GOOD WORKS: HURRICANE KATRINA
Wal-Mart steps in to help employees
By VIKKI CONWELL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/20/05
As Hurricane Katrina headed for New Orleans, Byron Perrilliat escaped from his hometown with his grandparents and a small overnight bag. He took refuge in the familiar, landing at the home of his sister in Alpharetta.
Days later, when Perrilliat realized his stay in Atlanta would not be short, he found himself at another familiar location — Wal-Mart.
"I just wanted to see if I could find a job," said the 23-year-old displaced employee. Temporary or permanent? asked Roswell store manager Tracy Dickerson.
"Permanent," said Perrilliat, who reported to work the next day. He also was given $500 to help with living expenses such as clothes and food for his family.
Since the storms hit, the box store giant has opened its doors and wallets to its 34,000 employees displaced from Gulf Coast stores. Each displaced worker was eligible to receive up to $1,000 in financial assistance and a comparable job in another store.
"We wanted to make sure we were helping them get back on their feet," said Michael Mills, regional director of corporate affairs. "Money is important but bringing as much normalcy as possible is more important."
Wal-Mart also established an online registry for evacuees to list the items they need most for recovery and to message loved ones. It is at
www.wal-mart.com.
"I was impressed how they handled the situation," said Perrilliat, a grocery products worker. "It kind of eased the pain and took a big relief off. It gave me one less thing to worry about."