Danny Ockenhouse may have lost his job greeting shoppers at the East Stroudsburg Wal-Mart, though protestors ensured his presence was felt Saturday, taking to the store's Lincoln Avenue location to show their support of the displaced employee and their disapproval of the retail giant's actions.

Protestors held up signs saying “Support Danny” and “Give Danny his job back.” Confined to a motorized wheelchair, Ockenhouse, 41, spent nearly 21 years as a Wal-Mart employee, directing shoppers to product areas and checking receipts of those leaving. In what appears to be a chain-wide mandate, Wal-Mart is replacing greeters with hosts who have different responsibilities where the risks for theft, safety and security are higher. Because of Ockenhouse's limitations, his job opportunities are slimmer than most.

Wal-Mart offered and placed all other greeters with jobs in the store, but Ockenhouse said the store wouldn't give one to him, citing impaired vision and his inability to lift 50 pounds and put groceries in the back of people's cars.

Wal-Mart spokesman Kory Lundberg said that several new positions were available in the East Stroudsburg Wal-Mart, but that Danny opted to not apply. The company is moving displaced greeters into jobs as cashiers, fitting room attendants and shelf stockers.

Lundberg confirmed the 50-pound requirement for cashiers and hosts, but added that having vision problems wouldn't preclude anyone from a position as a fitting room attendant.

In a statement to the Pocono Record on Saturday, Lundberg said: “This is a difficult situation because Danny was a part of what made our store special. We very much wanted Danny to stay with Wal-Mart and the store tried hard to help him find another position in their store and nearby stores; unfortunately, he didn't find an opening that he felt met his needs at this time.”