From Desperate to Grateful How each employee makes a difference at Adventist Health Portland

People in a circle with their hands together in the middle.“I will evict you.”

Sasha’s* heart sank. Less than a month earlier, everything had been going smoothly. Sasha had a good relationship with her roommate. She was preparing for the holiday season and felt comfortable in her routine.

Suddenly, nothing was routine.

Sasha found herself in a trio of unfortunate events. First, Sasha walked into her home to find her roommate moving the headboard out of their room. Sasha’s roommate had decided they wanted to move in with their significant other with no notice and months left on their shared lease.

Normally, this would not have been an issue, but Sasha also came down with a terrible head and chest cold — so sick, in fact, she spent the week in bed. Worse, her primary care physician was unable to see her, so Sasha had no doctor’s note to explain why she missed six days of work and couldn’t get her extended sick leave pay.

Suddenly short half a paycheck, and with no roommate to share the rent payment, Sasha realized she might not be able to make rent. When she went to talk to her new property manager, out came those four horrible words: “I will evict you.”

“I was helpless and embarrassed. I had no idea what to do,” Sasha recounts. “I am supposed to be this young, successful woman, to have it all together.”

The weight on Sasha’s shoulders was heavy. She felt hopeless. One day her supervisor asked if everything was OK. “I broke down crying at my desk,” Sasha admits.

Sasha’s supervisor immediately sent her the resources to apply for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Sasha applied for financial help, receiving approval within a week.

The EAP is a fund used entirely for associates in need. Whether they might need to replace a tire, find themselves unable to pay for necessary bills or need help paying for school supplies, the EAP is a safety net for all associates. The program is fully funded by Adventist Health employees who feel called by a culture of love to support each other.

With her request for help approved, Sasha let out a deep sigh of relief, thankful she could keep her roof over her head. “It’s okay to be vulnerable and ask for help,” she says. “[People] do care.” She knows because of this small miracle made possible because of the personal compassion shown by her co-workers and supervisors.

“[The head of the EAP committee] asked me how he could get the check to me the quickest,” Sasha remembers. “When he dropped it off at my workstation, I noticed he had delayed his lunch to do so!”

She says Adventist Health Portland is full of people willing to give their time to help. Each leader who knew about her situation checked in with her, and her team was a huge support during this time. “People are just different at Adventist Health,” she says.

What would Sasha say to the people who helped her? “Other than a thank you through tears?” she wonders. “How can you repay something like this?”

Her answer was to pay it forward. She was helped by more than 100 co-workers contributing to the EAP because they care deeply for each other’s health and well-being, and Sasha will always be grateful to them. Now that her situation has stabilized, she chooses to give to the fund for the next person who needs it. “If people aren’t my priority, I don’t know what is,” she says.

If you would like to join Sasha in supporting co-workers when they need help most, sign up for payroll deduction here. 100% of your gift goes to the fund of your choice.

“If you can change a person’s life, it is everything,” Sasha declares.

Change lives with us today.

* Name changed to protect privacy.

 

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