On a fateful morning in May of 2010, Jon Denton was driving to work early in the morning when he hit a stray horse on a rural road. The next thing he remembered was waking up in a hospital room to the devastating news that he was paralyzed from the waist down and would likely never walk again. That was two years into his tenure with Lowe's; he could have never guessed that his employment with the company would allow him to stand again 14 years later. Jon was on the receiving end of the largest Lowe's Employee Relief Fund (LERF) grant in the company's history. LERF was created over 25 years ago, as a 501 (c)(3)program that combines employee donations and a company match program to help associates undergoing significant personal hardship.
In Jon’s case, it all started casually enough. he was stocking shelves in his wheelchair when he mentioned to his supervisor, Kayla Rockefeller, how much easier the work would be if he could stand. A simple comment said in passing, according to Jon, but Kayla took the idea and ran with it. She ran the request for a standing wheelchair up through the Lowe's Employee Relief Fun and up the chain of command and was surprised and delighted when it was approved.
I haven't stood since May 2010. Being able to be in a vertical position is amazing. Incredible. It gives me a little more independence, a little more courage, a little more feeling.
Jon now uses the standing wheelchair while working at Lowe's, which allows him to work more efficiently and confidently, "It's not the most wheelchair-friendly world out there. So, it's nice that I can come in here, do my job, do it better than before, and have a little bit more of a feeling like I'm a part of Lowe's."
Jon says he is grateful to the Sanford community for supporting him, and he especially thanks the Lowe's Employee Relief Fund, without which he wouldn't be standing today.
