Coronavirus Won't Stop This Baker with Autism

Antonio Russo working at the Shop & Shop in Madison

Nobody or nothing stops Anthony Russo from missing work at the bakery in Stop & Shop in Madison, New Jersey.  

Anthony Russo is a 26-year-old on the autism spectrum. When the coronavirus pandemic extended to New Jersey in March 2020, Russo being an essential worker at a grocery shop, had an option to continue going to work. He understood the risks presented by the pandemic, but he remains committed to his work.

“He wants to go in there and do it. And he is not afraid. We educated him about what’s going on, as well as the store and reminded him to wash his hands, wear his gloves, and to not get too close to people ,” said Donna Russo, Russo’s mother to NJ Advance Media.

When presented with the option of continuing to go to work or not, Russo made his decision. “I bake cookies. Cookies make people happy, and these are hard times, and I want to bake my cookies,” he told his mother.

Russo has been a bakery assistant for over 6 years - baking cookies, decorating cupcakes, packaging and tagging items, and taking cake orders. Russo loves going to work because he feels good when he goes and helps people. “I feel good, I’m going to go in and do my job and help,” Russo said to Chris Ryan. His coworkers are very nice to him, as they try to look out for him and teach him as much as they can how to become better at his job. With the help of his mom, Independence360/Spectrum360, and Madison Stop & Shop, Russo has gained his boss’s trust to gain more responsibility at his job to handle more tasks.

“I never thought that this could ever happened. I guess I didn’t have enough faith in the community that they would take a chance on him. And somebody did," Russo’s mother said to NJ Advance Media. This has been a tremendous opportunity for Russo and his mother is very proud and grateful to watch his son make it this far and to watch him make a difference during this worldwide crisis.

"It just shows when you stick with something and keep working at it, it does pay off. He sings before he goes to work. He loves his job, and if he’s happy and healthy, he’s got the world.”, she said to NJ Advance Media.