As part of Arthrex’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, every year employees are given eight hours of paid time off (PTO) to perform volunteer services with local organizations and charities. Following Hurricane Helene, Arthrex Manufacturing Inc. South Carolina (AMISC) employees were given an additional Volunteer PTO Day to aid with cleanup efforts across the Upstate region and beyond.
In the aftermath of the devastating storm, nearly 140 employees signed up to assist their coworkers and coworkers’ families. Employee Relations Specialist Associate Lexi Greer coordinated efforts to match employees wanting to volunteer with employees who were in need of assistance.
Senior Packaging Engineer Technician Austin Mazell was among the 13 employees who raised their hands to accept help with cleanup efforts.
“The subfloor in the back portion of my house sustained water damage, the HVAC ductwork was waterlogged and all of our appliances were damaged,” Austin explained. “My engineering group volunteered to help, and if it wasn’t for them, I would still be in the demo phase of my house rebuild. Thanks to their help, my family and I were able to move back into our house 24 days after Helene passed through the area.”
Several members of the Packaging team joined forces to help one of their own, Senior Packaging Machine Operator Wendell Ramsay, clear downed trees at his property. And, similarly, Maintenance Technician III Brian Hill assisted his father, Rick Hill, in removing fallen trees and debris.
In a letter to Arthrex, Rick thanked the leadership team for allowing employees the extra time to help the community recover.
“What a great representation of a company that cares for people,” he said. “This storm was devastating and one of the worst things I can remember that’s affected our community. But it’s during this time you see people come together for a common cause, helping everyone get on their feet once again.”
A cross-functional group that included the Quality team, operators, business analysts, co-ops and warehouse employees spent its additional Volunteer PTO Day clearing fallen trees from a house belonging to Senior Finishing Technician Kristy White’s parents.
“Kristy’s parents had a dozen or so trees fall in their yard and a couple land on their garage,” said Quality Engineering Manager Josh Ziadie. “Our group showed up with rakes, chainsaws and even a tractor to help move debris.”
“My parents are helpers – they’re always helping other people,” Kristy said, “but they’re in their seventies now, and they had a lot of damage at their house. They are so grateful to Arthrex and everyone who showed up and worked so hard.”
Kristy’s mother sent a thank-you card to the team of Arthrex employees who spent the day at her house.
“It was such a blessing to have so many hands extend out to us,” she said. “We feel blessed to know that we are cared for, loved and thought of by your community.”
Still other employees used their additional Volunteer PTO time to work with charities such as Meals on Wheels – Anderson and Samaritan’s Purse, a nondenominational organization that provides aid around the world to victims of war, poverty, natural disasters and more.
Suture Assembly Operator II Penny Boesch was one of the employees who volunteered with Samaritan’s Purse – an organization she’d only learned about approximately a week before Hurricane Helene devastated the area.
“I was at a music festival earlier in September, and Samaritan’s Purse had a trailer there where you could learn about the kind of work they do,” Penny said. “I was so impressed, I left thinking that I would like to work with them sometime.”
Little did Penny know that Samaritan’s Purse would soon be organizing cleanup efforts in Asheville, North Carolina, where her son lives. Penny quickly signed up to assist the organization, drove the two-and-a-half hours to Asheville and spent a full day raking leaves from downed trees and picking up brush to be hauled away.
“There were so many people there helping, from so many different states,” said Penny. “I was telling everyone about Arthrex and the things it does for its employees and the community.”
Additional aid in the form of generators, gas cans, extension cords and chainsaw oil was sent to AMISC from the Arthrex Logistics Center (ALC) in Fort Myers, Florida.
“We have trucks running between AMISC and ALC four days a week, moving product,” explained Vice President of Operations David Bumpous. “Since generators were hard to come by in South Carolina and western North Carolina, the ALC Facilities team bought 16 units and put them on the next day’s truck to Pendelton.”
“Once our employees had their power restored,” Lexi said, “we sent the generators right back to Florida to help employees affected by Hurricane Milton.”
“I am so proud to work at Arthrex,” Kristy said, echoing a sentiment shared by employees who contributed to cleanup efforts as well as those who received assistance.
“It was amazing to see all the individuals who were willing to volunteer their time, not only to help their fellow Arthrex employees, but the community,” said Lexi. “I was so grateful to have been able to coordinate this effort to help our employees in the midst of the damage of Hurricane Helene. I want to say a huge thank you to those who gave their time and equipment to help out.”