Ville Platte resident Jackie Murphy walked nearly four miles to work everyday for years, until someone gifted her a bicycle. When it was stolen, she was back to square one; but her dedication didn't going unnoticed.
KATC spoke with Murphy on her drive to get to work "rain or shine."
‘I got a job at the nursing home and I promised them if they gave me a job. I promised them if they gave me the job. I was going to get there. I didn’t care how but I was going to get there and I did,” Murphy said.
At 57 years old Murphy walked to and from work four miles for nearly six years.
“I’m used to it…I’ve been used to it…I just need to get to work and I did it,” Murphy said.
But that came with little motivation—her husband died in a carpentry accident in October of 2008. Forcing her to take care of her three kids alone.
“When my husband got killed I had to raise all three kids by myself. And that was no stopping back then. So I just kept on going,” she added.
But that walk would come to a temporary halt— when a neighbor noticed her on foot.
“One of my neighbors told me his cousin had a bike for me. And one day I’m walking home, And he pulled over and said here ride it home. He took it out of his truck and I rode it home. Then it got stolen and my boss Mr. Proudome called the Sheriff's department and they donated me one Friday morning,” Murphy said.
That’s when the sheriff and constituents went to Murphy’s job at the heritage manor and presented her with a bike. Chip Matte bought a bike a few years ago and saw very little use for it.
His daughter who works for the sheriff's department was notified of a resident in her community Murphy who walked nearly four miles back and forth to work.
It was then he knew he had the perfect thing that could help her with her daily commute.
“I’m glad it helped her out, it’s a lot more useful to her than I had use for it,” Matte said.
“I like it, I like it. It’s good exercise," she says, adding that it helps her get to work a lot faster.
“If you really want a job you’re going to find a way I promise you…that’s what I did,” Murphy said.
Jackie says she’s now saving money to buy herself a vehicle.
The Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office told us that they started looking for a bike for Murphy, and Matte stepped up to donate it to the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office.
Then on December 2 Sheriff Charles R. Guillory, Chief Deputy Scott Fontenot, and Captain Vic Lemoine went the Nursing Home where they delivered the bike to Murphy.
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