By LUISA LOI
Special to The Record
Behind the neatly displayed products lining the shelves of Rite Aid in Freeland, there is a woman who’s been doing the job for two decades.
When Stacie Lanners graduated from South Whidbey High School and prepared to venture through the intricacies of finding employment as a person with special needs, she was expected to only be able to do simple cleaning tasks.
Today, the Clinton resident is a friendly and beloved face among the pharmacy’s regulars who stop by on Thursday and Friday mornings, when they can find her stocking, sweeping, taking care of garbage, picking up mail, pulling products to the front of the shelf and directing disoriented folks to the item they’re looking for.
Despite her autism, cerebral palsy and aphasia, a disorder that affects her ability to speak and understand language, Lanners can tout being part of a minority of people who have worked at the same place for 20 years — a milestone that warrants an anniversary celebration this week, enjoying cake and flowers with her coworkers at Rite Aid. All who know her are welcome to join the celebration and enjoy a slice of cake roughly between 10 and noon this Friday, Sept. 5.
Lanners clocked in for the first time on Sept. 5, 2005 at what once was Linds Pharmacy — now Rite Aid and soon to be CVS pharmacy. Friday, she rocked a Seahawks jersey that matched the colors of her Rite Aid nametag, and said she looked forward to receiving her new CVS tag.
The 41-year-old graduated in 2003 and spent two more years in school to further prepare to join the workforce before she was hired at Linds Pharmacy in Freeland and Langley on Sept. 5, 2005.
When Rite Aid purchased Linds in 2015, her mother, Bonnie Nichols, was relieved to learn the new company was going to retain her daughter and is grateful to CVS for accepting her as well, she said.
Emily Guy, a Service Alternatives worker who supervised Lanners on Friday, commended her lengthy career, which she found particularly impressive given the three business acquisitions.
Echoing Guy’s words, Nichols said she doesn’t know a lot of people who have worked the same job for 20 years.
“For her to still enjoy it, and for the company to still be with us and everything to be working out, I think we’re really, really lucky.”
Nichols encouraged parents not to give up the job hunt, as her own family’s journey wasn’t exactly smooth at first, either.
After some disappointing job rejections following Lanners’ graduation, Nichols decided to inquire with her own employers at Linds, who welcomed her daughter to the team.
During the first two years, Nichols had to drive Lanners at every shift and spent more than what her daughter earned to pay for two paraeducators who could assist her at work. Nevertheless, Nichols was determined to ensure her daughter could get valuable experience.
When Service Alternatives — an organization that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are employed or looking for a job — came into the picture, Lanners was able to switch from the evening shift to the morning shift and began riding with Paratransit, Island Transit’s service for people with disabilities.
“If we didn’t have paratransit, a lot of our (special needs) kids wouldn’t have jobs,” Nichols said.
Lanners admitted that riding and hopping off the bus is her favorite part of the work day. In her free time, she likes to ride her pink bike in her neighborhood, do handstands in the pool, watch the Seahawks and listen to music.
As part of a yearly tradition, Lanners is saving up to travel to a destination of her choice with her family. On her 35th birthday, she woke up by the beach in the Bahamas. During the pandemic, she drove with her family to Montana to adopt her own dog, an American cocker spaniel she named Cricket. She has also visited 47 states and is planning to wrap up with trips to the Southeast corner.
In line with research showing the benefits of employment on the life of people with disabilities, Lanners has learned to live more independently, which shows in her confidence.
She wakes up and gets ready by herself, eats breakfast, heads out to wait for the bus to pick her up and, Guy said, can do the job without being constantly told what to do.
By earning her own money, Lanners was able to cover the cost of some necessities — including an eye surgery — and quality time with loved ones — like ziplining or eating French fries with her pal and coworker Julietta.
Nichols believes the work routine has given her daughter a better sense of self-worth and an opportunity to connect with people, which she believes are better alternatives to sitting in front of a screen without anything to look forward to — which is often the reality for those who can’t find employment.
Guy said finding a job on Whidbey Island can be difficult based on a person’s abilities, as there aren’t many options available. She advised employers to be open minded, as disabilities don’t necessarily mean those affected are incapable of working.
Among various benefits for employers, hiring people with disabilities can boost employee morale, reduce absenteeism and turnover rates and can be rewarded with tax incentives, as reported by Business.com.
“The people that hire (people with disabilities) give them wonderful opportunities,” Nichols said.
