How a Storm-Battered Health System is Helping Employees

"I mean, my sister wasn't even an employee, and I'm part-time.  I'm just a clerk, you know, and they went through all of that for us, and for my sister's son," says LaPorta. "I can't say enough good things about what NorthShore-LIJ has done for us."

To streamline the process of addressing the needs of all of their employees and the volume of calls, the EERC's phone lines were triaged by priority:

1. Immediate housing
2. Food, blankets, clothes
3. Financial resources

The health system is giving cash or money cards to families in ranges of $500 -1,000 depending on the number of family members. Its credit union has also arranged to provide 0% interest loans up to $7,500, which are guaranteed by NorthShore-LIJ.

"These are for individuals without financial backing. Maybe these individuals are living in an apartment, where they got flooded and don't have anything, and they are already individuals who are living paycheck-to-paycheck, because this is an expensive place to live in this region," says Cabral.