An accountant by trade, Valerie is a single mother of three grown children and grandmother to “a beautiful five-year-old granddaughter.”
She started dashing to supplement her income.
“Dashing has helped me support my family and take a few mini-vacations. It is money that allows me to get groceries or gifts for holidays. I love that I can set my own hours, work as much as I want, and interact with people.”
But years before she was being featured for her story, Valerie was new to dashing and worried whether she’d like it. “I thought it would be more difficult and confusing ... but the app made it easy,” she says. Today, she shares the tips and experience she wishes had been shared with her.
“I wish [there] was someone who told me not to get frustrated when little things happen … Remember how you would like to be treated and treat everyone that way … [And] most of all, never give up on the hard days or days where it seems nothing is going right.”
Of the 4,000 deliveries she’s completed, one dash in particular sticks out. Valerie was delivering a pizza, and as she approached the home, a boy appeared at the door crying, and started talking to her.
“The little boy answered the door with his mom and cried to me. He said: ‘Thank you for bringing my pizza. We are going to do a FaceTime with my grandparents since we can't go see them at the restaurant like we [used to] do every weekend. I am so happy you are still working and can bring me my favorite foods.’"
Valerie says she continues to dash because she loves the interaction with the customers as well as the restaurant staff.
“You never know someone's story and why they may be ordering take out,” she says.
