“ONE Great Community Salutes” is a new Chamber program designed to recognize people who do positive things to improve the quality of life in our community. 

The first ever recipient of the Chamber of Commerce ONE Great Community Salute is Jo Abney of MCL Cafeteria. Jo has been a hostess at the restaurant for 14-years and says she’s “just plain old Jo.”

Her customers and her employers would disagree. Anyone who’s been to MCL more than once will likely know Jo. She’ll be the one taking care of things in the dining room. She keeps track of her customers even if sometimes it’s only by first name and their usual drink order.  Jo says, “I want to be sure to take care of the people that come to the restaurant. I’ve connected to so many people and made so many friends over the years.” She enjoys participating in celebrations and mourns when one of her patrons passes away. MCL management says the thing that sets Jo apart is she not only takes care of the needs of her customers while they’re in the store, but she gets to know them and keeps in touch outside the store. She’s visited the hospital and keeps tabs on their families. She even has a special birthday song that she sings for people and gets many requests.

Jo says she borrowed the song from a television personality in Ohio several years ago.

              So today is your birthday. That’s what I’ve been told.

              What a wonderful birthday. You’re one more year old.

              On the cake there’ll be candles all lighted for you.

              And the whole world is singing Happy Birthday to You!

Jo especially loves the kids and tells the story of little Preston who called her by name from the time he was 18 months old. One day, at age 4, she kissed him on the cheek and he wiped it off and wiped across his shirt. She asked him why and he explained that he had wiped it off his face and put it on his heart.   

Jo is a Richmond native and is proud of each of her 63 years in the community. She has two sons and was married to her husband, the late Ralph Abney, for 35 years.

Jo has enjoyed working at MCL and is quick to point out that there are other employees who have been at the cafeteria longer than she. Most people know that MCL is a cafeteria-style restaurant, but they also do banquet and catering services with meeting rooms available in the restaurant. In the last couple of years, MCL has also featured seasonal menu items with products from Indiana growers such as corn on the cob, tomatoes, melons and blueberries. Most of the items on their menu are homemade.  MCL is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. and Sunday 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Jo gets Monday and Thursday off.

Jo swears she was a shy backward kid all through high school, but now describes herself as a loud mouth. But it’s Jo’s extra service and caring that make her a great choice for the first recipient of the Chamber of Commerce ONE Great Community salute.

The Chamber plans to select an award recipient monthly and will be honoring the recipients in different ways throughout the month. The Chamber is asking for nominations from the community. 

Nomination forms are available at the Chamber Office, local radio stations, the Palladium Item and on line at www.rwchamber.org.