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

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 three or four 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.