Source: USA Today

Supermarket Manager Hires Homeless Woman Who Was Sleeping In The Store’s Parking Lot

The manager of a Kroger grocery store in Nashville saw promise in a woman who had been sleeping in their parking lot for a year and helped her successfully apply for a job.

Store Manager Hires Homeless Woman Sleeping In Parking Lot

After around a year of living out of her car that was parked in a Kroger grocery store’s lot in Nashville, Tennessee, LaShenda Williams was feeling increasingly hopeless. Today, thanks to one attentive hiring manager, that supermarket welcomed her with a job and a fresh start.

Williams now has her own apartment and has worked at the store for ten months.
Inglewood Kroger assistant store manager Jackie Vandal hugs LaShenda Williams, who was living in her car in the store’s parking lot. Williams now has her own apartment and has worked at the store for ten months. Source: Larry McCormack/The Tennessean/USAToday

Nashville Kroger grocery store hires woman who had been sleeping in its parking lot for a year

LaShenda Williams told USA Today that she had been battling drug addition and had been spending the nights in her car at a Nashville Kroger after driving around different locations during the day.

“I would lean my seat all the way back so no one would see me because, you know, I knew I wasn’t supposed to be there,” Williams told Williams told NBC Nightly News.

At the end of last year, Jackie Vandal, a manager at Krogers, noticed Williams and encouraged her to attend an upcoming job fair, according to Today.

On the day of the job fair, Vandal told Williams, who was one of the first applicants, that she would need to fill out an application online. Williams later appeared with an old laptop asking if she could plug it in.

With some help from Vandal, Williams spent a few hours filling out the application. Once Vandal saw the message indicating she had successfully applied, Vandal hired her on the spot.

Williams has worked at the store since December and with the help of her fellow Kroger employees as well as leaders in the community, now has an apartment.

“She’s a fantastic worker, I wish I had 120 of her,” Vandal told WKRN.

“We are so lucky to have Lashenda as part of our Kroger family. Her uplifting spirit is contagious. She has made such a positive impact on her fellow team members, and so many customers as well,” Melissa Eads, a corporate affairs manager for Kroger Nashville Division told Today.

Williams says it is easy to be enthusiastic after everything that has happened.

“I was sleeping in a parking lot and looking for something to eat. Now, all my babies here love on me. No one abuses me, and no one calls me dumb and stupid. For the first time in my life, I finally got peace,” Williams told USA Today 

Source: CoxMediaGroup/Boston25News

Below: a YouTube video from a real woman who sleeps in her vehicle speaking out about homelessness. 

“Don’t let anybody steal your joy!” LaShenda Williams tells Kroger customers in Nashville, Tenn. Source: Larry McCormack/The Tennessean/USAToday
After a few months, Williams earned enough money to get her own apartment, and a customer helped her find one. Another customer, V.L. Williams, rallied Nashvillians on Facebook to donate furniture, decorations and clothes.
‘We’ll take care of you’: Tennessee Kroger tells woman who slept in the store’s parking lot. After a few months, Williams earned enough money to get her own apartment, and a customer helped her find one. Another customer, V.L. Williams, rallied Nashvillians on Facebook to donate furniture, decorations and clothes. Source: Twitter/KrogerNews

Kroger Hires Woman Who Slept In Store’s Parking Lot | NBC Nightly News For nearly a year, Lashenda Williams slept in her car in a Kroger parking lot. Now, the same supermarket has welcomed her with a job and a fresh start. Source: YouTube/NBCNews
Kroger hired a homeless woman. On her YouTube channel ‘about’ page, Adrasdea says:— ‘I have no idea what I'm doing here.
I'm homeless with compound PTSD and this is my life. If you want to help keep me alive my PayPal is PayPal.me/adrasdea — My channel is not for children, I am mentally ill and sometimes talk about disturbing things. Viewer beware, tears await.’ — video contains a small amount of swearing in the heat of the moment, but please hear the message. If you can help Adrasdea, click the link to her YouTube channel and contact her ? Source: YouTube/adrasdea

9 WAYS YOU CAN HELP THE HOMELESS

Without the support of friends and family, how many of us could survive something such as the loss of a spouse, a debilitating physical illness, or the loss of employment? Many of the people living on the streets today were struck by a personal tragedy and lacked a support system to get help when they needed it. But you can help right now. By giving of your time, money, services or skills, you can make the difference in the life of a homeless person. Here's how, from the wonderful Jen Savedge over at Treehugger:

Support Now