“Friends are the siblings God never gave us.” –Chinese philosopher Mencius
“You’re at home here.” –Valleyview Co-op slogan
For many years, John Graham's mother Margaret was his closest companion. When she passed away, he had to learn to live without his best friend.
Luckily, John’s work family supported him through that hard time and has done so for the three and a half decades he's been there.
You know John. You see him at the Valleyview Co-op Food Store in Virden bagging your groceries, fetching carts, and stocking shelves.
In summer he rides his bike around town. In winter, he walks from his apartment at Evergreen Place to his work at the store, the place he most loves to be.
35 years, same job
At a time when most people change jobs as often as they change their oil, John’s steadfastness is remarkable. Recently, he was recognized for 35 years of service to the Co-op. When asked if he ever thought about changing employers, his answer is immediate: never.
His unwavering friendliness to everyone he encounters makes John a memorable fixture of daily life in Virden.
John having a bad day? Not likely.
But if you’re having one, he’ll chat you right out of it.
“I’m friendly to everybody because I know them all,” he says.
John often shows up early for his four-hour shift just so he’ll have time to greet his friends in the deli, the meat room, and around the store. And when the doors open to the shopping public, John is ready with a smile.
It’s the people
Grocery Manager Lorne Gryjack says it isn’t unusual for John to come to the store on his day off. Yes, he has other things he likes to do – puzzles, TV shows, and five-pin bowling, a sport in which he won a silver medal last year during the Special Olympics Manitoba Summer Games.
Now 72 years old, John is toying with the idea of retiring. But that transition won’t be easy for someone so outgoing and so bonded with his work family.
Living the brand
“John lives the brand,” says Gryjack. “The Co-op slogan is ‘You’re at home here’. And he is at home here, and everyone is his family.
“We’re very happy John’s still with us.”
(EDITED 9/23/2019)
