Chinonye "Chi Chi" Omeje joins VERC Enterprises' Randolph location

RANDOLPH, Mass. - Jan. 24, 2017 - PRLog -- VERC Enterprises, a leading convenience store and Mobil/Gulf gasoline operator with locations throughout Eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire is delighted to announce that Chinonye "Chi Chi" Omeje has joined VERC Randolph Mobil on a part-time basis as a greeter following a four-month internship.

"Chi Chi developed such wonderful relationships with customers during her internship last fall that when she left for a month, people continually asked for her," said Barry Ahern, Director of Operations and Human Resources at VERC.

The company, recognized as a leader in hiring individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities, has partnered with the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind to provide employment and internships for those deemed legally blind.

Omeje's story is one of sorrow and celebration.  She was severely burned ten years ago, when as a teenager in her homeland of Nigeria she had an epileptic seizure and fell face first into a cooking fire, with a pot of stew spilling over her head.  The accident left "Chi Chi" blinded and facially disfigured.  A Nigerian-born American who learned of Omeje's plight while visiting a rural clinic intervened, resulting in "Chi Chi" and her mother moving to Milton in 2005; over the past decade several of the world's top plastic surgeons have performed dozens of surgical procedures on the now 27-year-old, including a face transplant in 2009.

A graduate of the Perkins School for the Blind, Omeje was taken on as an intern at the VERC Randolph Mobil last September, quickly earning the admiration and respect of both VERC staff and customers.  In addition to greeting customers, her new part-time post with VERC will include light cleaning duties.

"We're excited to have "Chi Chi" on our staff and look forward to seeing her thrive here," said Ahern, noting that Omeje's "amazing positive attitude is powerful."

About VERC Enterprises

VERC Enterprises is the region's leading, independent chain of convenience stores and gasoline stations, with locations throughout Eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  The company began 40 years ago, with a single car wash in Marshfield, in a business founded by Eugene Vercollone. Today two of Mr. Vercollone's sons operate the company, with Leo as President and Paul as Vice President. The firm has more than 300 employees and is a leader in hiring those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. In 2011 VERC Enterprises was recognized by the Boston Business Journal as a Best Place to Work in Massachusetts and as a Leader in Diversity and in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016 by the Boston Globe as a Best Place to Work in Massachusetts. For additional information, please visit the website, www.vercenterprises.com, or call 781-934-7300.

To learn more about VERC, please view: https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLesS4W9hjtufdf6GhvnfUKMk2l2Q-r-MM



PHOTO: Chinonye "Chi Chi" Omeje with VERC District Manager Zeshan Muhammad on her first day as an official VERC Enterprises employee