NORTHAMPTON — With the closure of Ten Thousand Villages in Northampton this month, longtime employee and beloved community member Jane Hertz, 88, doesn’t plan to simply give up the community connections and meaningful work she found through the store.

The Northampton location of Ten Thousand Villages, one of 40 globally, is one of 13 company-owned stores closing down. The 27 locations that will remain are independently owned and operated, but licensed by Ten Thousand Villages.

Hertz, who worked at the store for 18 years, fell in love with Ten Thousand Villages’ mission of supporting artisans around the world by selling their products and engaging in fair trade practices. Meanwhile, thanks to her thoughtful gift recommendations and warm personality, the community fell in love with her.

“People sort of flocked to the store partly because they knew she was there,” said Lauri Meade, a close family friend who called Hertz “just an extraordinary woman” and “just delightful” to customers.

Meade and other friends of Hertz lauded her ability to pick out the perfect gift for any person while she worked at Ten Thousand Villages, as well as her friendly and welcoming energy that afforded her many repeat customers and deep friendships. Hertz attributes her success at the store to the fact that she simply loves people.

Now that the store has closed — part of a shift to wholesale and online sales the company attributes to changes in consumer habits and financial necessity — Hertz isn’t ready to slow down, and is seeking new ways to serve the community she has become such an integral part of.

When the retired social worker moved to the area from New Mexico 18 years ago, she immediately sought ways to volunteer and become part of her new community while avoiding the loneliness that can come with relocation. After testing the waters at a few volunteer opportunities nearby, Hertz stumbled upon the “Help wanted” sign posted at Ten Thousand Villages as she strolled through downtown Northampton. She was quickly offered the job, and immediately discovered a passion for the store’s products and mission.

Over the years, Hertz made the acquaintance of many city residents and tourists, some of whom would return again and again to get her advice on finding thoughtful gifts for their loved ones.

“I do believe I was truly interested in finding the proper and perfect gift for people,” Hertz said. “I think it’s because I really loved so many of the products.”

She recalled a time when a customer came in, feeling lost in their search for the perfect gift for their grandma. Hertz was easily able to help them find their way, suggesting one of the store’s picture frames.

“There’s nothing like getting a picture of family that’s already framed,” she remembered telling the customer. “And they said, ‘You know what, you’re absolutely right.’”

Many times, Hertz would encounter young men who came to the store looking for something to gift to their mothers or significant others, and she took pride in getting to play a role in putting a smile on those people’s faces.

“That always touched me,” she said. “People are always so generous with their kind words and their kindness.”

Hertz’s love for people and the store’s products gained her plenty of recognition and gratitude, both from the store’s customers and its leadership. Her former manager at the store, Karen Shanahan, said that Hertz’s “contagious” positive attitude and dedication “inspired everyone.” Shanahan and Hertz became friends both at work and outside of the store, and Shanahan said the pair “just had a fun time all the time.”

“Jane made a big impact on the whole team and on me specifically,” Shanahan said.

But Ten Thousand Villages isn’t the only place where Hertz became an essential piece of the community’s fabric. Hertz also has been volunteering as a docent at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, and has found deep friendships with her neighbors in the area.

Mary Stanton, who lives down the street from Hertz, quickly became close friends with her, and she has come to “absolutely adore” Hertz.

“She’s one of those people where you feel like you’ve always known her,” Stanton said. And whether encountering Hertz at Ten Thousand Villages or elsewhere, Stanton emphasized that she “would make you feel at home and make you feel like you were important.”

“She is what I would hope to be when I am her age,” Stanton said.

Hertz said she also cherishes the friendship she has with her “Janes,” her group of friends, all named Jane, who get together to chat, travel and “talk about the stigma around being a ‘plain Jane.’”

One of her fellow Janes, Jane Fleishman, recalled a trip the Jane group took to New York City a few years ago. As things started to slow down and the time approached 11 p.m., Jane Hertz, despite being the oldest member of the group, decided to keep the party going. She suggested a nearby piano bar that she loved, and the Janes followed her there for a night of singing and laughter.

“We had such a good time singing at the top of our lungs,” Fleishman said.

Hertz laughed about the memory of that night, especially when the group changed the lyrics of the Helen Reddy song “I Am Woman” from “I am woman, hear me roar” to “We are Janes, hear us roar.”

“I’m so grateful to have her as my friend,” Fleishman said, remembering the fun times had with Hertz.

As she looks for her next community project, Hertz has been looking back on her time at Ten Thousand Villages, and her life more broadly, with appreciation.

“I know how important it is to have a full and vital life,” Hertz said, adding that she has felt grateful to bypass the loneliness that many people her age struggle with, instead discovering opportunities to continue having a rich social life.

She said she considers herself a “very lucky person” who has gotten to forge many interesting relationships and live a very full life — and she’s not done yet.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.