Be thankful, grateful, patient, charitable, kind, and don’t forget to smile, as it is infectious. God Bless America and Protect Our Military!!
I was working as a receiver at a local Acme supermarket when I injured my knee in the Summer of 1994. After I had X-Rays that led to orthoscopic surgery, I was out on workers’ comp. I can still remember getting the call from Gail, who worked in Risk Management at Corporate headquarters. She said they were looking for someone to help with a new program they were rolling out and asked if I would be interested. I said if the Union had no problem with it then I would be greatly interested in it.
A short while later, I received a call from what would become my new boss, Donna, who at the time managed Customer Service and Reproduction. The job, in addition to working in Customer Service, would also involve supporting our new Party platter, Holiday dinner, and Lancaster Meat Guide orders. The program grew over the next year, with me now recruiting and overseeing folks like me who were out on light duty to run a corporate-wide call center in the Tri-State area to take and manage customer party orders with our respective stores.
This led me to work permanently in customer service during those down times. I eventually developed and rolled out a school Tour program that opened our doors to local schools and educated them about the different facets of the business. It was tied to the Campbell Soup labels for Education program and offered certificates redeemable for school computers and supplies. We also had contributors who offered early reader books and giveaway items for the kids.
A year or so later, while at lunch, the Director of Government and Community Affairs, Walt, was sharing a story about growing up in St. John’s Orphanage in Wet Philly until he was adopted. I shared a story with him about my mother, who grew up in Our Mother of Sorrows parish in West Philly. I added that my mother’s older sister, Aunt Alice, who had polio, would make candy and sell it to the local kids. At the end of the day, any leftover candy she would pass through the fence to the kids at St. John’s. I also added that my grandparents and aunts were still buried in Old Cathedral Cemetery at 48th and Wyalusing Ave. This struck a chord with Walt.
My boss, Donna, said Walt had called and was looking for someone to help him with the company’s Non-Profit Programs, and that I would be a good fit. e.g., MDA, Variety, Gift of Life, Philabundance, Food Banks, and other various fundraising efforts for many years.
The long and short of it is that I worked the next 16-plus years for Donna (who left to work for Philabundance), Marianne, and Walt until he left the company. I worked for 6 Presidents during that time and met and made many great friends. I ended up working my last three years back in the stores before I retired.
The moral and best advice I received came when I transitioned into Customer Service: my boss, Donna, said that if ever an opportunity arises for you to stay here working in Corporate as a Union guy, challenge yourself to say, “YES!”
Point to Ponder: You never know where life will take you, and sometimes it may offer a chance at the unexpected or to learn something new. On the Merry-Go-Round of life, sometimes that brass ring for a free ride comes by once. My advice is to reach out and grab it, as it can lead to one helluva ride!
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