Meet Kitty Shew, a 92-year-old greeter at Store 258 in Richmond, Ky. She is a face any regular customer would recognize and has become an integral part of the Richmond community.
Originally from Birmingham, Ala., Kitty has worked since she was 13. Yet no job impacted her quite like this one.
Kitty was a banker for most of her career. She then spent 12 years taking care of her husband before his passing.
“I was fine until he passed away, then I decided I needed something to keep me busy,” she said. “Meijer was hiring before the opening of the store. At the last minute, I went and interviewed and got the job within an hour.”
Kitty has worked as a greeter at Meijer ever since and has found immense joy and friendship in her 13 years here.
“I like working,” she said. Her favorite part is seeing the people. “I can tell if they’re happy or unhappy. I try to make them happy if they’re unhappy. I have lots of customer friends that I would have never known if I hadn’t come to work at this store.”
Kitty works hard to make sure everyone at her Meijer feels welcomed. She worked during the COVID-19 pandemic and made sure customers knew they had her support and care. “I’m a hugger,” she said. “I hugged them if they wanted hugs.”
Whenever she isn’t working, customers are always asking where she is. Even her store director, Bill Thompson, recognizes the impact she has on their community. “Bill won’t let me quit,” Kitty joked. But it’s clear she doesn’t want to. She promised that when he retires, she’ll retire.
Kitty was recently featured in a Lexington NBC news station series called, “Heroes Among Us”. She was nominated by a friend of 30 years because she was 92 and still working.
She was proud to hear WLEX reporter Larry Smith describe her as a sweetheart and say that, because of her, customers never leave Meijer without a smile. “He was a really nice fella,” she said.
When asked why she’s still working, it’s clear she loves what she does. “Being a greeter isn’t boring,” said Kitty. “I just think Meijer is a good place and I’m very happy and I hope I can last a good while longer.”
You can read more about Kitty’s story and watch the video of her interview here.