81-Year-Old Gives Up Retirement To Help Ohio Culver's Stay Afloat

Cleveland OH

19 May, 2021

7:22 PM

Description

FINDLAY, OH — What would you do for your love of ButterBurgers and sweet frozen custard? At a time when 9.8 million Americans remain unemployed during the coronavirus pandemic, Bonnie August's path took her in a different direction. The 81-year-old from Hancock County, Ohio, decided to take a break from her golden years to help her favorite Culver's restaurant through a tough time. When the restaurant switched to drive-thru only due to a staffing shortage, August showed up to open interviews and asked how she could help. "Bonnie was walking up and she is a regular, so I met her at the door and I explained that we were closed. And she's like, 'no I'm here for an interview'... And I was like, 'what?'" owner Danielle Doxsey told Toledo-based WTOL. August has dined at the Findlay Culver's since it first opened, according to WTOL. In fact, she was one of the first people in line when the Wisconsin-based chain opened its doors in the town of about 41,000 people. Now, she works there six days per week for about 3 or 4 hours each day. She helps by taking food to waiting cars. "Everybody pitches in, everybody works together. It's not a one-person operation; we all pitch in where we're needed," Bonnie told WTOL. Despite the high unemployment rate in the United States, businesses like Culver's are still having a hard time finding workers to fill open shifts and empty positions. In April, only 266,000 jobs were added in the United States, a steep drop from March, when the U.S. economy gained 770,000 jobs. Still, nearly 8.2 million unfilled jobs remain since the country saw a massive round of coronavirus-related layoffs in March and April 2020. Why do so many jobs remain unfilled? The reasons are many. Enhanced jobless benefits in some states, including a government-funded $300 weekly supplement, pay more than most minimum wage jobs. These benefits were extended until early September as part of a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 pandemic relief package approved in March. Economists also say workers could still be fearful of returning to work out of fears for their health, according to a report by Reuters. Others have cited problems with child care as in-person classes remain limited in many school districts.