It All Began at the Rock

I guess they don't call it "The Rock" anymore . Mike worked for Prudential a total of 35 years. He started in Millville, New Jersey, then moved to High Point when they opened the new location at College Village Shopping Center. He was there when Prudential closed its High Point operations at the Piedmont Parkway location in 1998.

Prudential was a community oriented company. The company and its employees exhibited the true “Spirit of Giving”. Prudential enabled its Red Cross disaster volunteers to be away from their jobs for one, three week assignment each year. Mike never would have been able to do this without the help of his co-workers. Their encouragement and appreciation for what he did meant a great deal and is something he will never forget.

Mike began his Red Cross career in 1991 while working at Prudential. A unique partnership with the Red Cross enabled Prudential employees to become trained Red Cross Emergency Service volunteers. Pru Red Cross volunteers completed the basic disaster assistance training then continued on with specialized training in their area of interest. After successfully completing all the requirements, they were ready to assist with local or national emergencies.

When Mike found out about the new volunteer program, he went to the local Red Cross Chapter, then located on English Road, and inquired about disaster training. The High Point –Thomasville Chapter was much smaller at that time. I know because I was Red Cross staff at that time. We had a few, dedicated disaster volunteers but for the most part, paid staff was deployed during major national disasters. The Chapter did not offer any disaster training classes. So Mike went to Greensboro and got the basic training there. He then returned to our chapter and announced he was ready to go on a Disaster. It wasn’t until the arrival of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 that he actually got to put his training to work. Mike said it was hard being a newly trained volunteer and having nowhere to go. He was nervous he would forget his training yet he couldn’t wish a disaster to happen. It’s just not right to look forward to something bad happening.

A Few Examples of Prudential Spirit
Employees collected and assembled items for Red Cross “Comfort Kits” See the picture above. Each kit included personal grooming items such as toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, moisturizer, disposable shavers, washcloth, deodorant. The kits were given to families who had been displaced from their homes do to fire.

They also made blankets for disaster victims. Bolts of red flannel were purchased. During their lunch hour, Pru ladies set up four sewing machines and finished the edge of each blanket. Some of these blankets are still being used by the Red Cross today.

Prudential employees donated lifesaving blood four times a year at company sponsored blood drives. Mike has donated over 14 gallons of blood to date.