What I want for Christmas…To Help Stott Outdoor Workers

On November 8, wildfire destroyed homes of seven employees of Stott Outdoor Advertising in northern California.  Two other Stott employees who evacuated are now back in their homes, with longer (hopefully temporary) commuting routes to work.

In response to the destruction, Stott General Manager Jim Moravec created a GoFundMe account to help affected workers.  The goal is $40,000 . . . which is doable by Christmas.  The company has raised $34,570 so far.  If 54 readers join Insider in giving $100 the company can meet its goal.  Let’s hit that goal for our billboard colleagues in need.  Click here to contribute.

https://www.gofundme.com/displaced-norcal-ooh-employees

Thank you to those who’ve chipped in.  Insider asked Jim Moravec to explain Stott’s Employee Assistance Fund.

How do these funds help Stott employees?

Imagine teenage children whose house they were raised was destroyed by fire, and they have no stuff.  “I don’t need all my stuff . . . just a few things,” a tearful teenage daughter told her dad, a Stott employee.

Imagine a happy, confident, successful billboard salesperson who suddenly has no wardrobe.

A construction-maintenance worker was fortunate to find a rental for his family of five; he used employee-assistance funds to buy a washer and dryer.  Others moved into apartments, needing cookware.  In general, being displaced increases cost of living.

Some affected by fire-losses have begun putting offers on houses and-or land.  We are keeping powder dry, anticipating possible shortfalls between cash needed and insurance payouts.

Jim Moravec, General Manager, Stott Outdoor

How are these funds managed?

By the Stott management team:  our operations manager, controller,  sales-marketing director, and me.  All impacted employees are coming to work; we are visiting frequently, determining need, and distributing funds accordingly.

How is work attendance?

The resiliency is truly impressive.  We have tried to create a sense of normalcy, which all agree is very important when dealing with the abnormal.  The Stott family Christmas party organized by my wife Laura was held at a bowling center on Saturday (December 8), exactly one month after the wildfire.

What does it mean to the Stott team to know the industry supports employee recovery?

As a billboard independent, one can sometimes feel a bit isolated.  Everyone at Stott has been impressed that people in our industry — from all over — identify with us because we operate in similar worlds.  We find it humbling.

People we do not know well nor do lots of business with have reached out to help because they are quality, caring people.  In addition to GoFundMe, we have received direct checks for employee recovery.  Vendors have asked to put money into our Employee Assistance Fund in lieu of paying invoices.  The support of the OOH community has been impressive and is so appreciated.

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