On March 14, journalist Dan Rather tweeted, “You know who are also heroes? Those working the checkout counters and stocking shelves at supermarkets and pharmacies. Their work, at some risk to their own health, is vital to the health and safety of our country.”

So I went to my neighborhood grocery store — Cedar Plaza QFC — to capture pictures of these everyday heroes. You see them during your visits to the store in your own community. It took someone like Dan Rather to make me realize how important they are to us.

When I explained about my photo assignment to each one, I said, “May I take your picture?  Because you’re a hero,” they smiled.

I only wish I had said it a long time ago.

— By David Carlos