Recovering after Hurricane Milton and rebuilding hope

Splish, splash…Splish, splash. The sound of moving water echoes as Sandra Lise, Call Center Supervisor, walks through her home after seeing Hurricane Milton's devastation. Each step ripples through several inches of water across the floor of her home, which ruined many of her possessions and memories.

Sandra has worked at Maximus for 12 years and said she truly enjoys her work. It was her job that connected her to help after the storm. She said she remembered reading in a company newsletter about the Employee Assistance Fund (EAF) as a place she could turn to for help.

“I was delighted and relieved at the same time to know that the [EAF] program is available. This program helped me in so many ways to regain some stability in my life,” she said.

As a Florida resident, she’s witnessed the impact of powerful storms in her community. Hurricane Milton was one of three hurricanes that made landfall in Florida between August and October 2024, bringing destruction and affecting millions of lives across the Sunshine State.

Despite the progress in restoring normalcy, many are struggling to recover. Sandra is still regaining stability from Milton's effects. However, she has advice for Maximus staff who may be deciding whether to turn to the EAF for help.

In 2021, Maximus established its EAF to assist employees with unexpected financial hardships resulting from the impact of federally qualified natural disasters and other personal challenges. The program provides short-term assistance for basic living expenses to help alleviate financial hardships caused by large-scale disasters or personal hardships as a result of a family emergency or other sudden, severe, overwhelming, or unexpected event.

Since its launch, the EAF has supported staff to recover more quickly and focus on what matters most:

• More than 3,330 Maximus employees in need of assistance received a total of more than $3.1 million in grants.
• Of the total qualifying recipients, roughly 2,430 EAF grants supported colleagues facing personal hardship and 870 facing a qualifying disaster

Our commitment to compassion doesn’t stop with our Maximus colleagues. In a new formal partnership with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), we’re extending our support to communities facing crises. CDP is a trusted partner with expertise and an equity lens to disaster response. Employees and contingent staff can donate year-round to disaster recovery efforts through our CDP microsite. Maximus employees also have the option to contribute directly through payroll.

Maximus has donated $150,000 to support CDP’s work and help underwrite any donations from our microsite. This proactive approach responds to the increasing number of disasters and humanitarian emergencies worldwide. This partnership ensures that our collective contributions are making a meaningful difference, especially in underserved communities. Together with CDP, we are working to create sustainable solutions and equitable support in times of crisis.

The Maximus Foundation is one of the ways Maximus colleagues are doing something greater together. Established by the Maximus Board of Directors in 2000, the Maximus Foundation is an independent, colleague-led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Maximus team members pool their charitable contributions together through the Foundation, double their impact on the grantmaking program through Maximus’ dollar-for-dollar matching pledge, and make their voices heard by nominating and voting for future grantee partners. Though the Foundation focuses its giving strategy on grantmaking, it also helps coordinate corporate-wide humanitarian efforts and empowers staff to donate their time and skills to nonprofits. Their inspired giving and volunteerism help accelerate the missions of nonprofits on the front lines of the communities we serve. Learn more at the Maximus Foundation website.