By / Nicole Leatherman and Courtney Ward
We know we are better when we work together.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic requires physical distancing, JM employees―or JMers, as we like to say―are adapting and rallying to find creative ways to support one another and our communities.
From sewing handmade masks to helping local businesses and healthcare workers to remembering the simple things like saying “thank you” to those who have sacrificed so much, JMers are going the #JMextraMile.
Sewing Masks for Healthcare Workers, Firefighters, and Each Other
Limited quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) burdened first responders and medical workers in the early stages of the pandemic. N95 respirators and surgical masks were in short supply, forcing organizations across the country to ration them. JM employees and their loved ones rose to the occasion by sewing handmade masks after working hours or during lunch breaks.
Inspector Packer Lauri Neilson, who has worked at JM’s Defiance, Ohio, plant for 22 years, filled mask orders for a local fire department and a nursing home, and she donated masks to family and friends who work in healthcare services.
Ross Sargent, process engineer in our Insulation Systems plant in Cleburne, Texas, and his wife also made face masks for hospital workers in their community out of cotton sheets, elastic, and HVAC filter material.
“We started making them after some friends who are nurses said there was a shortage at their hospital,” Sargent said.
Several JM employees and retirees also continue to supply masks to their coworkers across our locations.
Penning Letters to Say ‘Thank You’
Truck drivers are essential workers—throughout the pandemic, they’ve sacrificed their own comfort and safety to deliver critical supplies, from medical gowns to loads of construction materials used to expand healthcare facilities.
Scottsboro, Alabama, Plant Manager Terry Couch has payed special attention to how truck drivers are recognized.
“A driver told me that he had to get a rush load of TPO to Florida to finish up an expansion wing of a hospital,” Couch said. TPO is a single-ply roofing membrane.
After hearing the driver’s story and countless other stories, Couch decided to write letters to thank these drivers on behalf of JM and our customers. Truck drivers who stop at the Scottsboro plant are personally greeted by Couch with an elbow bump, a letter to thank them for their service, and an explanation of steps JM takes to provide a safe environment.
Recognizing Employees While Supporting Local Businesses
Once non-essential businesses began their phased re-openings, JMers connected with community leaders to learn what they could do to contribute to local economies. They started with the restaurant and food service industry, one of the hardest-hit industries amid the pandemic.
The idea was born after Waterville Plant Manager Matt Brown called Waterville Mayor Tim Pedro and asked him what Johns Manville could do to help the city beyond practising safety protocols. The mayor asked that Brown and his team support takeout at local restaurants.
Cheryl Ball, Senior Purchaser, delivered lunches to the plant’s employees once a week for a month as a way to recognize them and support local restaurants in the Waterville community.
Ball orchestrated a system that involved ordering and timing the lunches for 600 employees working various shifts. She also personally picked up and delivered the food to employees.
“Employees looked forward to a weekly lunch,” Brown said. “And the feedback from the restaurants was that we were helping them make their payroll for the week. It was a great way for us to have community involvement amid the crisis.”
Spreading Joy Through a Physically Distanced Parade
The pandemic has caused worldwide fear, anxiety, and stress. Small acts of kindness and joy can help assuage those stressors, combat social isolation, and remind us that we are all in this together.
With this in mind, members of JM’s Insulation Systems Customer Service team spent a weekend decorating their cars, making posters and spreading joy around their community.
“This idea came about after I dropped off dinner from a local restaurant to a coworker whose spouse is a nurse,” said Jackie Freeman, JM Account Specialist. “I wanted to let her know how much we appreciate their family’s sacrifice for all of us. It was so great to see ‘work family’ in person — while keeping a safe distance.”
Freeman said that after dropping off the meal, she missed her JM family even more and decided to illicit their help to boost morale near the Johns Manville Technical Center in Littleton, Colorado. The group’s route covered over 60 miles and they made 12 stops.
“Our intention was to spread some joy and compassion, and we also received the gift of joy in return,” Freeman said. ▪
Reprinted with permission from Johns Manville
