Twenty-five years ago, the Lowe's Employee Relief Fund was born. Since its inception, the fund, which combines employee donations and a company match program, has aimed to help associates undergoing significant personal hardship. To date, it's helped over 48,000 employees and distributed over $58 million in funding to associates in need.
David Green, Lowe's VP of Tax and Treasurer of LERF, was integral to creating the fund in 1999 in response to Hurricane Floyd's effects. It's grown leaps and bounds since the first dollars of assistance were given out, and now Green estimates that the volunteer selection committee behind LERF issues about 100 grants per week.
The great thing about LERF is that we're able to share some of that burden and let people know that we care about them, let the associates know. And it's a joint effort. It is a combination of funds from other associates and the company itself. So the combination of those two is really rewarding to let folks that the company cares for you and your fellow associates care for you during a time of need.
De Louthen, head cashier, said she never thought she would have to tap into LERF but was grateful for the assistance after tornadoes in Tennessee wiped out her home.
My entire house was just about gone. The roof had been torn off, and my kids were standing on the deck; one of them was wrapped in a blanket, and they were just covered in blood. It happened in a matter of seconds. It had just hit right before I got home, and I never saw it. I never heard it. We just moved into that apartment two months prior to this happening, and my kids could have been killed.
Louthen shares that she was overwhelmed by how Lowe's stepped up after the devastating storm.
I sleep a lot better knowing that I have a safe place to sleep. And when Lowe says they're a family, they honestly and truly are.
This familial bond endures through the collective generosity of associates and company contributions. For further details on the Lowe's Employee Relief Fund, visit here.
