After a lifetime of working, 91-year-old cashier gets to retire

04/26/2023

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A 91-year-old great-grandmother and cashier at WinCo Foods in Medford, Oregon, will finally get to retire from a lifetime of working next month when she turns 92, thanks to the generosity of thousands of strangers who donated more than $72,000 to her GoFundMe campaign as of Tuesday.

The woman, Betty Glover of Phoenix, explained on her now viral GoFundMe campaign that she needed to retire because her “eyesight is failing due to macular degeneration.” She, however, had significant financial responsibilities that forced her to continue working.

“I am a great-grandmother of almost 92, still checking groceries at WinCo. Although I love my customers and the people I work with, I would like to retire. I really need to retire as my eyesight is failing due to macular degeneration,” she explained. “To retire I need to pay off the fifth wheel I live in. If I can do this, I will have enough to pay for the rent of the space, groceries, and medications that I need. Anything you can do to help would be much appreciated.”

Glover’s fundraising goal was $40,000 but as people heard about her story it moved them to give. According to the campaign statistics, more than 2,000 people have donated to the great-grandmother’s retirement fund.

The great-grandmother is among a significant share of older adults who had no retirement income, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation which shows that 49% of adults ages 55 to 66 had no personal retirement savings in 2017.

Data from the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging also show that approximately half of adults over age 65 who are living alone cannot afford to pay for their basic necessities.

Glover, who revealed to her donors that she was “overwhelmed” by the support she has received, told KDRV that she got the idea for starting the GoFundMe campaign from a work colleague.

“I am overwhelmed by the support and generosity of everyone,” she said.

Glover noted that she had been working at WinCo for about 10 years and prior to that she worked at a roofing company.

“Thank you to everyone who has donated already and thank you to those posting this and getting it out there. I really appreciate the love and support,” she said.

The money she has raised so far will help Glover retire from her job on May 1. She told KDRV that she spent so much of her life working she was never really able to watch her own children grow up, but she decided that she would like to see her grandchildren do that.

“I’m used to working and I hate the thought of not working but then I decided that I would like to enjoy my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren,” Glover explained. “I’d love to watch those little ones grow up. They are really sweet and when you work when your children are small you miss a lot of their life.”