It is a usual sight to see homeless people along busy streets and avenues. They get to make a living through alms from passerby and free food from kindhearted restaurant and coffee shop owners. But, hey, do you imagine a life like theirs? Got no house and a roof to keep you each day and night, got no stable job to earn money, and sometimes, no family to be with.
Feels like hopeless, though. That is what this woman probably thinks in her life of being homeless for a year. LaShenda Williams lives her homeless life by sleeping in a grocery store parking lot. For months, she spends the night at Kroger’s grocery store parking area until one lucky day came. The hiring manager of Kroger’s noticed LaShenda and offered her a job.
Before, Williams suffered from abuse and drug addiction. In the daytime, she drives around to different areas, and most of the time, spend the night at a particular grocery store: Kroger. She tells NBC that she used to lean her back inside the car to avoid anyone from seeing her. She knows that she isn’t supposed to stay in the parking area. Williams feels hopeless, but as luck would have it, she met a Kroger employee who oversees the particular store’s hiring operations where she used to park. Jackie Vandal invited her to apply for the upcoming job fair.
That day of the job fair, Williams was hired on the spot. Vandal recalls how she leads LaShenda on filling out the online application form. A few days after, Williams started working at Kroger’s. Eight months passed, and Williams finally earned enough to afford a one-bedroom home. Her luck does not stop there because, with her co-workers, she found new friends and family. They helped her set up the house. Their local community helped Williams by donating furniture, clothes, shoes, and other household stuff. Slowly, they are guiding her to get back on her feet.
Kroger hires #homeless woman who slept in the grocery store's parking lot https://t.co/EZFATsy4Ph
— Greg Funderburg (@gfunderburgNC9) September 5, 2020
According to the corporate affairs manager of Kroger’s in Nashville, Williams is a great employee. The Kroger family is lucky to have her. LaShenda is so gratified to have found kindhearted people. With them, she found what love truly means. The opportunity to change her destiny and make a new start in life is indeed beautiful.
