Charlie Stafford was swimming in Griz gear.

His co-workers in the Kalispell Middle School cafeteria had thrown him a birthday party after the day’s work was finished. The celebration coincided with their Christmas party, and by the time Stafford had finished unwrapping his many presents, he was outfitted with maroon apparel and objects from the University of Montana.

“I love Griz!” he exclaimed as he unwrapped a sweatshirt, backpack, ski hat, gloves, blanket and Christmas ornament, all bearing the UM logo. “That’s my favorite team.”

The women in the cafeteria have worked with Stafford long enough to know what he likes. Stafford, who has Down syndrome, has been part of the team for nearly a year, when Terry Caudill, the lead at the school, supported hiring him.

“When he first came, everyone was nervous,” she said. “I said we’ve got to give him a chance.”

Caudill said she has never regretted that decision. Since Stafford, 24, was hired, he has brought sunshine into the cafeteria.

“He is a joy to us. He does a great job for us,” said Bertha Morrison, Kalispell Public Schools food services director.

“We sure learned a lot from him. He’s always happy. He just goes with the flow. He always keeps us laughing.”

Stafford also provides support when his co-workers, whom he refers to as “my girls,” are struggling.

Caudill teared up when she told of how Stafford cared for her when her grandmother was ill.

“He would give me hugs every day and tell me, ‘It’s going to be all right,’” she said.

When Charlie Stafford was born Dec. 18, 1986, no one expected him to live very long.

“The doctors 24 years ago told us to take him home and love him,” said his father, Charlie Stafford Sr. “They were not sure if he would live.”

But after at least 16 surgeries, including operations to repair his urinary tract and fix a hole in his heart, Stafford proved he was a survivor.

“He came through every one of them very well,” Stafford Sr. said.

He has two older brothers who have always watched out for him and two younger sisters who grew up with him. Stafford Sr. also praised the community, which has loved and watched out for his son.

Most community members first met Stafford at Hunter Education classes; his father started taking him to the classes he taught when Stafford was a young child.

The classes only fueled Stafford’s love for hunting. His co-workers know hunting is one of his favorite subjects, and Stafford proudly displays a photo of a bear that had ventured onto the family’s property outside Caudill’s office at work.

He loves to hunt with his family, and they love to modify their hunting so he can join them.

“We know his limits,” Stafford Sr. said. “We won’t go a [long] distance.”

As Stafford grew older, he and his family started hunting for a job. Stafford Sr. said he didn’t want his son confined to the house, but he didn’t want Stafford to have to work in an environment that was too fast-paced for him to handle.

The job at Kalispell Middle School, which they found through Flathead Industries, “is just the perfect job,” Stafford Sr. said.

Stafford started working there in early 2010. The work itself — washing dishes, wiping tables and emptying wastebaskets — is perfect for him, Stafford Sr. said.

“It’s repetitious work. Disability kids, they do good with repetitious work,” he said.

Caudill holds Stafford to high standards, Stafford Sr. added. “He has to meet criteria.”

If for some reason Stafford doesn’t meet those goals, Caudill calls Stafford Sr. or his wife, Cindy. Stafford Sr. remembers a time when Stafford wasn’t wiping down his tables fast enough.

He visited his son at work and challenged him to a table-wiping race. After losing a couple of times, Stafford looked at his father and told him this time he would win. Sure enough, Stafford wiped the tables in record time.

His father congratulated him and told him that’s how fast he needed to wipe tables in the future. Since then, Stafford Sr. said, there hasn’t been a problem.

“Any time there has been a problem, Terry has called me and we deal with it and move forward,” he said.

Either he, his wife or her parents, Bill and Pat Phillips, take Stafford to and from work every day. The entire family has pitched in to ensure Stafford can continue doing the job he loves.

And he does love it. He missed work when school was out for the summer.

“He’d ask, ‘When am I going back to work, Dad? I miss my girls,’” Stafford Sr. said. “It’s a safe environment. They take care of him.”

They also help instill a sense of pride in Stafford.

“He’s so proud of that paycheck,” his father said. “It’s him growing up.”

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.