A spotless Marshalls, thanks to Lance’s 8 years of dedication

Lance sweeps floors, wipes down counters, and makes sure the mirrors are spotless.

Every Thursday morning, before the doors open and the first shoppers walk in, Lance is already at work at the Marshalls in Lakewood. He’s sweeping floors, wiping down counters, and making sure the mirrors are spotless. It's a routine he's kept for eight years now, and to hear his manager tell it, the store wouldn't be the same without him.

Lance has been a Centerforce client since 1998. Long before he came to Marshalls, he worked on the grounds crew in Centerforce's supported workshops, building the work habits and confidence that would carry him into the community. In May 2018, he started his job at Marshalls, and he's been a fixture there ever since — a big wrestling fan (The Rock is a particular favorite) who takes real pride in his work, especially, as he'll tell you, wiping down the counters.

"With him showing up regularly every Thursday, that somebody is here," said Megan, assistant store manager of merchandise at the Lakewood store and a seven-year Marshalls team member. "Having Lance and others like him employed with us actually brings something extra to the team. He's not less than — he helps out just as much as everybody else, and that smile he has on his face every single time I see him, that's special."

Lance has been a Centerforce client since 1998.

Megan has watched Lance grow over the years he's worked at Marshalls, crediting much of that growth to the coaching support Centerforce provides. His job coach Cathy has been there with him, including a recent moment that Megan still smiles about. A team member had asked Lance to do something, and he simply said no. Megan wasn't sure at first if he was joking. He wasn't. It turned into a coaching conversation about how to express himself to a supervisor without shutting a request down outright — a small moment, but one that spoke to how far Lance has come.

"When I first met him, he was very quiet, very much to himself," Megan said. "Now he's talking to not just me, but all the other employees more. He's really come out of his shell. I don't think he ever would have dreamed of telling somebody no when I first started working with him. I'm so proud of how far he's come."

For Megan, the partnership with Centerforce is about more than filling a shift. It's a chance to push back on assumptions she's seen too often in her years working alongside people with disabilities.

"They might learn a little differently, but we all learn differently,” she said. “Having Lance work here gives people more exposure, and it helps contradict that stereotype.” 

Asked whether she'd recommend the partnership to other businesses, Megan didn't hesitate: "Absolutely. It's a great tool for a lot of people — for people like Lance, and for us, learning from it."

"They might learn a little differently, but we all learn differently,” said Megan, assistant store manager of merchandise at the Lakewood store. “Having Lance work here gives people more exposure, and it helps contradict that stereotype.” 

Lance and Megan, assistant store manager of merchandise at the Lakewood store.