If you drive around the Midwest region of the United States, you’re probably refueled at a Kwik Trip convenience store at some point. What you might not know is that for over three decades this family-owned company has worked in partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) programs in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, connecting people with disabilities to employment through the Retail Helper program.
Kwik Trip, Inc. is based out of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and has over 850 stores across the Midwest, in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. Their mission is “to serve our customers and community more effectively than anyone else by treating our customers, co-workers, and suppliers as we, personally, would like to be treated and to make a difference in someone’s life.”
The inception of the Retail Helper program was a direct result of Kwik Trip’s commitment to their mission. One of the Store Leaders chose to see a person with a disability for their capabilities and the value they could add to the store. There was also a need to have dedicated staff to serve customers, as the range of functions Guest Services Coworkers had to manage could sometimes get in the way of the level of service excellence they strived for, particularly during busier times.
In partnership with Wisconsin’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), they designed a position, along with a training and recruitment plan, to hire people with disabilities, making a difference in their lives, too. The model was soon replicated in Minnesota and Iowa.
Since Minnesota VRS started partnering with the Retail Helper program in 2013, employment through Kwik Trip has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of Minnesotans with disabilities. In the past 12 months, 29 MN VRS program participants have been hired at Kwik Trip, working as cashiers, in food service or retail. Overall, there are more than 200 people with disabilities employed through the Kwik Trip Retail Helper program in Minnesota! Some have been with the company for many years and advancing in their careers.
Take Alan, for example. He started in 2018 at one of the Kwik Trips in Duluth, Minnesota, doing maintenance. He soon started showing a passion for understanding how all the machines worked and quickly became “the machine guru on the team,” as per Alecia, his Store Leader, who started relying on Alan as a resource.
Eventually, Alan was ready to transition to full-time work. Alecia, knowing his potential, supported the transition by training him on register duties – which Alan took on successfully.
“He’s crucial to the daily operations of the store. If there was an ever an MVP at our store, it would be Alan,” said new Store Leader Sam. “His energy is infectious. Every day starts with Alan’s signature catch phrase, ‘Are you ready for a fun and exciting day!?’”
- Employers: if you are looking for assistance connecting with workers with disabilities, contact your regional VRS Employment Specialist.
