By Madeline Otten
Correspondent
Located right off Route 15 in Fork Union is a Family Dollar managed by 70-year-old Shirley Logan. While most Family Dollars are the same, offering discounted everyday household items and food products, this store is different from the rest.
Logan’s store has a four-star rating on Google, while the corporate office is only rated a 1.2.
“I’ve been going to this Family Dollar for about three years, since we moved from Northern Virginia,” said Ruth Cummings, a Dillwyn resident. “I’ll take the extra 15 minutes to travel to see Shirley because it is so clean, it is safe, and she cares a lot. The employees do too.”
Logan started off at Family Dollar as assistant manager. Once promoted to manager, she helped put the store together.
When describing her proudest accomplishment, Logan explained that another Family Dollar had closed and some of the remaining stock was placed in her stock room. The district manager told Logan he would be back to check on her. When he returned two weeks later, the stock room was clean and empty.
“He jokingly asked me if we threw the stock away or out back and I told him I would show him where we put it. It was on the shelves,” said Logan.
Logan’s hard work has not gone unnoticed within the community. To help get Logan some recognition, Cummings created a Facebook post Dec. 30, 2018, that contained pictures of Logan’s store to try and draw attention from Family Dollar upper management. The post included clean aisles, neatly stocked shelves, and more photos highlighting the store.
“I contacted Family Dollar before about Shirley, but they never got back to me,” said Cummings. “I thought, ‘I’ll try this way,’ meaning I’ll post on social media hoping it would go viral.”
Cummings’ post earned 496 engagements or likes, as well as 54 positive comments praising Logan for her dedication to the store.
Logan described herself as someone who is constantly working and moving. Every morning she wakes up around 4 a.m., and then goes to the store at 8 a.m. Getting to the store early allows her to get everything ready before it opens at 9 a.m.
Currently, Logan has two other employees operating in the store. She regularly pulls 12-hour shifts, sometimes five days week. Even though the hours are challenging, getting to know her customers is rewarding.
“At first, I did not know Ruth was driving an extra 15 minutes to come and see me,” said Logan. “I have customers coming all the way from Scottsville, Louisa, Dillwyn, and some from Richmond. My customers have a high respect for me.”
Logan has lived her entire life in Buckingham. She grew up in the area and began her first job as a restaurant cook at the age of 12 to help her family with finances. She credited her cooking skills to both her mother and grandmother.
In her free time, Logan enjoys a quiet weekend, but occasionally spends it with family. She has two sisters who live in New Canton, two sons who live in Buckingham, and four brothers: one who lives in Louisa, and the other three in the Washington D.C. area.
“Family is very important to her,” said Pamela Logan, Logan’s niece. “And often just like she does at work, she goes above and beyond to help her family.”
Spending time with family usually means Logan cooks, but she enjoys it – especially when she prepares her homemade dishes of macaroni and cheese, pork chops, and chicken.
