Strangers flock to help woman fired by Walmart after almost 23 years

[Tony_FLADEM]

ST. PETERSBURG — Jan Sullivan didn't know her story had been read 108,000 times on tampabay.com.

She didn't know that a woman in Bangalore, India, was thinking about her. That a man in Australia wanted to send her a check. That someone in Tampa had created an online account to help raise money for her.

Hundreds of people — all strangers — have offered cash, housing and, in many cases, friendship to Sullivan since the Tampa Bay Times reported her story on Sunday.

Sullivan, who is 73, doesn't have a computer. She was shocked when she learned of the global response.


http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article1239018.ece




This is an update to this story:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002899644

[progressivebydesign]

1. The majority of people are basically good and kind-hearted...

I detest the media narrative that the world is getting meaner and uglier every day. I'm so glad that the woman is finding some help, and most of all emotional support. This quote from Walmart just takes the cake, though: ""Based on the information we have, the situation led to a bad experience for our customer and it could have been avoided." A bad experience for their customer?? The customer assaulted her when told she could not leave through a certain door. Unreal.

[Brickbat]

2. I find it frustrating that people are willing to help others only when they hear their story.

When people hear about the unemployed, many don't consider that "the unemployed" consists largely of people with stories similar to this woman. As someone who has generally tried to do the right thing throughout her life and has a sudden string of bad luck and makes a couple of not-so-great decisions, she is the rule, not the exception.

[myrna minx]

3. Thanks for the update. I've thought a lot about her these last few days. n/t

[RebelOne]

4. I am happy that this lady's luck has changed. n/t

[bigdarryl]

5. She was stupid for working at Walmart for 23 years anyway

I don't want to sound cruel about this but come on 23 years working at a place that don't pay shit and treat there employees like shit.They fired her so they wouldn't pay for her pension which probably isn't shit from the began with

[shrike]

6. She is 73 now, meaning she was 50 when she started working at Walmart

Even back then there wasn't much in the way of opportunity for a woman her age, and according to what I've read of her background she mostly worked as a manual laborer, scrubbing toilets, cleaning houses. She and her first husband also had a cattle ranch, which involves very physical work. Walmart was probably a step up for her. At the time of her firing she was making $15 an hour, which for someone like her must have seemed like big money.

Hey, I hate Walmart, too, but not everyone's us, and it's always important to look at things from someone else's point of view.

[ladjf]

7. Further evidence that there are many good hearted, caring people. The problem is that they

are in charge of the politics. nt