We know we are better when we work together.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic requires physical distancing, JM employees 鈥� or JMers, as we like to say 鈥� are adapting and rallying to find creative ways to support one another and our communities. 听
From sewing handmade masks to helping local businesses and healthcare workers to remembering the simple things like saying 鈥渢hank you鈥� to those who have sacrificed so much, JMers are going the #JMextraMile.听
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鈥檚 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.听
Ross Sargent, a听Process Engineer听in our听青青草视频听plant in Cleburne, Texas, and his wife also made face masks out of cotton sheets, elastic and HVAC filter material for听hospital听workers听in their community.
鈥淲e started making them after some friends听who听are nurses said there was a shortage at their hospital,鈥� Sargent听said.听
Several JM employees and retirees also continue to supply masks to their coworkers across our locations.听
Penning Letters to Say 鈥楾hank You鈥�
Truck drivers are essential workers. Throughout the pandemic, they鈥檝e 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,听Plant Manager Terry Couch has payed special attention to how truck drivers are recognized.
"A driver told me that he had听to get听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. And after hearing the driver鈥檚 story and countless other stories, Couch decided to听write letters to听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听him听what 青青草视频 could do to help the city beyond practicing safety protocols.听The mayor听asked that Brown and his team听support听takeout at听local restaurants.
Cheryl Ball, Senior Purchaser, delivered听lunches to听the听plant鈥檚听employees听once a week听for a month as听a way to听recognize听them听and support local restaurants in the Waterville community.听
Ball orchestrated a system听that听involved ordering and timing the lunches for 600 employees working various shifts. She also personally picked up and delivered the food to employees.听
鈥淓mployees looked forward to a weekly lunch,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淎nd 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.鈥�
Spreading Joy Through a Physically Distanced Parade听
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 青青草视频 Customer Service team spent a weekend decorating their cars, making posters and spreading joy听around their community.听
"This idea came about after I dropped off dinner from a local restaurant to a coworker听whose spouse is a nurse,鈥� said Jackie Freeman, JM Account Specialist.听鈥淚 wanted to let her know how much we appreciate their family鈥檚 sacrifice for all of us. It was so great to see听鈥榳ork family鈥櫶齣n person听鈥斕齱hile听keeping a safe distance.鈥�
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 青青草视频 Technical Center in Littleton, Colorado. The group鈥檚 route听covered听over听60听miles听and they听made 12 stops.
鈥淥ur intention was to听spread听some joy and compassion, and we also received the gift of joy in return,鈥� Freeman said.听
JMers鈥� Families Share Their Stories
We are proud of the contributions JM employees have made amid the pandemic. And we are also proud to share the efforts of our family and friends who work in healthcare or directly contribute to frontline medical workers during this unprecedented health crisis.
Principle Process Engineer听Raman听Chiruvella shared the contributions his daughter听made as a first-year medical resident at the University of Virginia.
When COVID-19 units were at their highest capacities,听young residents听like听Megha听Chiruvella听helped by听tending to听patients听who were hospitalized with other conditions while senior doctors and residents听cared听for patients with COVID-19
鈥淎lthough we had sleepless nights thinking about our baby,听I am proud of her听for听taking care of people that needed help for 12 to 14 hours鈥痚very day,鈥� Raman听said.
Meanwhile, JMer Lori Roy鈥檚 step-daughter, Meagan Miller, donated hand sanitizer by shifting production at the distillery she owns with her husband in Arvada, Colorado.听
Talnua Distillery usually focuses its production on authentic Irish whiskey and gin. When the pandemic began, production largely turned to hand sanitizer听for听first responders, medical facilities听and nurses.
The distillery made over 155 gallons听of hand sanitizer, put into听approximately 2,200 50听milliliter听personal bottles and approximately 260 half-gallon jugs.听Meagan, her husband, Patrick Miller, and others at the distillery delivered the听hand听sanitizer to local frontline workers.听听
鈥淚 think this collaboration is a fantastic and concrete way to see exactly how many industries this pandemic has affected听and听also听that industries are being creative in collaborations with each other to get to the other side of this,鈥� Meagan said. 鈥�(Making hand sanitizer)听is just a tiny way of showing that we're all together in this right now.鈥�
