Meals on Wheels

A passion for serving others is an important part of the job at Ace Hardware. For Ginny Williams, owner of Gil's Ace Hardware in Smyrna, Tennessee, it's all about the feeling she gets from helping the people in the community.

Ginny owns the family-run business with her sister and brother. Their parents started the hardware business back in 1975, and it has been an Ace Hardware since 1984. For as long as Ginny can remember, her parents instilled the importance of giving back to the community. Ginny has continued the tradition by sponsoring baseball teams, school activities, the local library, food bank, and the Red Cross.

"If there's a Boy Scout that needs materials for his project, she's there donating materials for that," said Rick Bruen, Gil's Ace Hardware Associate. "It just goes on and on and on, all the people she's helped in this community."

A program that is near and dear to Ginny's heart is Meals on Wheels. The program helps provide meals to people who are age 60 and over. They are eligible if they don't have somebody to prepare a meal for them and they can't do it themselves. If they live on a fixed income, it might be the only meal they'll have all day.

"Ginny has been helping the program for 10-12 years," said Audrey Wildes, Smyrna Site Manager, Meals on Wheels. "She helps deliver the meals. For a lot of the people, she's the only person they'll see all day. It's more than a meal. It's like a welfare visit to make sure everything is OK."

"I really enjoy doing it, and the people that receive the meals, they're just so thankful," said Ginny. "It's just something I like to do. I like to help people, and you know, Ace is the Helpful Place. You just cannot beat the feeling of helping somebody."