Spreading MODness is a term that gets mentioned around here a lot. While it can mean different things to our different MOD Squad members, it’s basically the ripple effect of simply doing the right thing. It’s truly what MOD is all about – and recently, we’ve witnessed a whole lot of Spreading MODness down in the Houston area.
When Hurricane Harvey hit the city of Houston, it was regarded as one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history. Seventeen thousand people required rescuing and more than 30,000 were displaced from their homes. The impact of the devastation was felt all across the nation. It was also felt locally by many of our Squad members, as we have over 540 of them living and working in the Houston community. Our newly opened Kingwood store had to be shut down entirely due to the damage from rising floodwaters. Some of our MOD Squad members lost everything.
However, despite the difficulty and challenges, we heard some amazing stories about Acts of MODness that occurred surrounding the event. These acts deserved to have some light shed on them.
Acts of MODness:
- During the storm, three District Managers (Tim Leach, Charles Parker and Scott Robertson) were literally on the road offering assistance. They personally rescued Squad members who were evacuated by boat and delivered them to friends, family and shelters.
- Cameron, from our Towne Lake store, had to evacuate his home along with his roommate (also a MOD Squader). Rather than carry any belongings out with them, they carried out their neighbor and her dialysis machine. They subsequently received assistance from MOD’s Bridge Fund to accommodate them with food, clothing and a hotel.
- Our MOD Squad had 48 of their cars lost in total. FEMA does not help with damage to cars, but The Bridge Fund stepped in and was able to help with bus passes and car down-payments. One Squad even organized with neighboring restaurants and created car pools that are still on-going in two different locations.
- Squad members from all over the country sent care packages donating their tips, artwork and various supplies to their fellow coworkers in Houston.
- Frank, a GM at Vintage Marketplace MOD, saw a need and took charge. Through one phone call he was able to get 16 new Queen beds donated for members who lost everything.
- We had dozens of Squad members receive more than $200 worth of gift cards to get them back on their feet.
- Ashley, a Bay Colony Squad member lost her house. The team in Houston secured a hotel for her, then found her an apartment. Soon, some kitchen items were donated and then a brand new bed was delivered. The District Manager and his wife also donated pool toys and beach towels for her daughter to enjoy at their new place.
- One of our Managers who lost everything in the storm, hosted a baby shower for a Squad Member who was seven months pregnant and relocating to Oklahoma. In addition to the shower gifts, two extra boxes of housewares were donated along with $200 in gift cards to get her started in her new home.
Stories like these have shown us that the ripple effect can become even stronger in times of crisis – and we couldn’t be more proud of our MODs. We’re also glad that many of them utilized our employee assistance fund (called The Bridge Fund) in order to get back on track with their lives. That’s what it’s there for!
We’re also grateful for the folks who donated from across the United States and the UK – helping us to contribute $60,000 to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. We’re in this together, and we wanted to ensure that everyone impacted by the devastation received support within the communities we proudly serve.
Due to the spirit and tenacity of the people in Houston, our Kingwood store – which was closed due to water damage, reopened its doors on November 10th, 2017. After months of repairs, our Kingwood Squad and community can finally return to their MOD (and continue to share in Spreading MODness).
If you want to join the movement and be part of the ripple effect, visits us in stores Nov 21st– 26th for our honorary week of Spreading MODness!
