Last week, Colorado lost almost 1000 homes in an awful fire. A client called me who had employees that lost their homes, and frantically he said, “Beth, I don’t know what to do here! How do I help my people?” So, I put together some suggestions.
1) Pick up the phone and call them. They need to hear from you. They need to know that you are going to support them and that you have their back. They may not be in a place to call you back immediately, so don’t read into it if they don’t. Call once every week to two weeks, with no expectation of a call back.
2) Take action. Don’t ask them what they need, just provide it. When my daughter, Katy, was in the hospital the first time, my friend Beth sent a ton of food to our hospital room. She didn’t ask; she just did it. Also, a friend sent a handmade blanket to the hospital. I have it on my lap as I am typing this. I have never forgotten these beautiful acts of kindness, and your employees won’t either.
3) Items to give. When someone has lost their home, “stuff” isn’t what they need, because they have no place to put it. Take them food and water; bottled water, fruit, nuts, crackers, peanut butter, bread. The people that have come to the donation center where I donated my time asked for blankets, towels, socks, underwear, and warm clothes.
4) Donate money to the family directly. In the Boulder 2012 fire, $650,000 went to the Red Cross, but the families didn’t see that money. If you have a friend or employee who was directly affected, donate directly to them or take the initiative to set up a GOFUNDME account.
5) Listen. Just listen. Your friend, family member, employee needs a safe outlet to process their heavy emotions when a tragedy strikes, and they have a huge loss. You don’t have to fix it for them; in fact, you can’t. But you can be a sounding board and provide support when they need it most.
Finally, take care of yourself, so that you can be available for them. Rally the troops and check in regularly. We all need each other right now, and your employee will never forget the action that you are taking on their behalf.
Power thought: Put your oxygen mask on first, and then help your employee out with the suggestions above. They will never forget your act of kindness.