“About a year ago, I got a call at work. House was on fire."
It’s the kind of call no one expects to receive.
“Once it got into the attic, it just lit up and quickly burned from the top down. Gone in a matter of minutes.”
Jerry Crowe, a Lowe’s fulfillment associate, was working at the Northlake Lowe’s in Charlotte, North Carolina when he got the call. But his family was home and in the house. Fortunately, they were able to escape.
“That’s the most important thing, everybody got out safely,” Crowe said. “The house can be rebuilt, and we are rebuilding it as you can see. But it’s been a tough year.”
The rebuilding would take time, but Crowe and his family needed assistance with basic needs fast. Friends and family stepped in to help and to Crowe’s surprise – so did Lowe’s associates near and far.
“Tyrone, my store manager, reached out to me immediately,” he said. “He made me aware of the Lowe’s Employee Relief Fund and helped me submit my application within days after the fire.”
Lowe’s created the Lowe’s Employee Relief Fund more than 20 years ago to support associates facing unforeseen, significant financial hardships such as natural disasters or a medical event. Lowe’s associates can contribute to the fund and the company matches each contribution dollar for dollar.
“I had the approval and the money in hand from the fund within weeks. And it helped us tremendously in those early days,” Crowe recalled. “You never think that you’re going to be in a position where you need help. I never thought I would be, but you know, it happened to me.”
Overwhelmed by the generosity he and his family received during the past year, Crowe said the experience has changed his outlook on giving back.
“Today, I contribute a little bit [to the fund] each month,” he said. “That little bit from everybody can add up to whole lot of help for somebody in need. I just want to reach out to each one of you who have done that and say thank you very much for your contributions over the years.”
