APRO’s Disaster Relief Fund eases hurricane impact
APRO’s disaster relief fund eases hurricane impact
 |
While the final cost of damages wrought by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike on the Gulf Coast is still being calculated, the direct impact on businesses and their employees was immediate.
An unknown number of rent-to-own dealers sustained damage as a result of the September storms, which forced the evacuation of millions and plunged whole cities into darkness.
It was under similar circumstances APRO’s RTO [Relief to Our] Employees Disaster Relief Fund was created three years ago in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita and four rent-to-own companies have recently put the fund to good use in this latest round of natural disasters.
The $200 per employee disaster relief checks brought a measure of ease to a total of 94 employees who were unable to clock in to work due to store closures, found themselves with refrigerators filled with spoiled food due to lack of electricity or faced other storm related challenges.
Hurricane Ike delivered extensive damage to eight of John Spangle’s twelve Houston area rent-to-own stores and he said the disaster relief checks were a real morale booster to his 38 employees impacted.