Anthony Russo never likes to miss work. Even on his days off, he wants to be at the Stop & Shop in Madison.

When the coronavirus pandemic reached New Jersey, Russo’s stance didn’t change. As an essential worker at a grocery store, he had the option to continue going to his job.

Russo, a 26-year-old on the autism spectrum, understood the risks presented by the pandemic, but he remained committed.

“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,” said Donna Russo, Anthony’s mother. “And we told him how important it was to keep washing his hands, wear gloves, don’t go too close to people. We said, ‘Anthony, you have the choice.’ And the store also gave him the choice. They said, ‘if you’re not comfortable and you don’t want to work, we understand. You will not lose your job, it’s ok.’”

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When presented with the options, Anthony 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.

So Russo continued reporting to Stop & Shop, where he has worked as a bakery assistant for nearly six years. He makes the cookies, decorates cupcakes, packages and tags items, and takes cake orders.

Even as more people started becoming infected with the coronavirus, he’s remained committed to going to work.

“He didn’t look at it as a thing of fear. He just looked at is as, ‘I have a responsibility,'” Donna Russo said. “'I feel good, I’m going to go in and do my job and help.' That’s the mentality that he has. The people there are very good to him, they’re very nice to him. They look out for him and he’s learned so much being there, and we’re just so grateful he’s been given this opportunity.”

During Russo’s time working at Stop & Shop, he’s gained more responsibility over the years, earning the trust of management to handle more tasks.

His mom, Independence360/Spectrum360 and the Madison Stop & Shop have worked together to help Russo handle and grow in his job.

Before he got the job, Donna Russo wasn’t sure what her son’s adult life was going to look like. Now she’s proud to watch him make a difference during a national crisis.

“I couldn’t imagine in my wildest dreams that this would ever happen. I guess I didn’t have enough faith in the community that they would take a chance on him. And somebody did," she said.

"It just shows when you stick with something and keep working at it, it does pay off. The most important thing to me is that he’s happy. He sings before he goes to work. He loves his job, and that to me, if you’re happy and you’re healthy, you’ve got the world.”

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Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.