Martin’s first in nation to provide special needs families a new Caroline’s Cart in every store.

Parents of children with special needs are making their shopping trips to Martin’s Super Markets easier with “Caroline’s Cart,” a groundbreaking new shopping cart designed specifically to accommodate the unique shopping needs of families with children living with disabilities that limit their mobility. The new cart is available at all 21 Martin’s Super Market locations in Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan. The carts’ manufacturer says that Martin’s is the first supermarket in the nation to make a Caroline’s Cart available in every store. The first shopping cart ever designed specifically for children with special needs, Caroline’s Cart was invented by stay-at-home mom Drew Ann Long, of Alabaster, Alabama. In 2000, Long and her husband, David, welcomed a daughter, Caroline, the second of their three children. Born with Rett syndrome, a disorder of the nervous system, Caroline is unable to walk, talk or use her hands and requires the assistance of a wheelchair to get around. As Caroline grew, Drew Ann Long realized that Caroline would no longer be able to ride in a traditional shopping cart, making trips to the store with her almost impossible. Long’s challenge drove her to invent “Caroline’s Cart” to provide parents with a viable option to transport a child through a store while grocery shopping, without simultaneously having to maneuver a wheelchair and a traditional grocery cart. In 2008, Long sketched out her vision of the cart and began searching the internet to learn about grocery cart manufacturers. After five years of raising awareness about her invention through national television and newspaper interviews, and several trips to meet with elected officials in Washington, D.C., Technibilt, the world's largest producer of grocery carts, began production on a line of Caroline's Carts on August 1. Designed to look similar to a traditional shopping cart, Caroline’s Cart has specially made handles that swing away, allowing easy access to the seat, and a platform below the seat to serve as a footrest. With the occupant facing the cart operator for improved interaction and eye contact, the seat contains a five-point adjustable harness to properly support the rider and give the handler a greater ability to steer the cart while shopping normally. With a maximum weight capacity of 250 pounds, Caroline’s Cart is slightly larger than a traditional shopping cart and comes equipped with hooks on the side to hold a purse or bag without interfering with the capacity. Caroline’s Cart is also equipped with two eight-inch wheels and four casters, which increases maneuverability and stability. While Caroline’s Cart was designed to accommodate children with disabilities that limit their mobility, it has many more uses. Children with behavioral issues or autism can also be served by the cart, as can elderly citizens with dementia or mobility issues. Caroline's Cart was honored with the prestigious 2013 Da Vinci Award for Transportation and Mobility and in 2012, Caroline Long was named a National Youth Ambassador for Easter Seals, an opportunity that gave a greater platform for her story and the cart that bears her name. Easter Seals is so enthusiastic about the cart that it will be the first product emblazoned with the organization's iconic lily logo. Martin’s Operations Specialist Don Loutzenhiser played a key role in testing a single Caroline’s Cart in a Granger Martin’s this fall, after having spoken with a customer there who knew of the cart and felt it could provide a service to Michiana families with special needs children. After a successful test, twenty more carts were ordered and are now in service at every Martin’s location. “We’re proud to be on the forefront of making our customers’ shopping experiences easier in any way we can,” says Loutzenhiser. “Since having been placed in each store in November, we’d had nothing but positive feedback.” For more information, contact Cindy Kaplan at (574) 239-1867 or ckaplan@martins-supermarkets.com