New Signature prides itself on its culture and core values as a driving force for every customer and employee interaction. But nothing proves that claim quite like the way the New Signature team responded after Hurricane Harvey slammed the Houston area in late August.
New Signature has dozens of remote employees working on projects and in home offices across the globe, and for a few in the hurricane’s path, the effects of the storm were damaging.
New Signature CEO Jeff Tench set up a GoFundMe account to gather donations from team mates, and began kicked off the campaign with his own donation and with a promise that the company would match contributions. Within a 24-hour span, the employees rallied behind their teammates and raised $11,500, which New Signature matched, doubling the donation and providing needed relief for the affected employees.
As the greater New Signature team was actively donating to the GoFundMe campaign, as well as, donating individually to various organizations like the American Red Cross and Texas Diaper Bank, one New Signature employee decided to take a more active role in supporting the affected communities. Dominic Bethel, New Signature Business Development Director for the Southeast region, along with his brother, J.T. Percival, decided to drive from Georgia to Texas to volunteer their rescue services. Bethel and Percival helped rescue numerous storm victims from devastating flooding.
“I was seeing reports of boats needed in Southeast Texas, and started talking to my wife about heading there to help. I sent my brother a text and asked if he’d be up for going to Texas to help. Five hours later we were on the road heading west with my duck boat in tow,” says Bethel.
“Our original intention was to go to Houston but as we got closer and the storm dumped more and more rain, it became evident that we wouldn’t make it past Orange, TX. It didn’t take long for the storm to flood Orange, and demand the rescue of thousands of stranded families. Between rescues and actively searching for people, my brother capture footage and still shots of the storm and our efforts.”
There is a long road to recovery in Harvey’s wake and the New Signature team hopes these small contributions aid in that recovery. New Signature is proud not only of its accomplishments in the technology arena, but also by the individuals who live out the meaning behind the core values. Our employees are human, they are generous, they are authentic, and they make positives differences in the lives of our clients and our community every day.
