Brian Nordstrom, a customer service associate at the Lowe’s of Gaithersburg, Maryland, knew it was time to speak to management about his wife’s obligations with the Army, but he was nervous.
At his previous job, Brian was forced to resign when Michelle left for a two-month training and their childcare facility didn’t open early enough for him to make it work on time.
“That company's guidance was that his childcare challenges were not their concern, and he is not a military member,” Major Nordstrom explained. “This resulted in a strong resistance to working outside the house due to my military obligations while also having two small boys.”
Given that prior experience, Brian was understandably hesitant to approach his Lowe’s leaders about his wife’s 10-month deployment.
But their reaction set the family up for success.
“The response he received was, ‘How can we help you? What do you need from us?’” Major Nordstrom said.
Leadership modified Brian’s schedule so he could better handle his responsibilities as a single parent. And they checked in on him regularly to see how things were going and to stay abreast of Michelle’s situation overseas.
“It doesn't take but a few minutes a week to stop and chat with someone and ask them how they are doing or how Michelle and the kids are,” Brian said. “But that simple gesture let me know that they genuinely were curious and wanted to know if they could do anything to help. That little thing made a difference."
And it meant everything to his wife.
“To me, this is what military support actually looks like,” Major Nordstrom said. “Knowing that everyone was happy, healthy, and purposefully engaged in activities allowed me to focus on my mission and my team.”
She took her appreciation a step further when she returned home, nominating store manager Keith Clarke, assistant store manager Bob Bielucke and department supervisor Sheik Housein of the store leadership team with the Patriotic Employer award from the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Defense.
On April 15, Major Nordstrom presented the award at the store.
“Deployments become long, and some days are incredibly physically, psychologically and emotionally arduous,” Major Nordstrom said. “Lowe's leadership was directly responsible for a large part of our family’s overall well-being during the past year, and I really can't thank them enough.”
