Girl, 12, fulfills supermarket dream
Hope gets the chance to "work" at her favourite store in Sheffield as she celebrates her birthday.
A 12-year-old girl's dream of working at her favorite supermarket came true as a special birthday surprise. Hope, who is non-verbal and lives with a neurological condition, visits the Asda store on Chaucer Road in Sheffield weekly with her mother, Gemma.
Recognizing Hope's deep affection for the store, Asda staff arranged for her to wear a uniform and operate the checkouts. Gemma explained that Asda is Hope's most cherished place, and her face always brightens there. To make her daughter's birthday even more "Asda-y," Gemma approached the managers with her idea.
A spokesperson for the store commented, "Even though she couldn't speak, her face said it all... colleagues had tears in their eyes and customers bought her gifts."
For her "shift," Asda community champion Joan Martin provided Hope with a green staff T-shirt, a badge, and a lanyard. Following her time on the checkout, Hope received a birthday cake, a card, a goody bag, and a full-size shopping basket.
Gemma shared, "She loves going there, everyone is so friendly." She added that Hope even has an Asda till at home, which is her favorite toy.
For Hope's Asda-themed birthday party, Gemma purchased numerous green balloons and banners. The invitation for Hope to work on the checkouts alongside long-serving staff member Lisa Houcher "made her year."
"She had the time of her life and everyone was so nice to her... Lisa was really patient and engaging with Hope and I can't thank them enough for what they did," Gemma expressed. Joan Martin described the morning as "amazing."
Lisa Houcher, who has been an employee at the store for 13 years and has two children and five grandchildren, remarked, "Hope really enjoyed herself and she's a lovely girl, and to see her smile so much was really nice."