick up groceries for those who have trouble getting out and about. Dan said he expects many of Maggie’s clients will be senior citizens.
Dan said both Maggie and her clients will be able to benefit from their social interaction with each other.
“It’s helping two people. It’s helping Maggie and it’s helping people who need this service,” Dan said. “There’s a social piece. She needs to practice that.”
In addition to perusing the aisles of her favorite stores, Maggie is very into the arts. She takes classes at Onondaga Community College in photography and cooking, and she also takes a ceramics class at the Burnet Arts & Crafts facility in Syracuse.
But her parents wanted to find something else to occupy Maggie’s time, and support services for disabled adults are scarce, Dan said.
“Once she got out of high school … then you’re on your own,” Dan said. “We’re creating something for her instead of sitting around waiting. We’re taking action.”
Beth Bender, who is a self-direction coach from the Kelberman Center in Syracuse, will drive Maggie to and from her destinations.
“Maggie likes filling up a cart,” she said. “She likes the self checkout, too.”
Maggie said she likes buying movies at Target — she is a big fan of Nickelodeon and Disney — and getting English muffins from Wegmans.
“She knows that store better than Danny Wegman does,” Dan said.
In addition to perusing the aisles of her favorite stores, Maggie is very into the arts. She takes classes at Onondaga Community College in photography and cooking, and she also takes a ceramics class at the Burnet Arts & Crafts facility in Syracuse.
Beth said the grocery service is a way for Maggie to “find her niche in the community.”
“You’re just looking for people to see Maggie for how smart and capable she is,” Beth said.
Dan said he will handle communication with Maggie’s clients. People can call him with their grocery lists, which he will pass on to Maggie. She and Beth will then purchase and deliver the groceries. Clients will reimburse Maggie for their groceries, but Dan said there is no plan to charge a service fee.
For more information or to sign up for Shopping by Maggie, contact Dan Schmidt at (315) 254-7763 or [email protected].
