Sioux Falls store answers mom's request for specialized cart
"It's something that's very simple, and most people don't think about it because generally a 3-year-old can walk," Bender said.
Andria Bender always tries to get the plastic car shopping cart at the grocery store.
It's not because her daughter Margot loves cars, but rather because the seats are larger and more accommodating for the 3-year-old girl who can neither walk nor talk due to a genetic abnormality delaying her development.
Recently, Bender discovered another solution. Caroline's Carts—named after the daughter of the inventor—are specially designed for disabled children, with a large seat where a child can safely sit, buckled in and facing parents as they shop.
This week, at Bender's request, the Hy-Vee at 57th Street and Cliff Avenue became the second store in town to have one of these specialized carts.
The Hy-Vee store on South Minnesota Avenue ordered a Caroline's Cart about a year ago for similar reasons.
"Other Hy-Vee (stores) have contacted us since then to find out where we've gotten it," said Jesse Patrick, manager of store operations at the Minnesota Avenue location. "It has kind of spread just from us getting it."
Bender reached out to the 57th Street and Cliff Avenue Hy-Vee via email Monday morning. That evening, she received a voicemail from them saying they had ordered a Caroline's Cart for the store. She immediately called back to thank them.
"I said, 'You know, for you it's probably just putting in an order,'" Bender said. "'But it means so much more for myself and the rest of the people that are going to benefit from this.'"
She hopes more Sioux Falls stores will add Caroline's Carts, and she and her sister have sent emails to local Target and Walmart stores requesting the carts.
Walmart has not responded. Target said it has begun adding Caroline's Carts to several locations, but has no plans to bring them to Sioux Falls right now.
But even having a couple of places with the carts makes a big difference.
"It's something that's very simple, and most people don't think about it because generally a 3-year-old can walk," Bender said. "But when you have a child that isn't able to do that, you just want to do the normal things ... Something like Caroline's Cart is just a small step to feeling a little bit more like everyone else."