Storm recovery
“Our first concern as the storm was unfolding was to verify that all of our team members and their families were safe,” Tapick says. After all employees were accounted for, Martin’s HR office had a list of 71 employees who were in some way impacted by the storm (through flooding in their homes or vehicles). “Our first thoughts were, how can we help these employees – what do they need help with right now?” Tapick says.
First the company helped by providing what many employees were in desperate need of – cleaning supplies. The Home Depot and Lowe’s stores in the area were sold out of these items so MPF leveraged its supply chain partners to gather cleaning products to share with employees in need.
Next, HR assisted employees with filing FEMA paperwork and insurance claims. “We realized that because so many of our hourly employees do not speak English as their first language, they could be even more challenged by the prospect of filling out this complex paperwork,” Tapick says. In response, the company hired additional personnel to assist HR with helping employees with this task.
A grief counselor was also brought to the facility to help employees cope with the trauma of the disaster.
Finally, the company wanted to provide financial assistance to its employees who were impacted. MPF provided interest-free loans to any employee needing financial assistance after the storm. The company also made sure each employee received a full paycheck the week of the storm, whether or not they were able to come to work. “But we soon recognized that these gestures, while appreciated, were still not enough,” Tapick explains. The company then decided to form the Tapick Family Foundation, a private foundation designed to administer disaster relief.
The company’s disaster relief fund is financed by the Tapick family, along with charitable donations that employees can elect to make (all employee donations are matched by the Tapick family). In addition, donations can be made on the company’s You Caring page by friends, family and company partners.
A team of company volunteers review applications for disaster relief funds (to be used for home or vehicle repairs or the replacement of personal items lost in the storm). More than $25,000 in grants have been provided to MPF employees, to date.
The Tapick Family Foundation will serve as a resource to help current and future employees in the event of future disasters as well, Tapick says.
