Just over a year ago, Gloria Limanni met me for coffee to interview for a management position in our brand new business. She had cancelled our first meeting because a dear friend had gone into the hospital. "I'm sorry about this," she said via email. "I hate to do this. But, this guy is like family and he needs me today."
That early encounter with Gloria said so many things to me about her integrity, her priorities and her stance on life and I entered our re-scheduled interview with a sincere interest in her. Since that time, Gloria has not only come to work for us at The Mercantile, but she has given so much of herself and her passion to what we are trying to accomplish. Not just our business, but our lives have been enriched by her daily presence. One of our key tenets at The Mercantile has been building and participating in community. Gloria identifed with this immediately and helped us to enact a vision that seeks to embody community and give back each day through a capitalist style venture built on heart, passion, and tastebuds!
She holds babies for moms while they shop and hugs people when learning of a loss or a difficult day. When one of our regular guests suddenly lost their best friend in a horrible accident, dinner for four showed up on their doorstep through Gloria's quick thinking. She brings in cards for the staff to sign when one of us needs support.
Similarly, I have had the pleasure and opportunity to get to know David this past year. He has shown up at The Mercantile with his tool kit and helped us fix maddening repair problems. David has also walked in the door wearing his chef's uniform on his day off and helped us knock out catering orders. He has assisted us in special events and talked with me over the phone just to offer his encouragement when it's been tough going as a business owner. My favorite memory of all is last Easter when Samantha and I found ourselves working on Easter Sunday to try and catch up at the shop. Gloria and David showed up that evening with a juicy lamb roast, bottles of wine, and a complete meal. Samantha and I were treated to the best Easter dinner ever with some of the finest company!
It's our turn at The Mercantile to give back to Gloria and David. While we do not have the resources to help them completely recover their loss, we can reach out to our community and family and seek to build a grass roots style momentum that will hopefully give them a boost during this difficult time. Getting this blog started as a resource for community and family to send them assistance is our starting contribution. Read below for small ways that we can all help. Gloria and David, you are in our thoughts and prayers.
Yours in Community,
-Janea Boyles and Samantha Enzmann
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