This past August, our Baton Rouge office was affected by the catastrophic flooding that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. Coined the worst US national disaster since 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, Louisiana’s John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency.
4 CottageCare crew members in our Baton Rouge office lost everything the owned. 1 crew member was evacuated from 3 different places in 1 night. Another had to be air lifted to safety. Many customers discontinued service as they no longer had a home that needed to be cleaned. Trash lined the streets for months following waiting to be picked up.
While the list could go on and on of the adverse situations that were faced, the support that was received from other CottageCare offices, CottageCare customers, Shaklee and the way the crew pulled together to support one another and their community during the rebuilding process was truly incredible.
The service center manager, Rebecca, recounted that the service center received countless donations from other CottageCare offices. Customers would show up with clothing, food and furniture donations and often call the office asking if crew members needed anything. Shaklee, a company we order products from, donated cleaning supplies for the crew members to help clean up and prevent mold from growing in their homes.
A noticeable difference in the CottageCare crew member dynamic was almost instantaneous. Everyone was family and constantly asking one another if they needed anything. This continued as crew members moved from temporary housing into permanent housing. A few crew members would come to work cleaning homes during the day, and then volunteer in different places within the community, and come back to work the next day.
As we reflect on the year, the way everyone pulled together from companies we do business with, CottageCare family, customers and crew members, truly touches our hearts. Thank you to everyone who played a part and lended a helping hand to help those who were affected by the flooding in Baton Rouge to rebuild and start over!