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Member Worker
Profile: Angel Maenhardt
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by Andrew Elder
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Tuesdays
with Angel
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Come
into Honest Weight on a Tuesday and you’ll find an Angel in the Grocery
section. Angel Maenhardt, a Brooklyn native, makes the drive from
Ballston Spa every Tuesday to get her member hours loading stock and
marking prices. It’s a bit of a haul, but for Angel it’s a no-brainer;
"The extra drive doesn’t bother me at all," she said. "I'm a vegan, and
I realized going to a regular supermarket just wasn't going to cut it.
I love the products and I'd make the drive to shop here even I weren't
a member worker."
When she first arrived in the region in 2004, Angel went online
searching for vegan grocers and found Honest Weight. She started out in
the Deli but needed to move from Thursdays to Tuesdays. A quick jump to
Grocery later, and Tuesdays have been Angel’s home for the last two
years.
Angel’s favorite part of the job is helping customers and promoting new
products. "Lots of people have questions about a recipe they read in a
magazine, or vitamins or whole grains. I like making things more
appealing, getting new items out in front." A bit of retail lore came
to my mind and I asked her: "Is that what's called 'facing'?" Angel
gave me a smile, "Okay!" she said. By any name, it's catching the
customer's eye and getting people excited about new things.
Angel has a husband named Joe and two older cats (ages 14 and 17),
adopted late in their feline lives. She and her husband volunteer at
the Saratoga County Animal Shelter and have been taking in older cats
for over 15 years. They also spend time at the shelter walking dogs and
assisting with fundraising (Angel would like you to know they’re
currently raising money for a new shelter and adoption clinic).
Angel worked in emergency rooms (at Bellevue, King’s County, and Coney
Island) as an RN for 15 years in New York, and her awareness of health
issues prompted her to become a vegetarian and then a vegan. Veganism
also appeals to the animal lover in her.
Like many members, Honest Weight is more than a place to shop and work
for Angel. "I felt comfortable right away; with the people, the place,"
said Angel. "People care about each other here; it’s not just customers
but people in general that are the priority. If the Grocery team
doesn’t have something someone is looking for, Nancy or David will come
out and order it for them on the spot whenever possible."
Of course, she’s very excited about the future of Honest Weight as
well, especially the new expansion and the upcoming new building.
"Extending the Co-op has been great, there’s more products, more room
to shop," she said. "And everyone is looking forward to the new store,
if nothing else just for the parking!"
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