LaShenda Williams’ customers and coworkers at Kroger say the first thing you’ll notice about her is her smile. It’s easy to be happy, Williams told USA Today, when you’ve received the kind of support she has.
Her smile may now be a friendly mainstay at the east Nashville grocery store, but it was less than a year ago when she was living out of her car in the parking lot. She found herself there after years of struggling with drug addiction, depression and abuse.
That began to change after Kroger hiring manager Jackie Vandal posted a job fair flier at the store. Williams asked Vandal if she could be hired. To prove her dedication to getting a job, Williams was one of the first people to show up at the January job fair. She was hired at the spot. Crying, she fell into Vandal’s arms at the news.
“You get a feel if someone’s sincere or if they’re just trying to get a job to say they got one and then quit a month later,” Vandal told USA Today. “She was very sincere.”
