La Tonya Floyd
La Tonya Floyd helped 80 families receive personalized grocery orders delivered right to their home at no cost.
Serving customers first is a culture pillar we’ve all heard before. But it recently took on a life of its own for La Tonya Floyd, Principal – Software Engineer, following the devastating mass shooting at a local supermarket in Buffalo, New York.
As a result of this tragedy, Tops Friendly Market closed its doors, forcing the residents to live in a “food desert” with little access to fresh produce. With the next nearest grocery store over 4 miles away, most residents don’t have the income or ability to get there.
“I want to do something, but what can I do?”
La Tonya refused to let the 1,184 miles between where she lives in Garland, Texas, keep her from helping the impacted community (who are predominantly senior citizens) in Buffalo. She decided she was going to help families by delivering much needed groceries right to their door.
La Tonya reached out to AT&T to set up a second phone line and number local to Buffalo so residents could call and place their order. Then she created a postcard campaign to drive awareness and established a GoFundMe account to cover expenses.
Every order was personalized. Each recipient was offered 4 pounds of their choice of beef, chicken and/or fish. They also had the option to select up to 10 different vegetables, 3 dairy items and 5 fruits. Food allergies were also taken into consideration.
La Tonya received her first phone calls over the Fourth of July weekend. Word of mouth spread rapidly, and before she knew it, there were 100 families on her waiting list. Thankfully she wasn’t alone in taking orders.
“Kirsten Chadbourne (Retail Store Manager) was a great support from the beginning. I reached out to her and asked if she was interested in helping. Just knowing that she was there in the [Buffalo] area was a comfort,” La Tonya said.
Not only did Kirsten get volunteers to help approximately 80 families receive groceries, but GoFundMe also reached out to La Tonya and expressed interest in supporting her efforts.
“There are people in general who need help. If my story inspires someone else to do something good, I’ll be happy,” La Tonya added.
Serving Customers First starts with our desire to want to serve our customers. Thank you, La Tonya, for bringing this culture pillar to life and for making a difference.